THE HOLY FEAST OF THE CIRCUMCISION OF OUR LORD, GOD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST

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 Holy Feast of the CIRCUMCISION of our Lord, God and Savior
JESUS CHRIST on the 1st of January.

"And when EIGHT DAYS were competed for the
CIRCUMCISION of the Child, His name was called
Jesus, the name given by the Angel before He was
conceived in the womb" (Luke 2:21).

Because our Lord Jesus Christ FULFILLS THE LAW, JESUS
receives CIRCUMCISION according to the precepts of the
MOSAIC LAW-which He follows during His life and Ministry.
After the Resurrection BAPTISM REPLACED CIRCUMCISION
as the Universal Mysterion (Sacrament) OF SALVATION and
INITIATION INTO THE CHURCH. In the Holy Orthodox Church
it is an ancient tradition to NAME a child on the 8th day.

Nevertheless His CIRCUMCISION must be interpreted within the theology of the human race. As the Holy Fathers of the Church decided to celebrate the Nativity (Birth) of Christ on the 25th of December, it is natural that the CIRCUMCISION, which was performed after eight days, is celebrated on the 1st of January, just eight days after His Birth. Therefore, on that day the troparia (hymns) bring out the theological importance of CIRCUMCISION. This troparion (hymn) is well known: "The Savior CONDESCENDING to the race of men, in swaddling clothes accepted circumcision, He did not abhor the cutting of His flesh…" Just as, out of agape (love) and charity, (eleos), He accepted to be wrapped in swaddling clothes, Christ also accepted the circumcision of His flesh. This EXTREME CONDESCENSION and KENOSIS [Gk. κένωσις] meaning the "self-emptying" OF CHRIST is regarded by the Church as a Great Feast of the Lord. Kenosis or "self-emptying" of Christ refers TO THE INCARNATION,W WHERE THE ETERNAL AND ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD EMPTIED HIMSELF OF THE EXPRESSION OR EXERCISE OF DIVINE GLORY AND PRIVILEGES, NOT HIS Divine Nature, to become FULLY HUMAN, taking on human limitations, yet REMAINING TRULY GOD.

This CIRCUMCISION is the cutting off "from around the end part of the male organ." This is done to every male child because it is provided by God’s command which was given at the beginning to Abraham. This relative passage from the Old Testament is the following: "Every male child among you SHALL BE CIRCUMCISED, and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be A SIGN OF THE COVENANT BETWEEN ME AND YOU. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised" (Genesis 17:10-12). The same Commandment is given to Moses: "And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised" (Leviticus 12:3).

CIRCUMCISION was linked with GODLINESS, PIETY, AND ABIDING BY THE LAW, and it indicated the pure Israelite, while the unclean, impious man was indicated by the word for uncircumcised. So CIRCUMCISION and UNCIRCUMCISION are opposite concepts and practices, which point to the Jew and the Gentile, the pagan.

The word of God to Abraham by which circumcision was established also shows the most basic reasons, God said: "and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you" (Genesis 17:11). In other words, it is AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN GOD and His own people, it is A TESTAMENT. Today, we refer to it as A CONTRACT between God and man. Such an agreement must be confirmed with blood. We see this also in the New Testament or Covenant, for God’s New Agreement with men IS CONFIRMED BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST.

CIRCUMCISION WAS A MARK OF RECOGNITION THAT ONE BELONGED TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD. "So as to be a sign that this people is dedicated by it." According to the interrupters, CIRCUMCISION IN ITSELF WAS NOT A TESTAMENT, BUT A SIGN OF THE TESTAMENT AND AGREEMENT.

This practice also served as a reminder that the Iseraelites MUST PERSEVERE IN THE PIETY OF THEIR ANCESTORS and not to come into amorous contact with pagans and other peoples. In this way they AVOIDED INTERMARRIAGES and, of course, their consequences, which were ALIENATION FROM THE REVEALED FAITH. Saint Epiphanios tells us that circumcision functioned AS A SEAL ON THEIR BODIES, for a reminder and control to remain :in their father’s piety." So the Israelites, after receiving circumcision, had to remain in their Nation and in the faith in the True God.

