“For God so loved the world that HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON…” John 3:16.

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to
condemn the world; but THAT THE WORLD THROUGH HIM
MIGHT BE SAVED” [John 3:16-17].

The annual celebration of the Birth of Christ, Christmas is a time of giving. Young and old together are full of anticipation of what kind of gifts they will receive on Christmas day and when they receive them they all rejoice. The gifts given to them are material gifts such as garments, jewelry, electronic gadgets, computers, or monetary gifts. However, the joy of possessing them is short lived and the impact on their lives is hardly noticeable. There is no doubt that people appreciate the generosity of their givers but for how long? Once the gifts are opened and all the boxes and wrapping paper are disregarded life goes back to the usual normality without any interruption.

But, how about the God-given gifts? Do we ever consider God’s gifts to us and to all of humanity? No one can compare to God’s priceless divine gifts to us. Beginning with “For God so loved the world that He gave His Only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” [John 3:16]. God’s gift of His Son is the ULTIMATE EXPRESSION OF HIS LOVE FOR THE WORLD. Is this not the reason for the celebration of Christmas? Christians understand that the purpose of Christ’s coming is to save us. There is no greater gift than this!

Goodness, we find, has its origin in God the Creator. One needs simply to turn to the Old Testament, to the book of Genesis, Chapters 1 and 2. We read: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of heaven, over the cattle, and over all the earth…The God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it…Then God sid, ‘Behold. I have given you every seed-bearing herb that sows seed in the face of al the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food…” [Genesis 1:26-29]. “Then God formed man OUT OF DUST from the ground, and breathed in his face THE BREATH OF LIFE, AND MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL” [Genesis 2:7]. The Almighty God finished of making heaven and earth for man’s sake. “The breath of life is the grace of the Holy Spirit, the Giver of life.

Man needs only to be truthful and admit to himself of the countless gifts God has given him ever since he was created by Him. All God’s gifts to man express His enduring and infinite love for him. We also need to see and acknowledge clearly, our Lord Christ’s great and everlasting gifts to all of us beginning with His Birth and becoming man, and then of course, His Sacrifice and giving of His life on the Cross to save us from evil and death. Referring to His Birth, the Church hymn says, “Behold, He has not been born for us Angels, though now that we see Him on earth we extol Him as we do in heaven, but FOR YOU MEN, THAT IS TO SAY, FOR YOUR SAKE AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR NATURE A SAVIOR IS BORN, CHRIST THE LORD, IN THE CITY OF DAVID.”

Every Orthodox Christian should know of the various gifts given him/her by God Gifts are given only to those who believe in the True faith, but not to those who have gone astray or ceased believing. The acceptance of Christ as the True God, is the highest gift given to the believer by the Holy Spirit. “There are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit…But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: fro to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another interpretation of tongues. But the one and the same Spirit works in all things, distributing to each one individually as He wills” [1 Corinthians 12:4-11]. Every true gift and ministry of the Church manifests the Holy Trinity. The purpose of spiritual gifts is the spiritual growth of the believer and of the whole Church.

The Author of the Holy Scripture is the Holy Spirit; He guides and protects the Church of Christ, having given it life on the day of Pentecost. It is the Holy Spirit Who endows the members of the Church with a variety of spiritual gifts for their illumination and sanctification. This is why the Christian invokes in time of joy and sorrow the Holy Spirit to strengthen his/her faith with His Grace to accomplish his/her purpose in life. In his Epistle to the Galatians, the holy Apostle Paul lists the fruit of the Holy Spirit. He writes: “The fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, AND SELF-CONTROL” [Galatians 5:22]. Charismatic or spiritual gifts are blessings and abilities given by the Holy Spirit in believers for the building up of the body of Christ. It is almost common to confuse spiritual gifts with natural talents and emotions, or to misuse the authentic gifts of the Holy Spirit, resulting in the sin of pride and self-righteousness. Our Holy Orthodox Church however has always stressed humility and obedience to Christ in the use of the holy gifts. All the divine Mysteries (Sacraments) of the Church are gifts of the Holy Spirit.

A “charisma” {Gk. “χάρισμα”] is defined as grace, favour, FREE GIFT. “Every perfect gift comes from above.” We do not earn or merit God’s gifts to us. Human beings, however, unlike God’s gifts, sometimes have an alternative motive. We hear at times people saying that there are strings (“conditions’) attached to someone’s gift to us. Of course it is not always the case. Good friends and relatives often give gifts out of love and friendship or in appreciation. It is a good feeling though when we receive a gift from someone we love for it brings joy to us and to the person giving it. How much more we need to be thankful and most grateful to Our Benevolent God for His continued and uninterrupted grace and Goodness to us, although none of us are ever worthy of His generosity and kindness. David in his psalm 92[91] writes, “It is a good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your loving kindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness by night” [vs,1-2).

The Orthodox Christian has much to be thankful for every time he/she receives Holy Communion during the Divine Liturgy. Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ gives Himself to us in the Mystery of Holy Eucharist. In one of the prayers offered before receiving Holy Communion says: “Loving Mater, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, let not these Holy Gifts be to my condemnation because of my unworthiness, but for the cleansing and sanctification of soul and body and the pledge of the future life and Kingdom. It is good for me to cling to God and to place in Him the hope of salvation.” The Orthodox Christian is convicted and is aware that by partaking of the Precious Body and Sacred Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ receives forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. When administering Holy Communion the Priest says, “The servant of God (name) receives the Body and Blood of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.” Sharing in the Mystery of the Body and Blood of Christ is the deepest, and most real way of participation, if we are properly prepared.

____________
“Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!”
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George