I extend my warmest congratulations, on glorious Nativity Feast that all Eastern Christians including; the Armenian Church, the Russian Church, and the Coptic Orthodox Church, celebrated on the 29th day of Kiahk according to the Coptic calendar, corresponding to the 7th of January on the Gregorian calendar. We pray that God may bless our homeland, Egypt, and grant peace and prosperity to the world.
When the subject of the Nativity arises, our thoughts naturally turn to the extraordinary Individual, whose birth was foretold in the ancient prophecies, as articulated by the prophet Micah,
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”
Isaiah the Prophet also says, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” He prophesized the features of the Lords saying, “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” He also tackled His miracles saying, “He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing.”
And it was of Jesus that the heavens declared His birth, when the angel addressed the St. Mary, saying, “then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.'”
And it was to shepherds tending their flocks by night that the heavens revealed His birth, saying, “And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
Moreover, heavens declared His birth to the wise men from the East, with the appearance of a marvelous star which they followed to find Him: “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.’”
And Jesus Himself was the subject of such profound admiration by His contemporaries that even the governor of Galilee, Pilate, wrote in a letter to the Roman council, expressing his astonishment: ‘Indeed, O king, daily there are heard of this Jesus strange things: He raises the dead, heals the sick with a single word!… And His appearance is pleasant and majestic, and His eyes are like rays of the sun, so that no man can look upon His face because of the radiance of His glory! When He rebukes, He terrifies, and when He admonishes, He brings tears, and draws men to love Him… Moreover, He has amazed the whole city of Jerusalem with His knowledge, for He understands all sciences without having studied any of them at all… And it is said that He has never saddened anyone, but on the contrary, those who have known Him and tested Him testify that they have received from Him complete blessings and perfect health.”
The character of Jesus Christ captivates the hearts of all who encounters Him and experiences His genuine love. Among those who were captivated by the power of love emanating from the person of Jesus Christ was the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, who wrote, “Jesus Christ is not merely a man, for there is no comparison between Him and any other man in the world. I, Alexander, Caesar, and Charlemagne, founded empires. But upon what did we base our foundations? Upon force. But Jesus Christ founded His empire on love! And in this moment, there are millions who are ready to die for Him!’ The British writer Herbert Wells, who acknowledged Jesus Christ as the pinnacle of unique individuals, stated, “Jesus Christ was the most unique individual in history, and no one can write the history of the human race without giving the highest position to the Nazarene Teacher who possessed nothing.”
I conclude with the words of Ahmed Shawqi; the Prince of Poets,
“On the day of Jesus’ birth, compassion was born, And with it, nobility, guidance, and modesty. The universe was adorned by the newborn, its corners illuminated, And the earth shone with His radiance. The verse of the Messiah spread like dawn’s light, Filling the earth and the cosmos with brilliance. The earth was adorned and illuminated by His light.”
Many Happy Returns to all of you…and the stories of “Beautiful Egypt” are to be continued….
The General Bishop
Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center