Furthemore, circumcision WAS ALSO A FORESHADOWING OF BAPTISM which would be given at the appropriate time, through THE INCARNATION OF THE Son and Logos/Word of God, because in reality BAPTISM IS CIRCUMCISION OF THE HEART.

What Saint Theophylaktos says is characteristic, that this part which was cut back by Christ’s circumcision, Christ Himself kept unharmed and assumed anew with His Resurrection. Furthermore, what happened with Christ also shows the way in which it will happen in our own bodies. It is a teaching of the Holy Fathers of the Church THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE HUMAN BODY WHICH HAVE BEEN HARMED IN VARIOUS WAYS WILL BE RECONNECTED TO THE BODY OR RESHAPED BY GOD, SO THAT THE WHOLE MAN, MADE UP OF SOUL AND BODY, WILL ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD. To be sure, in this case THE BODY WILL BE SPIRITUAL AND CARNAL AS IT IS TODAY.

The ceremony of circumcision, which took place on the 8th day and is also connected with the giving of the name, in the Christian period was joined with the ceremony of "SEALING THE CHILD, TAKING A NAME ON THE EIGHTH DAY AFTER BIRTH." The center of the ceremony is a wonderful prayer or blessing which the priest reads to the infant in front of the gates of the Church. The infant or baby is brought by the midwife or by some relative, but not by its own mother, who will come to the Church on the 40th day.

At any rate, it is a fact that when Christ became man, he experienced great pain also at the rite of circumcision. This shows God’ EXTREME CONSIDERATION FOR THE HUMAN RACE. [Resources: The Feasts of the Lord.  An Introduction to the Twelve Feasts and Orthodox Christology]

(To be continued)

________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
+ Saint John Chrysostomos

+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

THE ABSENCE OF OUR LORD, GOD AND SAVIOR FROM THE CELEBRATION OF CHRISTMAS

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

CHRIST IS BORN! GLORIFY HIM!

THE ABSENCE OF OUR LORD, GOD, AND SAVIOR FROM
THE CELEBRATION OF CHRISTMAS

Where is Christ in today’s celebration of Christmas? What happened to Him? Can there be Christmas without Christ? The answer of course is unequivocally NO!

Christians throughout the centuries celebrate the incarnation of the Logos/Word for it is through His incarnation that we attain our salvation. Saint Athanasios the Great writes, "God became man in order to make man God." This is why Christians celebrate Christougenna, His Birth gloriously and with solemnity.

However, over time the celebration of Christmas has been seized by greedy men who have made every attempt to strip Christ completely from the commemoration of His birth and to commercialize it. It is a frontal attack on our Lord and Christianity itself. Sadly, however, contemporary Christians have not voiced objection or demonstrated against it. Why is that? Why has this been allowed to continue without any open protest?

The Holy Day of Chrstmas for centuries has been celebrated in our Churches, and Christian homes and Christian countries for so God sent His Only-begotten Son to save us. Christ’s divine message is one of love, of peace, of reconciliation, of forgiveness, of restoration, and of theosis (deification). It is this Divine message of our Savior Jesus Christ, that the commercialization threatens to undermine, to damage, to dilute and to render ineffectual. This is conducted systematically over many years by evil forces and the enemies of Christianity.

We, as Christians, especially Orthodox Christians must vehemently object and outright condemn it as anti- christian. We view the commercialization of Christmas with serious concern, seeing it a major distraction from the Holy Feast’s spiritual core and essence-the Holy Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ-focusing on secular stories and myths such as Santa Claus, elves, reindeer, etc. Also, of viewing Christmas as a time of gluttony, drinking, parties, and travel.

In our Holy Orthodox Tradition the preparation for the celebration of the Birth of Christ begins annually on November 15th and ends on December 24th (Christmas Eve). It is a time of fasting, of unceasing prayer, of repentance, of worship, of receiving the Body and Blood of Christ (Holy Eucharist). It is a special time of spiritual renewal, rededication, and not simply an exchange of gifts and family gatherings. No Orthodox Christian must lose sight or the spiritual focus that Christmas is about celebrating the divine Incarnation (God becoming man) , a profound mystery, not an ordinary holiday and gift-giving. All these distractions obscure Christ’s birth and God’s plan for the salvation of mankind.

