With solemn services, Bulgaria’s Orthodox Church celebrates the Nativity of Christ, one of the biggest and brightest Christian holidays. According to Christian teaching, God’s son Jesus Christ was incarnated by the Holy Spirit and was born of the Virgin Mary for the salvation of the human race. His birth took place more than 2000 years ago in a cave near the small town of Bethlehem.
The festive holy liturgy in the patriarchal church “St. Alexander Nevsky” will begin at 9:30 a.m.
“Today the Virgin gives birth to the Supernatural, and the earth offers a cave to the Unapproachable, the angels with the shepherds glorify, and the wise men travel with the star, because for our sake a Child was born – the Eternal God”. Thus, one of the holiday hymns that will announce the solemn service today recreates briefly and in a poetic form one of the most joyful events in the spiritual history of mankind – the birth of the Savior of the world. In the chants of the festive liturgy, the church testifies that the Nativity of Christ illuminated the world with the light of the knowledge of God.
Christmas Masses will be celebrated throughout the country. The service in the cathedral “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” in Lovech will be led by Metropolitan Gavriil of Lovech.
For the great Christian holiday, he wished:
“Dear brothers and sisters, I heartily congratulate you on the great peace-saving holiday of the Nativity in the flesh of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. I wish you health and God’s favor! Let the peace of God, sung on Christmas night by the holy angels, be in our hearts, in our homes, in our country and in the whole world. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill among men. Merry Christmas! God’s blessing, God’s grace, be upon you all!”.