Please take a moment to read the Christmas Message from the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem. In it they draw a correlation between the hardships of the times of the Gospels with those of today.
“…In similarly difficult times, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to shepherds of that region, beseeching them to cast aside their fears. “For behold,” said the angel, “I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10).”
And from Saint Paul:
“For those facing these afflictions, we recall from the Epistle to the Hebrews how many of the faithful over the centuries stood firm in faith through extreme hardships (Hebrews 11) and how Christ himself serves as the wellspring of our devotion to God (Hebrews 12:1–2a, above). We therefore encourage you to look to Him for your spiritual strength, even as the larger Body of Christ seeks to relieve your suffering and to strengthen you in your resolve to persevere in the Lord’s work.”
Find the entire letter at the link below.