Now more than ever before, our Lord’s Divine and Salvific message must resound and must be clear throughout the world "Christ Jesus Who, being in the very nature of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond-servant and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:5-8). This passage is a hymn already in use in the Church, quoted here by Saint Paul because it calls us to ponder the humility of Christ, a truth necessary for suffering Christians to understand and live out. The passage has been incorporated into many hymns of the Orthodox Church. Christ is He Who, being in "the form of God," is also in the "form of a bondservant," in our likeness, and is voluntarily subject to death. He who has died, God has exalted and given the name "Lord," a name which God the Son shares with God the Father from all eternity.

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ appears on earth as a priceless Gift to humanity from our Creator. None of us are worthy of it and can never repay God His most precious Gift. How does a Christian respond to God’s agape and generosity? The true Christian can only respond only one way, with "a contrite and humble heart." We have not anything to give. In the Divine Liturgy the officiating priest as he pronounces the words: "we offer Thee Thine own from Thine own" he "elevates" the Holy Gifts, that is with his forearms crossed he raises the Holy Gifts high and makes the sign of the Cross over the Holy Table. The fact of the matter is that we have nothing of our own to offer God: "Every good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights" (James 1:7) Everything we have, we have received from God. Therefore, it would be incorrect to say that the bread and wine we offer to God are "our gifts," or gifts of our own labor.

Permitting the commercialization, consumerism,, or/and the abduction and distortion of Christmas, our Christian tradition and Faith is unthinkable and unacceptable. I would even go as far as saying that powers attempt to convince the public, including Christians, that Christmas is all about fun, food and shopping. To a great extent they have succeeded in this effort through the media, i.e., Television, movies, commercials, and advertising of all kinds, truly mocking Christ and the celebration of His birth. Nothing on T.V. makes any kind of reference to the authentic meaning of Christmas.

However, it is up to the individual Christian to celebrate the Birth of our Lord, God and Savior with reverence, prayerfully, and the divine services of our Church. No power on earth can stop the believer from holding the holy days undefiled and with solemnity and piety. Even under persecution Orthodox Christian would worship secretly in forests, on mountain tops, in deserts and catacombs. Christian children must be protected from the influences of society and non-Christians and be taught the true meaning of all Christian Holy Days respectfully and with dignity.

May we all celebrate the Birth of our Savior Jesus Christ with faith, love and hope. Let us not forget that Christmas is a time of rejoicing and gladness. "Christ is born, glorify Him. Christ is from heaven, go to meet Him. Christ is on earth, be ye lifted up. Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing out with gladness, all ye people. For He is glorified." (First Ode of the Christmas Canon).

A VERY, VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

_____________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
+ Saint John Chrysostomos

+ + +

With sincere agape in the Holy Incarnation of our Lord, God and Savior,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

THE ANGELIC HYMN: “GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST AND ON EARTH PEACE, GOOD WILL TOWARDS MEN” (Luke 2:14)

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

CHRIST IS BORN! GLORIFY HIM!

The Angelic hymn is also characteristic: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will towards men" (Lk. 2:14). The peace which the Angels praised was NOT a social peace, the absence of war, but THE INCARNATION AND PRESENCE OF CHRIST. Thus the Angels were hymning THE PEACE WHICH CAME WITH THE BIRTH OF CHRIST AND NOT the peace that would come in the future. For by His Incarnation Christ GAVE MEN PEACE WITH GOD, because he worshipped IDOLS WITHOUT SOULS and senses and NOT the True God. Now by the Incarnation man IS GIVEN THE POSSIBILITY TO WORSHIP THE TRUE GOD. He also attained peace with the Angels and with his fellow-men. And indeed the powers of his soul attained peace, because Christ did what Adam failed to do. Adam had to attain FULL COMMUNION WITH GOD BY THE GRACE OF GOD AND HIS OWN PERSONAL STRUGGLE, THE POWERS OF HIS SOUL HAD TO FUNCTION NATURALLY AND SUPRANATURALLY. THIS WAS ACHIEVED IN CHRIST.

