With the Words of Gratitude!
With the Words of Gratitude!

January 8, 2011
Synaxis of the Most Holy Birth-Giver of God

My beloved brothers and sisters in our Lord:

CHRIST IS BORN!  GLORIFY HIM!

I am writing you this short note with a profound sense of gratitude for your prayers and kindness expressed to me during my hospitalization. While the doctors have released me from the hospital, I am to remain under their supervision for a time in order to be retested and given a final “good to go” diagnosis.  The doctors have informed me that most of what I was experiencing was the result of plain old exhaustion and my body decided that it was time to let me know!  I thank God for the miracle that is the human body!

There is no simple way to relate the amount of love and support I have received from so many of you these pat few days. I had to cancel my pastoral visitations to our parishes in Chicago deanery over these first few days of the Nativity of our Lord in which I hoped to share the Love of God with my flock.   That message of not only Love, but also of hope and mercy was brought to me instead - by you - the faithful of our Holy Church and especially the clergy and faithful of Chicago deanery who made sure that I was able to share in our traditional Christmas Eve supper (in the hospital). The carolers from several parishes have called to carol over the phone and visited me in the hospital.  Sometimes I worried that the hospital staff would not react positively, but I was wrong – many people on all levels of the staff of St. Mary Hospital, which is located only a block or so from St. Volodymyr Cathedral, are Ukrainian and they treated me very well and I thank them for that.

Once again, thank you all for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers – which, I believe our Lord heard and answered favorably. It touches my heart knowing that people genuinely care. As we all celebrate our Lord’s Nativity, let us continue with prayers on our lips be drawn to the light from the star of Bethlehem, which dispels sadness and fear.  Let us approach the manger in humility, that our hearts and souls may be filled with hope, peace and the Good News about our salvation.  May the Incarnate Lord choose our hearts to be born in at this Holy Nativity Feast.  May He comfort us in His embrace and may His divine Love radiate from us every day of the New Year.

CHRIST IS BORN!  GLORIFY HIM!

+Daniel,
By the Grace of God, Bishop

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