My beloved children in the Lord,
The Lord Jesus Christ “is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility.” He, our King and Master, Savior and God, “came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near” (Eph. 2: 14, 17). As the time of his Nativity comes close, as he draws nigh “in the midst of the years” to “renew” the fruits of his Incarnation (Hab. 3:2), he calls all of us Orthodox Christians, and indeed all who dwell upon the earth, to the peace that is found in him, the Peace that he is: peace with God the Father, peace with our brethren, peace with our neighbors, peace with enemies, peace with ourselves, peace with all.
But as long as, due to human sin, peace continues to elude the world, we nevertheless dedicate ourselves to peace through prayer, self-renewal, and wise words and actions. In particular, on behalf of the Orthodox Church in America, we assure His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy and the suffering Ukrainian Orthodox Church, all Ukrainian Christians and the entire suffering Ukrainian people, of our prayers during this most difficult time.
As your primate, I urge you, the clergy, monastics, and faithful of the Orthodox Church in America, to renew your fasting and prayers for the sake of peace during these final days of the Nativity Fast. Pray especially for peace in Ukraine, for the well-being of the Orthodox Church in both Russia and Ukraine, and for Orthodox Christians living in both countries.
I ask those responsible for celebrating divine services in the churches and chapels of the Orthodox Church in America to continue to pray in particular for the victims of the war in Ukraine, both living and departed, at litanies and other appropriate times. While their form is no longer obligatory, the special petitions included in my February 24, 2022 Statement on War in Ukraine may be used for this purpose.
As we approach the manger where our God and King lies, let us join the Magi from the East with three gifts of our own: fasting and prayers for peace and justice in Ukraine, together with alms for those affected by the war. Doing this, we will present our Lord and Savior with a truly fitting gift for the day of his Birth.