In addition to the Shepherds, the Magi or Wise Men from the East were granted to worship the newborn Christ. The important thing is not when this happened, but they discovered, but that THE DISCOVERED CHRIST. Essentially God WAS REVEALED TO THEM, a thing which did not happen to the Scribes and Pharisees, who were the religious leaders of that time. The Wise Men were not astrologers as we know them today, but astronomers, who were observing the stars in the sky and their movements. The STAR which they saw in the East and which guided them to Bethlehem WAS NOT AN ORDINARY STAR, BUT, AS SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM SAYS, AN ANGEL OF THE LORD WHICH GUIDED THEM. The fact that this was not a natural, but A SUPRANATURAL FACT, is seen from the characteristics of the particular star. First, this STAR was not only moved but it also STOOD STILL. When the Magi moved forward, IT MOVED, when they stopped, IT TOO STOPPED. Secondly, this Star was moving lower than the other stars, and when the Magi reached the place where Christ was, IT CAME LOW AND STOOPED OVER THE HOUSE. Thirdly, it was SO BRIGHT THAT IT EXCEEDED THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE OTHER STARS (Saint Nikodemos the Hagiorite). Therefore, this bright Star was an Angel of the Lord, and as Joseph Vrienios says, IT WAS THE ARCHANGEL GABRIEL WHO SERVED AND ASSISTED AT THE GREAT MYSTERY OF THE INCARNATION OF THE SON AND LOGOS/WORD OF GOD.

After all that has been mentioned, we can look at the following FOUR POINTS which show a personal approach to this Great Feast, the "CAPITAL" OF All Feasts of the Lord:

FIRST. The CAVE in which Christ was born is a type of the Church. Saint Athanasius the Great speaks graphically. That SMALL ROOM where the Panagia (All-Holy Mother of God) awaited the birth has been accepted AS THEY TYPE OF THE CHURCH. The MANGER is seen AS THE ALTAR. Joseph is the SERVER, the Magi are the CLERGY, the Shepherds are the DEACONS, the Angels are the PRIESTS, the Lord is the BISHOP, the Virgin is THE THRONE, the craters the CHALICES, the INCARNATION IS THE VESTMENT, the Cherubim are THE FANS, the Holy Spirit is the PATEN, the Father Who overshadows All Things with His power IS THE VEIL COVERING THE PATEN.

The Church IS THE BODY OF CHRIST THE GODMAN, that which was born in the womb of the Theotokos, was born, was TRANSFIGURED, SUFFERED, WAS CRUCIFIED, ROSE AGAIN AND WAS TAKEN UP INTO HEAVEN. In the Divine Liturgy this Great Mystery is celebrated and WE ARE GIVEN THE ABILITY TO PARTAKE OF THE GRACE OF CHRIST. The Church IS NOT A HUMAN ORGANIZATION, NOR IS THE DIVINE LITURGY A RITE OF COMMEMORATION AND SATISFACTION OF OUR FEELINGS.

SECOND. THE DIVINE AND HUMAN NATURES are always UNITED WITH THE HUMAN NATURE in the Hypostasis of the Logos/Word without change, confusion, division or separation. This means that they have never been separated and they neer are never separated. Since the human nature remains inseparable from the Divine nature, since the Godman always exists for all time, we can even now PARTAKE OF THE DEIFIED FLESH OF THE LORD. IN PARTAKING OF THE DEIFIED Body and Blood of Christ WE BECOME ONE BODY AND ONE BLOOD WITH CHRIST.

THIRD. Since we bow before this Great Mystery of the incarnation, and especially since we commune of the Body and Blood of Christ, we must deceive Herod as the Magi did. The Evangelist Matthew says of the Magi: "being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way" (Matthew 2:12).

