Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II congratulated Georgia on New Year.

“I congratulate you on New Year. We are accustomed to compare the past and the future. The past year was hard, but with God’s grace we overcame this. I congratulate residents of Georgia – Georgians, Abkhazians, Ossetians, Greeks, Russians, Armenians, Azerbaijanis and everyone being in Georgia.

Today we wish happiness to each other, but we do not understand what the happiness is.  Happiness is when a person is satisfied spiritually and materially, when a person is blessed by God and his parents.

We should remember that the blessing of the parents is the blessing of God and the Bible tells us “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you”.

Happy is the person who can forgive others for their mistakes, who feels guiltiness and regrets. “O Lord grant that I may perceive my own transgressions and judge not my brother”. Frequently, person judges others and these sins moves to him.

We should pay attention to our children.  Frequently children grow up in the street and the results are corresponding. Wish you peace in your heart and mind. God bless you and Georgia!”, – the congratulatory letter of the Patriarch reads.