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.
THE CELEBRATION OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD,
IS AMONG THE GREATEST WONDERS (MIRACLES) IN HUMAN HISTORY.
"To Him Who alone does Great Wonders,
For His mercy endures forever" [Psalm 136:4].
"God also bearing witness both WITH SIGNS AND
WONDERS, with various miracles and gifts of the
Holy Spirit, according to His own will" [Hebrews 2:4].
The Greek word for miracle is thavma which means WONDER. When we refer to miracles in Orthodox Church we prefer the word Wonder. Every act of God is beyond comprehension for a human mind and therefore it is mysterious and a wonder. Saint Gregory of Nyssa stated, "Concepts create idols, only wonder grasps anything." Everything of Divine origin that takes place within our Orthodox Church is said to be a mystery or mysterion and a wonder for there is no human explanation or understanding. This includes our belief in the incarnation of the Logos/Word of God born as a "Child", His Crucifixion and Resurrection from the dead. Also, what takes place during the Divine Liturgy and how the bread and wine are changed to become the Precious Body and Sacred Blood of our Savior and God Christ. All the divine Sacraments are referred to as Mysteries or Mysteria and therefore Wonders. When a believer is healed by the grace of God from terminal illness there is no other word better suited other than the word wonder.
The Hebrew word for "wonders" is pala (Pah-lah), meaning miracle, marvel, supernatural deed, it is,something beyond the human ability to achieve or accomplish. The Great Prokeimenon at Pentecost says it all: "What god is great as our God? Thou art God, Who alone works Wonders." And one of the verses offered at the divine service says, "I remember the deeds of the Lord, for I will recall Thy Wonders of old." Our very salvation bestowed upon us by our Lord God and Savior is in itself a Wonder. Contemplating upon the countless Wonders of God we cannot but be humbled and feel a profound unworthiness.
Saint Gregoyr Nazianzus writes, "Let us be like Christ, since Christ became like us; let us become gods through uniting ourselves with Him, since He also because of us became human. He assumed what is worse that He might give us what is better. He became poor so that we through His poverty might become rich. He took the form of a slave, that we might regain freedom. He descended that we might be lifted up. He was tempted that we might be victorious. He was dishonored to glorify us. He died to save us. He ascended to draw himself to us who lay below in the Fall of sin. Let us give everything, offer everything, to the One Who gave Himself as a ransome and an exchange for us."
The Kontakion hymn says:[Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ]
TODAY the Virgin comes to the cave to give birth ineffably to the
Pre-eternal Logos/Word. Hearing this, be of good cheer, O
inhabitant earth, and with the Angels and the shepherds glorify Him
Whose will it was to be made manifest a young Child, the Pre-
Eternal God.
Ikos of the Forefeast:
The holy sayings of the Prophets have been fulfilled in the city
of Bethlehem within a cave. The whole creation is made rich: let
it rejoice and be of good cheer. The Master of all has come to live
with His servants, and form the bondage of the enemy He delivers
us who were made subject to corruption. In swaddling clothes
and lying in a manger, He is made manifest a young Child, the
Pre-eternal God.
Canticles:
As far as it was right, Thou wast seen by the Prophets, Made man
in the last times, Thou has appeared to all in Bethlehem, city of Judah,
and a star showed Thee to the strangers, O Thou Who passest all
interpretation.
Behold, the Most Holy Logos/Word comes into His own in a
holy body that is not His. By a strange birth He makes His own
the world that was estranged. To Him let us sing in praise, Who
became poor for us.
"O sweetest Child, how shall I feed Thee Who givest food to all?
How shall I hold Thee Who holdest all things in Thy power? HOw
shall I wrap Thee in swaddling clothes, Who dost wrap the whole
earth in clouds? So cried the All-Pure Lady whom in faith we
magnify.
Exapostilarion of the Forefeast:
He Who dwells in the Light that no man can approach and Who
upholds all things, in His ineffable compassion is born of a Virgin.
He is wrapped in swaddling clothes as a babe, and laid in a cave
in a manger of dumb beasts. Let us hasten to Bethlehem to worship
Him with the Magi, bringing as our gifts the fruits of our virtuous
deeds.
Christians must not allow anyone to trivialize the Divine Nativity of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. In recent years, Christmas carols chosen by the secular world no longer reveal His Divine Birth. The Gentile world has made every effort to remove Jesus Christ from the celebration of Christmas. We do have many wonderful and meaningful American Christmas carols that speak about Christ and His Nativity but they have been discarded and deliberately omitted. Christmas is not about the chestnuts, frosty snowman, Rudolf the rednosed reindeer, presents under the Christmas tree, and Santa Claus coming to town, etc. All Christians children should be taught by their parents the true meaning of Christmas and celebrate it in church together with other fellow Christians. Thi is the Christian way!
_________
"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
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 