The word ‘Herod’ in the Hebrew language means ‘of leather.’ Therefore Saint Nikodemos the Hagiorite says that we must delude the thought and pleasures of the flesh. Moreover, we must mock the devil of the mind, who prevents us from walking the path of salvation. We must return by another way, by THE VIRTUES, TO OUR NATIVE LAND, WHICH IS PARADISE. This means that WE ARE REQUIRED TO LIVE A SACRAMENTAL AND ASCETIC LIFE. ALL WHO LIVE ASCETICALLY ARE GRANTED TO BE UNITED WITH CHRIST, IN THE MYSTERIA (SACRAMENTS).

FORTH. When a believer LIVES SACRAMENTALLY and ASCETICALLY, in harmony with the spirit of the Orthodox Tradition, then HE IS EXPERIENCING SPIRITUALLY THE EVENTS OF THE DIVINE INCARNATION IN HIS/HER HEART, AND MORE GENERALLY IN HIS WHOLE BEING. Then he/she does not perceive events OUTWARDLY, BUT INWARDLY. Sasint Symeon the New Theologian says that when a person PURIFIES HIS/HER HEART AND IS ILLUMINATED, THE HE/SHE RECEIVES CHRIST WITHIN HIMSELF/HERSELF AND UNDERSTANDS HIS INFANT-LIKE LEAPS. CHRIST IS CONCEIVED AS AN INFANT IN HIM AND IS BORN THROUGH THE VIRTUES, AND NOW THE MAN IS LOVING ALL THESE EVENTS IN HIS BEING. Then he/she does not perceive outwardly, but inwardly. To be sure, IT IS ONLY CHRIST THAT THE DIVINE WAS UNITED WITH THE HUMAN NATURE HYPOSTATICALLY. But the DEIFIED PERSON also receives God’s energy in his nature and BECOMES A MEMBER OF THE BODY OF CHRIST. Thus he/she comprehends how the Grace of God works in his/her nature, what KENOSIS is, what DEIFICATION (THEOSIS) of human nature is.

The INCARNATION OF THE SECOND PERSON OF THE HOLY TRINITY was aimed at the DEIFICATION OF HUMAN NATURE. However, the hypostasis of each one of us must also be deified. If we do not anticipate deification (theosis), then for us it is as if Christ had not become man. [Resources:  The Feasts of the Lord.  An Introduction to the Twelve Feasts and Orthodox Christology]

____________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
+ Saint John Chrysostomos

+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Birth,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

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)

____________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
+ Saint John Chrysostomos

+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

On the Saving Nativity According to the Flesh of Our Lord and God and Savior JESUS CHRIST

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

On the Saving Nativity According to the Flesh of Our Lord
and God and Savior JESUS CHRIST.
By Saint Gregory Palamas

THIS IS THE FESTIVAL of the virgin birth! Our address must be exalted therefore in accordance with the greatness of the feast, and enter into the mystery, as far as this is accessible and permissible, and time allows, that something of its inner power might be revealed even to us. Please strive, brethren, to lift up your minds as well, that they may better perceive the light of divine knowledge, as though brightly illumined by a holy star. For today I see equality of honor between heaven and earth, and a way up for all those below to things above, matching the condescension of those on high. However great the heaven of heavens may be, or the upper waters which form a roof over the celestial regions, or honorable than the cave, the manger, the water sprinkled on the Infant and His swaddling clothes. For nothing done by God from the beginning of time was more beneficial to all or more divine than Christ’s nativity, which we celebrate today.

