THE VENERATION BY THE MAGI

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 VENERATION BY THE MAGI
By Saint Gregory Palamas

The magi worshipped Him in person, bringing GOLD and FRANKINCENSE and MYRRH (Matthew 2:11; cf. Isaiah 60:6) to Him who, through death, symbolized BY MYRRH, grants us divinely inspired life, of which FRANKINCENSE is an image, and His divine radiance and kingdom, represented by the GOLD. On account of Him Who is born today, shepherds stand in the same choir as Angels, sing the same hymn, and strike up a melody together. The Angels do not take the shepherds’ pipes into their hands bt the shepherds, surrounded by the radiance of the Angel’s light, find themselves, in the midst of the heavenly host and are taught a heavenly song of praise by the Angels, or rather ra hymn both heavenly and earthly, saying, "Glory to God in the highest , and on earth peace" (Luke 2:14). Now He who dwells on high and reigns over the celestial heights has the earth as His throne, and is glorified on earth as much as ther (cf. Isaiah 66:1; Acts 7:49), by His saints and His Angels alike.

But what is the cause of this praise from men and Angels together and this much-extolled good news which so gladdens the shepherds and all men? "Behold," it says, "I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people" (Luke 2:10). What does this mean, and what is this universal joy? Listen to the Gospel song to the end and you will understand. "Peace," it says, "good will toward men" (Luke 2:14). For God, Who was angry with the human race and subjected it to terrible curses, has come in the flesh, granting His peace and reconciling them to the heavenly Father. Behold, says the hymn, 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.

What is meant by linking God’s good will with peace? "Peace," it says, "good will toward men." There was times before when He gave signs of peace to men. To Moses "the Lord spake, as a man speaketh unto his friend" (Exodus 33:11; Acts 13:22), and He granted tokens of peace to the whole Jewish nation when He came down upon the mountain for their sake and spoke to them through fire and the thick dark cloud (Exodus 19:9, 16-18, Deuteronomy 4:10-11), but not according to His good pleasure. For good will refers to that which is in and of itself well-pleasing, the original and perfect will of God. It was not the original and perfect will of God that He granted benefits, and not even perfect ones, to certain men or to one nation only. That is why, just as God called many people His sons, but there is only one in who He was well-pleased (cf. Matthew 3:17; 17:5), so He gave His peace on many occasions, but only once accompanied by His good pleasure, which He grants, perfect and unchanging, through the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ to every race and to as many as desire it.

Brethren, let us preserve this peace in ourselves as far as we can, for we have received it AS IN INHERITANCE FROM OUR SAVIOR WHO HAS NOW BEEN BORN, WHO GIVES US THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION, THROUGH WHICH WE HAVE BECOME HEIRS OF GOD, AND JOINT-HEIRS WITH CHRIST (cf. Romans 8:15, 17). Let us be at peace with God, doing those things which are well-pleasing to Him, living chastely, telling the truth, behaving righteously, "continuing in prayer and supplication" (cf. Acts 1:14), "singing and making peace with ourselves, by subjecting our flesh to our spirit, choosing to conduct ourselves according to our conscience, and having the inner world of our thoughts motivated by good order and purity. Thus e shall put an end to the civil conflict in our own midst. Let us be at peace with one another, "forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone man have a quarrel against any: even as Chist forgave you" (Colossians 3:13), and showing mercy to each other out of mutual love, just as Christ, solely for love of us, had mercy on us and for our sake came down to us. Then, recalled from the sinful fall through His help and grace, and lifted high above this world by virtues, we may have our citizenship in heavenly places (cf. Philippians 3:20), whence also we wait for our hope and eternal blessings as children of the heavenly Father.

May we all attain to this, at the future Glorious Advent and Epiphany of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ, to Whom belongs glory unto the ages. Amen. (Resources: HOMILIES)

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"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