Christ is born! Glorify Him! As the Feast of the Nativity approaches, the joy of the Angelic refrain, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will” is heard against the discordant actions of the Herod’s of the world. To the great disappointment of the Ukrainian Orthodox worldwide, the jurisdictions in Ukraina to wit: The Kyivan Patriarchate, The Autocephalous Church, the Muscovite affiliated Metropolia, and the Children of the Unia make only incremental steps towards Ecclesiastical Unity against the backdrop of Muscovite assertions of jurisdiction, both ecclesiastical and political, over not only “Great”, but also “White” and “Little” Russia. The December 2013 economic package the Russian President offered to the Moscow-leaning president of Ukraina pushes the newly independent Ukraina more within the orbit of Russia and her novo-imperialistic aspirations, making the possibilities of joining to the European Union increasingly remote. The “Symphony” between Russian Patriarch and Russian State in the ongoing russification of the “buffer states” is apparent both by Moscow’s President and Patriarch in both word and deed. The Greek OEcumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople with Papal like aspirations has managed to intimidate “World Patriarchates” into agreeing to vacate jurisdiction and institutions in the Diaspora and contract to within traditional boundaries of each church, thus conceding the Diaspora to the Istanbul centered, Greek Patriarchate which consist of only some 2000 faithful and 35 hierarchs. The tug of war between Constantinople and Moscow has left Ukrainian Christians with the obvious options: submit to Moscow or Constantinople or remain attached to the Latin Rite Catholic Patriarch of Rome. Yet there is the preferred option: Claim our Autocephaly and eschew the recognition of “World Orthodoxy” We, Ukrainian Orthodox in the Diaspora must see the writing on the wall. Absorption of the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada and the South Bound Brook Administration by Istanbul along with the desire of Ukrainian Hierarchs in Ukraina desiring “recognition” by the “World Partiarchates” leaves the possibility of a Pomisna Ukrainian Church with few Hierarchical supporters. Shall we render void the martyrific sacrifices of the spiritual children of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church? Shall we forget our history and the struggles for an Autocephalous Orthodox Church, free from Constantinople, Moscow or Rome? Rather let us awaken from the stupor engendered by the intoxication of Ukrainian National Independence and the sequential economic malaise to reclaim our history as the Mother of Orthodoxy in Ukrainian, 988A.D., Belarusia, 11th Century and Russia, 12th century Indeed Ukrainian Orthodoxy is worthy of an Autocephalous Patriarchate for Ukraina, one elected by the representatives of all parishes in Ukraina that confess Orthodoxy and can prove apostolic ministry or who are willing, previous to the election to accept same. Immaturity demands immediate gratification. Yet maturity understands that important goals are often generations being accomplished. a) Let us immulate Moses who took the children of Israel from Egypt to the Jordon River but did not cross over into the promised land himself; b) Let us eschew the desire to be saluted in the marketplace of World Orthodoxy; c) Let us see that we are compassed about by a great cloud of witnesses, those who since 1921 have given their lives and their fortunes and lent their strength to the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church; THEREFORE: Let us,      a) pay homage to the Christ Child eternally being born for us;      b) let us of the 1921/1942/1990 Autocephalous Church and the Kyvian Patriarchate, glorify Him, as did the wise men who returned to their own countries without reference to the Herod’s of this world;      c) Let us renew our struggle for a Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church with a newly elected head (patriarch) who will not sell our church and its temples and institutions for the pottage of recognition and absorption;      d) Let us hold high the blood spattered banner of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church and Kyivan Patriarch, neither needing nor seeking recognition for that which has already been vouchsafed to us by the Holy Spirit by the light of Martyrs, persecuted hierarchs, priests, monastics, and faithful of our Ukrainian Church.      e) Let us rather serve Christ and His Bride, the Holy Ukrainian Orthodox Church, overthrowing imperialism, and eschewing Philitism; embracing the Great Commission to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, Baptizing them “in the Name of the Father; Amen. and of the Son; Amen. and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Then Chrismating them with the “Seal of the Holy Spirit”. Amen. To my brothers, Orthodox Hierarchs of every National Church, to all Orthodox and Greek Catholic Hierarchs in Ukraina, to all of your clergy and faithful; to the hierarchy, clergy and faithful of our UAOC-OU; to every faith community ‘round the whole of the world who identify as Christian; to all persons of good will within other faith communities; and yet my friends and acquaintances who are unbelievers: I send you my prayerful and heartfelt wishes for regeneration in your life and an abundance of love, peace, health and the good things of this earth for you and yours during this season, which to me, is a very sacred season and conveying all these sentiments to you all by the expression of these words: Christ is Born! Glorify Him! His Beatitude, The Most Blesséd MAKARIOS Metropolitan Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church- Outside Ukrainia in the 32nd year of Episcopal Service NATIVITY 2013