The Pre-Eternal and uncircumscribed and Almighty Logos/Word now born according to the flesh, without home, without shelter, without dwelling, and placed as a babe in the manger, seen by men’s eyes, touched by their hands and wrapped in layers of swaddling bands. He is not a spiritual creature coming into being after previously not existing; nor flesh which is brought to birth but will soon perish, nor flesh and mind united to form a rational creature, but God IN THE FLESH MINGLED UCONFUSEDLY BY THE DIVINE MIND TO FORM THE EXISTENCE OF ONE THEANDRIC HYPOSTASIS, WHO ENTERED THE VIRGIN’S WOMB FOR TIME. By the good pleasure of the Father and the cooperation of the Spirit, the Logos/Word Who TRANSCENDS BEING CAME INTO BEING IN THIS WOMB AND BY MEANS OF IT, AND NOW HE IS DELIVERED FROM IT AND BORN AS AN INFANT, NOT LOSING BUT PRESERVING THE SIGNS OF VIRGINITY. HE IS BORN WITHOUT SUFFERING, AS HE WAS CONCEIVED WITHOUT PASSION, FOR AS HIS MOTHER WAS SHOWN TO BE ABOVE GRIEVOUS PAINS WHEN SHE GIVES BIRTH. "Before the pain of travail came upon her, she escaped it," as Prophet Isaiah says (cf. Isa. 66:7), and she brought in the flesh the Pre-Eternal Logos/Word. Not only is His Divinity inscrutable, but the manner in which He was united with flesh is beyond understanding, His CONDESCENSION UNSURPASSABLE, AND THE HUMAN NATURE HE ASSUMED DIVINELY INEFFABLY SUBLIME, AND SO FAR ABOVE ALL THOUGHT AND SPEECH, THAT IT DOES NOT ADMIT OF ANY COMPARISON WITH CREATION. Even though you see in the flesh the child born to the Maid who knew no husband, He is still beyond compare. It says, "He is fair in beauty beside the sons of men" (cf. Psalm 45:2). It does not say "fairer" but simply "fair", so as not to compare incomparable things: the nature of God Himself to that of mere men."

"God, thy God," it says, "hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows" (Psalm 45:7). The same one IS BOTH PERFECT GOD AND PERFECT MAN; THE SAME GOD IS BOTH THE ONE WHO ANOINTS AND IS ANOINTED. For it says, "God, thy God hath anointed thee." It is as man that the Logos/Word from God the Father is anointed,and He is anointed with the Co-eternal Spirit Who IS OF ONE NATURE WITH HIM. This is the oil of gladness, which is why, again, it is the same God Who IS BOTH THE DIVINE UNCTION AND THE ONE ANOINTED. But although He is anointed as man, as God He has the source of anointing within Himself. That is why he who beheld things in a divine manner saw and foretold that all those anointed by God were partakers of His life. For it is the property of God alone not to partake of the lives of others but to be partaken of, and to have as partakers those who rejoice in the Spirit. Such is the Infant born now in the lowly stable, and hymend by us as a babe in the manger.

For He who produced all earthly and heavenly things out of non-being, when He saw that His rational creatures brought to nothing because of their desire for something greater (cf. Genesis 3:5), bestowed upon them Himself, than whom nothing is greater, and to whom nothing is equal or comes nerat to being equal, and offered Himself to be partaken of by those who so wished, in order that from that time forward we might exercise our desire for something better without risk, although in the beginning we fell into the ultimate danger on that account (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:26), and in order that each of us, in desiring to become God, might not only be blameless, but also attain to our longing. In a mysterious way, He abolished the observable in beings and the resulting envy and treachery, also the author of evil did not want to be lower than any of the Angels, but suffer the terrible fall before anyone else. Smitten by envy, he deceitfully attacked Adam and dragged him down to the abyss of Hades by means of the same desire. By so doing, he made Adam’s fall difficult to reverse, and it required God’s extraordinary presence, which HAS NOW BEEN ACCOMPLISHED, TO RESTORE HIM. His own fall, however, he rendered incurable once and for all, because he did not acquire his arrogance from anyone else, but became himself the principle of evil and the fullness of evil, and made himself available to anyone wishing to participate in evil…

"…The very Logos/Word of God from God emptied in an indescribable way, came down from on high to the lowest state of man’s nature, and indissolubly linked it with Himself, and in humbling Himself and becoming poor like us, He raised on high the things below, or rather, He gathered both things into one, MINGLING HUMANITY WITH DIVINITY AND BY SO DOING HE TAUGHT EVERYONE THAT HUMILITY IS THE ROAD WHICH LEADS UPWARDS, SETTING FORTH TODAY HIMSELF AS AN EXAMPLE BEFORE MEN AND HOLY ANGELS ALIKE.

