During the week of January 25th, 2021, Saint Silouan's Monastery in Sonora, CA, enjoyed snowfall. The welcome precipitation to be soaked into the parched land of California was recorded by a monastery laborer, Geoff Brimm.

Your Graces, brother-archpastors, reverend fathers, beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord!

GREETINGS ON THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST!

By God’s ineffable goodness, we enter once more into the joyous days of the great feasts of Christ’s Nativity and Theophany. I sincerely greet you all with this world-saving joy! The feat of faith and its fruit in life must be this joy: from the triumph of the Theophany - God’s manifestation and incarnation - and the sound of the Heavenly doxology and otherworldly peace being sung over Bethlehem.

Everything that transpired in that simple cave in Bethlehem and in the holy River Jordan, both especially revered by the entire Christian world, bore the deep hallmarks of modesty and humility. In His Nativity, the Creator of the universe, Who holds all things in His right hand,...

Christmas Message

by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia

to the Archpastors, Pastors, Deacons, Monastics

 and All the Faithful Children of the Russian Orthodox Church

Beloved in the Lord archpastors, all-honourable presbyters and deacons, God-loving monks and nuns, dear brothers and sisters,

From the depths of my heart I congratulate you all on the radiant feast of the Nativity of Christ.

Today the Church in heaven and on earth is triumphant as she rejoices at the coming into the world of our Lord and Saviour and lifts up praises and thanksgiving to God for His mercy and love for the human race. It is with spiritual trembling that we listen to the words of the hymn: “Christ is born; glorify Him! Christ comes from heaven; go out to meet Him” (Hirmos for the Canon of the Nativity of Christ). With reverence and hope we set our gaze upon the cave of Bethlehem where the Divine Infant lies wrapped in swaddling clothes in a lowly manger.

NATIVITY EPISTLE
of the Ruling Archbishop
of the Western American Diocese ROCOR

Reverend Fathers, Vernerable Monastics, Pious Faithful,

Text may be read here.