Nativity Encyclical of His Eminence Archbishop of Toronto and Metropolitan of Canada Dr. Mitrofan

NATIVITY ENCYCLICAL OF HIS EMINENCE
ARCHBISHOP OF TORONTO AND METROPOLITAN OF CANADA DR. MITROFAN

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!” (Luke 2:14)

Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ,

The Feast of the Nativity of Christ is a miracle that surpasses all reason and all understanding – a feast that unites heaven and earth, the visible and the invisible, time and eternity. In Him, the ancient mystery that has been hidden since the foundation of the world is being fulfilled: what the prophets announced and what all creation hoped for is being fulfilled – that the Invisible One appears in the flesh, that the Unapproachable One approaches man, that God clothes himself in human weakness in order to clothe man in His glory. Eternity meets time, the sky descends to the earth, and the earth rises to the sky.

On the feast of the Nativity of Christ, my dear spiritual children, heaven and earth kiss, because in the cave of Bethlehem was born the One who upholds all things by the word of His power. God, who created man in His image, becomes man through His love. As Saint Athanasius the Great says: “God became incarnate so that we might become gods by grace.” In that holy moment, the doors of eternity open and the angels, beholding the miracle of inexpressible humility, sing the first hymn of the New Testament: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

From that moment on, nothing is the same. The power that created the world now rests in the swaddling clothes of a child; He who nourishes all living things now feeds on the milk of the Mother; He who sits on the throne of the cherubim now lies in a manger. This is the depth of Divine love: He who is rich becomes poor; He who is eternal enters into time; He who embraces all accepts to be embraced by the arms of one Mother. As Saint Gregory the Theologian says: “He who is rich becomes poor, because He takes upon Himself my poverty so that I may be enriched with His divine fullness.”

In Bethlehem, the place of bread, He who is the Bread of Life was born. In the dark cave of the earth, a light shone forth that enlightens every man who comes into the world. This day is truly the beginning of a new man because God did not send a message from heaven, but rather He Himself descended among us, to bring us back into the community of love and peace. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory” (John 1:14). He comes as a child – helpless, but almighty with love. Saint Gregory the Theologian says: “He who was without a mother in heaven, was born without a father on earth.” Thus the miracle of salvation occurs—God takes on flesh to deify man, so that what has fallen may be raised, what has been lost may be found.

While the world then, as today, talks about peace and makes war, Christ brings a peace that is not of this world. He says: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives, give I to you” (John 14:27). This peace is not silence without unrest, but the presence of God in the heart of man. Saint Seraphim of Sarov teaches us: “Acquire the spirit of peace and thousands around you will be saved.”

That is why true Christmas does not begin in the home, but in the soul; it is not measured by festive tables, but by the warmth of a heart that forgives, endures, and loves. Christ did not come to a palace, but to a cave; he did not wear gold, but humility; he did not descend with force, but with love. He was born in poverty to enrich us, in humility to exalt us.

“The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light” (Is. 9:2). In the darkness of sin, injustice, and fear, a Light that cannot be extinguished has shone. In every age there is unrest, but in every time God sends a guiding light. Saint Nicholas of Zicha said: “Without Christ, even the greatest light becomes darkness, but with Christ, even in darkness, light shines.” If we want that light not to go out, we need to guard our faith and heart like a vigil lamp, adding the oil of prayer, forgiveness, and love.

The Holy Apostle Paul reminds us: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7). True peace begins when we stop judging, when instead of anger we offer prayer, and instead of vain bitterness – understanding and love. This peace is not solitary, nor is it born in solitude, but in the community of love and faith. Christ was not born alone, but in a gathering of people and angels: around Him were the Most Holy Theotokos, the righteous Joseph, the shepherds and the wise men – as a sign that salvation does not happen in isolation, but in communion. “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20). Every family that prays together, that blesses bread and shares it with its neighbors, becomes a small Church – a new Bethlehem. Saint John Chrysostom says: “There is nothing so close to Christ as love.” May Christmas in our homes be a day of forgiveness and reconciliation, a day when our hearts become a manger in which the peace of Christ rests.

Christmas calls us not to look to the past with sorrow, nor to the future with fear, but to the present with faith. For Christ is here. He is with us. He is not a God of distant glory, but a God of near love. When we comfort the grieving, feed the hungry, visit the sick, when we extend a hand to a person in need – Christ is born again in the world. “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt. 25:40).

Therefore, if we want to truly glorify Him, let us glorify Him with deeds of love, not empty words. Let us bring peace where there is unrest, laughter where there is sadness, light where there is shadow. For, repeating today when many speak of peace but live in unrest, when they seek love but fear their neighbor, when they boast of freedom but are enslaved by passions — we have the one and only remedy, a true remedy, we have Christ, the King of Peace and Love.

He is the One who united heaven and earth, God and man, never to be separated again. In Him all creation is reconciled, for He has become our peace, our light, and our reconciliation. As Saint Athanasius the Great teaches us: “God became incarnate so that man might become god by grace.” That is the meaning and depth of Christmas – for man to rediscover his lost dignity, to become a living temple of the Holy Spirit, a dwelling place of love that never passes away.

Therefore, let this holy day be the beginning of our inner rebirth. Let us repent, purify, and be still in the silence of our hearts, so that Christ may be born within us – not as a passing guest, but as the Eternal Host of our soul. For where He dwells, fear disappears, restlessness dies, and joy that has no end arises.

Therefore, let the angelic song be heard in our homes: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!” And may it not be just a festive melody, but may it become the rhythm of our lives – a daily prayer and testimony that God is truly with us, Emmanuel. May His light dwell in every heart, His peace in every family, His love in every soul.

PEACE FROM GOD, CHRIST IS BORN!

TRULY HE IS BORN!

WISHING YOU A HAPPY AND GOD-BLESSED

YEAR 2026 OF OUR LORD.

With fatherly love,

your intercessor before God,

ARCHBISHOP OF TORONTO,

METROPOLITAN OF CANADA

MITROFAN