(To be continued)

___________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrosostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

CHRISTOUGENNA – THE BIRTH OF CHRIST REVEALED THROUGH THE SACRED HYMNS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH

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

CHRISTOUGENNA – THE BIRTH OF CHRIST REVEALED THROUGH
THE SACRED HYMNS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH.

O Bethlehem, prepare, Eden is opened unto all. And
be ready, Ephrata, for the Tree of Life has in the grotto
blossomed forth from the Virgin.
Indeed her womb is shown to be spiritually a
Paradise, in which is found the God-planted Tree.
And if we eat from it we shall live, and shall not die,
as did Adam of old.
Christ is born, so that He might raise up the formerly
fallen image. (Matins. Forefeast. Mode 4.)

CHRIST IS BORN!
Glorify Him!
CHRIST IS COME from
heaven! Go and meet Him!
CHRIST IS ON EARTH!
Arise to Him!
Sing to the Lord, all you
inhabitants of earth, and all you
peoples, praise Him, and with
merriment extol Him who is
glorified! [Katavasias of Christmas.

Ode i.  Mode 1.]

TO the Son,
begotten from the Father
unchangingly before the ages,
and now becoming
incarnate from the Virgin without
seed;
to Christ God let us cry aloud,
You have exalted the horn of our
strength. Only You are Holy, O
Lord!" (Ode iii.)

A ROD has come forth from Jesse’s
root, and You its flower grew fro it,
praiseworthy Christ, now born of the
Virgin, whom Habakkuk called Paran,
shady, thickly wooded mountain.
From her who knew not man You
came incarnate, O immaterial God.
Glory to Your strength, O Lord!
(Ode IV.

O GOD of peace and Father of mercies,
You have sent to us the Wonderful
Counselor, the Angel of Your Great
Counsel, granting us peace.
And now to light of knowledge of God
we have been guided, and we rise from
night to dawn and glorify You, O
Benevolent Lord. (Ode V.)

JONAH long ago
was hurled from the belly of the whale
as he went in, like a newborn babe. With
the Virgin now, when the Logos/Word
had dwelt in His Mother’s womb, taking
flesh, He then emerged, preserving her
intact. Yielding not changeability, He
preserved her unaltered in
childbirth. (Ode VI.)

CHRIST IS BORN IN THE CITY
OF DAVID

"And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus
that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius
was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the
city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage
of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.
So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be
delivered.
And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths,
and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn" [Luke

2:1-7).


   THE HOLY NATIVITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING
TO OUR ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY AND HOLY TRADITION.

   The Feast of the Birth of Christ as a man is the capital of feasts, as Saint John Chrysostom says.  All the other feasts of the Lord – Epiphany, the Transfiguration, the Passions, the Cross, the Resurrection and the Ascension of Christ –  follow from the Nativity.  Without the Nativity there would have been no Resurrection, but also without the Resurrection the purpose of the Divine Incarnation would not have been fulfilled.  All these holy feasts of the Lord ARE UNIFIED.  We separate them in order to celebrate them and to look more closely into their content.  In every Divine Liturgy WE LIVE THROUGH ALL THE EVENTS OF THE DIVINE INCARNATION.  Therefore, according to the Holy Fathers of the Church, IT IS ALWAYS CHRISTMAS, ALWAYS PASCHA (EASTER), ALWAYS PENTECOST.

   What happened at the Annunciation began to be revealed at the Nativity of Christ.  When we call it A REVELATION, we mean that there several persons, such as the Panagia (All-Holy Mother of God), Joseph, etc., to whom it was revealed that the Christ for Whom all the ages were waiting had come into the world.  To be sure, Christ when revealed is hidden, and when hidden is revealed.  We see this in His whole life as well as in His revelation to the saints.

   THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST IS A HISTORICAL EVENT, because it took place at a specific moment in history, when 'Caesar Augustus was the Emperor of Rome and Herod was ruler of Judaea.  The Evangelists insist on emphasizing THE HISTORICITY OF THE EVENT, because they want to say that Christ IS A HISTORICAL PERSON.  This means that Christ ASSUMED REAL HUMAN FLESH, and the Incarnation was not merely seeming or imagined.

