Christ in 2019
2 January 20192019 NEW YEAR’S ENCYCLICAL
The proponents of “God is dead” have not stopped. They fiercely persist.
An archbishop once said it. What did he say exactly? That “we live in a post-Christian era.”
Many people think the same way. Are they correct? Of course not. Why? Because Christ is the true God. The only true God. He is eternal. He is the same yesterday and today and to the ages. He does not die. We die. We will face the Righteous Judge.
The first who tried to kill God was Herod. He slaughtered fourteen thousand (14,000) infants in order to slaughter Christ. He did not succeed.
How many have been slaughtered by the contemporary Herods? Millions. Just think of the abortions. In Greece alone, a country which is immense in history but small in size, more than two hundred and fifty thousand (250,000) children are slaughtered each year. Think about what is happening around the world with abortions.
The Russian President Putin in his message spoke of nuclear war. What will happen then? Only God knows.
Are we perhaps counting one’s chickens before they are hatched? By doing what we do, we are only harming ourselves. We cannot hurt God.
The true God, Christ, gives us the year 2019. He gives it to us as a gift. He puts it at our disposal. How we use it is completely up to us.
Let us not forget that time is the most precious commodity. It is the most valuable commodity.
Do you use your time correctly? You then succeed in this life. You are on the road to salvation. And you will receive eternal life.
Christ did not change and will not change in the year 2019.
Remember. We were the ones who left paradise. He reopened paradise for us. We crucified Him. He forgave us. He promises to always walk with us. And when we sometimes exhaust ourselves, He lifts us on His shoulders.
Listen, my dear Christians of today. Neither God died nor will He die. We neither live nor will we live in a post-Christian era. Christ is the Lord and Master of life and death. The Creator of the world. The Creator and Lord of time.
Young and old, let us regain our reason in the new year. Let us cease being contemporary Herods. Let us stop quarreling with each other. Let us always think and do what is good.
We are the house of God. Let us cleanse ourselves with repentance, so that God Himself can come dwell within us. This way, the new year will be enjoyable, productive and lead to salvation.
I wish everyone a happy and blessed new year. With Christ in our souls and our hearts. With love for all and for our enemies. Let us live in peace and work for peace.
With fatherly love and blessings in the Newborn Christ,
Metropolitan Archbishop SOTIRIOS
