PASTORAL LETTER OF THE UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF CANADA
ON THE OCCASION OF THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD 2008

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

To the Very Reverend Clergy, Monastics and Religious Sisters, Seminarians and Laity of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Canada

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In the year 387 in Antioch, a priest by the name of John (who would later become Archbishop of Constantinople, and be remembered as Chrysostom or “Golden-mouthed”) addressed the faithful gathered in his hometown church for the Feast of the Nativity:

I behold a new and wondrous mystery! My ears resound to the shepherd's song, piping not some soft melody, but chanting in full a heavenly hymn. The Angels sing! The Archangels blend their voices in harmony! The Cherubim hymn their joyful praise! The Seraphim exalt His glory! All join to praise this holy feast, as we behold the Godhead here on earth, and man in heaven. He who is above, for our redemption now dwells here below; and we who were lowly by divine mercy have been raised.

As we sing “Boh predvichnyj narodyvsia”, in our homes, parishes and communities, we contemplate the pre-eternal God being born on earth for our salvation—so that humankind can be reborn in the very life of God. This is the mystery of Christmas! And the joy of that mystery is just as new and wondrous today for us, Ukrainian Catholics here in Canada, as it was for those Greek-speaking Christian faithful celebrating more than 1,600 years ago.

It is new, because from year to year we are drawn deeper into the Mystery of Christ: from our first experiences of the traditional Ukrainian Holy Supper as wide-eyed infants and excited children, to those of us advanced in age, who greet each Christmas Eve with the serene and blessed smile of one, who has grown to appreciate God’s goodness and grace. Christmas is always new because as we grow and our lives change we have new opportunities to experience God being born on earth as an event that touches our life in different and surprising ways.

It is wondrous, because we will never comprehend how the infinite and eternal God has deigned to become one of us; how the “One who is” was born and became what he was not – human, while remaining who he always is – Divine. We will never cease to be amazed at how the One and Undivided God is at the same time Three Persons, and how the Second Person, the Eternal Word of God, was born of a Virgin in the town of Bethlehem.

“ And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel" (Matthew 2:6). Of that smallest and greatest of towns in Judea, St. John Chrysostom exclaims: “Bethlehem this day resembles heaven; hearing from the stars the singing of angelic voices; and in place of the sun, enfolds within itself on every side the Sun of Justice”.

On this feast every town and city “resembles heaven”: from Bethlehem to Antioch, from Rome to Constantinople, from Kyiv to Lviv, from Sydney, Nova Scotia, to Vancouver Island and beyond. Wherever we light the Christmas candle and sing our beloved koliady-carols, we let the Sun of Justice shine forth in our homes and communities, and the angelic voices become our own, as we too praise the Saviour born anew for us.

This “new and wondrous mystery”, is for us an ever-present sign of hope. Indeed, it is truly appropriate that the Feast of the Nativity is celebrated as the secular calendar year comes to a close and the days gradually get longer. Through the lens of the Nativity we can look back on the past year and its difficulties and challenges, its financial troubles and woes, and see beyond our worldly concerns to the message of hope and renewal that the newborn Saviour brings. As we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, we are able to see our losses, our illnesses, our sacrifices and sorrows in a new light.

At the same time we can appreciate the many joys and blessings God has given us throughout the year – especially if we’ve celebrated baptisms, weddings or ordinations in our families and communities. We can certainly look forward to the many good things our Lord still has in store for us. And this being winter, we are especially mindful of those among us who are in need, that they may not be deprived of anything in this joyful season.

And so, as we, your Bishops, greet each and every one of you with this message of joy and hope, let us all together, dear Brothers and Sisters, with one voice and one heart sing out with the angels: Glory to God in the highest, and with the shepherds proclaim to the world: and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests (cf. Luke 2:14).

The Blessing of the Lord be upon you!

Sincerely Yours in Christ,