Archbishop Averky

With each new year...

 "Behold, I create all things new..."

(Rev. 21:5)

"And I saw the heavens anew, and the earth new"...

 (Rev. 21:1).

We, Orthodox Christians, have completely different psychology and people of "this age," even if sometimes they call themselves "Christians" and even "Orthodox." They stubbornly believe in some kind of "progress of mankind," or in the "Kingdom of God on earth," in the establishment of general well-being and well-being, when death itself will supposedly be defeated, and people will live on earth forever and enjoy everything unhindered – and all this, in spite of the daily gloomy and ominous evidence surrounding us, which speaks of something completely different, which, it would seem, should decisively shatter all kinds of such fantastic illusions and idle dreams. But they stubbornly believe or want to force themselves to believe that humanity is waiting for some kind of "golden age", and therefore they celebrate each coming New Year so cheerfully, ready to celebrate it even twice: both according to the new and according to the old style.

We, Orthodox Christians, have a completely different attitude to the onset of the New Year. We unconditionally believe in the Word of God and the Holy Fathers of the Church, and therefore the onset of the New Year disposes us not to rejoicing, but on the contrary – to serious prayerful concentration.

We know that with each new year each of us approaches his inevitable earthly end, which is followed by an account before God of his earthly life and the so-called "private judgment", and this entire perishable world as a whole is approaching its end – the end of this world, and the onset of eternity, when time will no longer be (Rev. 10:6).

Then the last Dread Judgment will take place over the entire human race, when each will be glorified or ashamed by his deeds, and when "a new heaven" and a "new earth" will appear, in which righteousness will dwell (2 Peter 3:13).

Is there even the slightest reason for that unbridled merriment with glasses of wine in their hands and dancing, with which the so-called "New Year's Eve parties" are usually arranged in our time, in which serious people, as if in themselves, suddenly lose all seriousness at these "meetings" and become, as if frivolous rakes, take part?

Is this worthy of a high Christian calling?

After all, it seems that it should be clear to every true Christian that the only permissible and appropriate "celebration of the New Year" is to meet it with prayer.

And this is all the more so since with each new year it becomes clearer and clearer to any still healthy and undarkened consciousness that humanity is not moving towards "progress," but on the contrary – towards "regression."

Isn't it the same "progress" that promises general well-being and well-being, that all kinds of extraordinary machines and devices have been invented, and that soon, perhaps, people will be able to fly to the moon and other planets?

Does this give well-being and well-being, peace and spiritual satisfaction to the human soul?

By no means "progress," but a terrifying religious and moral regression, with an ever-increasing undermining of all the eternal moral foundations, of which other religions were not devoid of besides Christianity – this is what vividly characterizes the modern life of people!