November 11, 2009
HIS EMINENCE METROPOLITAN ALEXIOS` MESSAGE ON ADVENT
“Arise, shine; For your light has come!
      And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.”      Isaiah 60:1

As we begin the blessed season of the Nativity Fast or Advent, the beginning of our preparation for the Birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Logos (Word) of God, it seems as if the entire universe is joining us in preparing for this miraculous and momentous event.

Every year it seems that we see wonderful Christmas decorations earlier and earlier, as businesses try to attract customers, and people are already planning elaborate parties to celebrate the season. For many of us, the day after Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the season dedicated to shopping for gifts. And the list goes on. Of course, none of these things is inherently wrong or bad. However as Christians, we must ask ourselves the question: Is this really celebrating the Birth of our Lord?

If we are honest with ourselves, the answer to such questions for true Christians must be, "No," because the Fathers have told us that we should prepare ourselves in a spiritual way, with prayer and fasting and almsgiving to truly celebrate our Lord`s Nativity, the Feast Day of Christmas.

Sometimes our gift-giving becomes the center of the season and even our generosity and desire to celebrate the season can lead to a focus on materialism and away from the true meaning of the Birth of our Savior. Yet if we take a moment to reflect, we realize that most gifts are soon forgotten, and also that giving is a good thing which should not be confined only to relatives and friends.

This year I encourage you to use the tools that our Church has provided for us: worship, prayer, fasting and charity to help us prepare ourselves to receive our King as He comes to us as a little baby.

The message of the angels continues to remind us as people of faith to “Be not afraid…for nothing is impossible with God.”(Luke 1:30, 37). Indeed, despite the problems and adversities of the times we are in, and the very real difficulties that we face, we are not afraid because of our faith that God is with us.


November 20, 2009
THANKSGIVING MESSAGE FROM HIS EMINENCE METROPOLITAN ALEXIOS
Thanksgiving, 2009

My dearly beloved in the Lord,

“Glory to Thee for calling me into being
Glory to Thee, showing me the beauty of the universe
Glory to Thee, spreading out before me heaven and earth
Like the pages in a book of eternal wisdom
Glory to Thee for Thine eternity in this fleeting world
Glory to Thee for Thy mercies, seen and unseen
Glory to Thee through every sigh of my sorrow
Glory to Thee for every step of my life`s journey
For every moment of glory
Glory to Thee, O God, from age to age.”
From the Akathist of Thanksgiving

With grateful joy, let us count our many blessings with the beautiful celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday, that wonderful opportunity to take time from our busy lives to be grateful, to offer thanks to Almighty God for all the blessings He has bestowed upon us. Too often we take God’s blessings for granted, and we forget that to give thanks to God and to others is a divine occasion – indeed giving thanks is an essential, but often overlooked, element of our life in Christ.

Sometimes we take for granted the love and care that we receive from parents, family and friends and think that it is just an ordinary part of life. Yet the spirit that beautifies and transforms ordinary expressions of affection does not come from the giver but from the recipient – one giving from the gifts that God bestows, and the other receiving with gratitude. Both then are part of the greater unity and love of the Holy Trinity.

For Orthodox Christians, the center of our worship in the Divine Liturgy, the Eucharist, (“thanksgiving”), is the prayer of consecration in which the bread and wine, fruits of the earth and of our labor, and themselves gifts from God, are offered back to Him in gratitude for all His abundant blessings. He consecrates and transforms and gives the bread and wine back to us as the precious Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In this way, we recognize, with thanksgiving, the reality that all things exist because God created them and continues to renew and restore His Creation.

As fellow citizens and descendants of our forefathers who built this great nation, we should be particularly zealous in thanking God, who gives the most important gift of all, the gift of life in Christ. Especially at Thanksgiving, while we enjoy all His gifts, we should not forget those who are in need, the sick, those who are in pain or suffering from illness of mind or body, the lonely, the bereaved and the homeless. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ and with them we share our common humanity as children of the Heavenly Father.

As we prepare ourselves to celebrate Thanksgiving, may God’s goodness fill our lives and hearts. During this time of enduring hope, gratitude and appreciation, may you enjoy the all the blessings of health, peace and happiness on Thanksgiving with friends and loved ones. Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving overflowing with God’s blessings, I remain

Paternally yours,
ALEXIOS
Metropolitan of Atlanta