   In spite of its historicity, this event remains A MYSTERY.  We know that the Godman, PERFECT GOD AND PERFECT MAN, EXISTS, BUT IT REMAINS A MYSTERY HOW THE DIVINE NATURE UNITED WITH HUMAN NATURE IN THE PERSON OF THE LOGOS/WORD.  Moreover, what happened hypostatically with human nature, happened just once.  Therefore, Saint John of Damaskos said that Christ is "THE ONLY NEW THING UNDER THE  SUN."  This means that since the creation of the world and man, nothing new has happened in the world.  Everything is repeated.  Thebirthof man is a consequence and result of God's words:  "LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE AND LIKENESS", and "BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY; FILL THE EARTH AND SUBDUE IT" (Genesis 1:26-28).  The ONLY NEW THING IS THE GODMAN CHRIST.

   AT CHRISTMAS WE CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF CHRIST, BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE EXPERIENCE MYSTERIOUSLY IN OUR HEARTS ALL THE EVENTS CONNECTED WITH IT, FOR WHEN WE ARE ALIVE IN THE CHURCH, WE ARE PARTICIPATING IN AND EXPERIENCING ALL THE STAGES OF THE DIVINE INCARNATION. [Resources: The Feasts of the Lord.  An Introduction to the Twelve Feasts and Orthodox Christology by Metropolitan of Nafpaktos HIEROTHEOS]

(To be continued)
______________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

The Orthodox Veneration of The Mother of God

THE ORTHODOX CHURCH teaches about the Mother of God that which Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture have informed concerning Her, and daily it glorifies Her in its temples, asking Her help and defense. Knowing that She is pleased only by those praises which correspond to Her actual glory, the Holy Fathers and hymn-writers have entreated Her and Her Son to teach them how to hymn Her. "Set a rampart about my mind, O my Christ, for I make bold to sing the praise of Thy pure Mother" (Ikos of the Dormition). "The Church teaches that Christ was truly born of Mary the Ever-Virgin" (Saint Epiphanius, "True Word Concerning the Faith"). "It is essential for us to confess that the Holy Ever-Virgin Mary is actually Theotokos (Birth-giver of God), so as not to fall into blasphemy. For those who deny that the Holy Virgin is actually Theotokos are no longer believers, but disciples of the Pharisees and Sadducees" (Saint Ephraim the Syrian, ‘To John the Monk’).

From Holy Tradition it is known that Mary was the daughter of the aged Joachim and Anna, and that Joachim descended from the royal line of Davied, and Anna from the priestly line. Notwithstanding such a noble origin, they were poor. However, it was not this that saddened these righteous ones, but rather the fact that they did not have children and could not hope that their descendants would see the Messiah. And behold, when once, being disdained by the Hebrews for their barrenness, they both in grief of soul were offering up prayers to God–Joachim on a mountain to which he had retired after the priest did not want to offer his sacrifice in the Temple, and Anna in her own garden weeping over her barrenness–there appeared to them an Angel who informed them that they would bring forth a daughter. Overjoyed, they promised to consecrate their child to God.

In nine months a daughter was born to them, called Mary, Who from Her early childhood manifested the best qualities of soul. When She was three years old, her parents, fulfilling their promise, solemnly led the little Mary to the Temple of Jerusalem; She Herself ascended the high steps and, by revelation from God, She was led INTO THE VERY HOLY OF HOLIES, by the High Priest who met Her, taking with Her the grace of God which rested upon Her into the Temple which until then had been without grace. (See the Kontakion of the Entry into the Temple. This was the newly-built Temple into which the glory of God had not descended as it had upon the Ark or upon the Temple of Solomon.) She was settled in the quarters for virgins which existed in the Temple, but She spent so much time in prayer in the Holy of Holies that one might say that She lived in it. (Service to the Entry, second sticheron on ‘Lord, I have cried.’) and the "Glory, Both Now…") Being adorned with all virtues, She manifested an example of extraordinary pure life. Being submissive and obedient to all, She offended no one, said no crude word to anyone, was friendly to all, and did not allow any unclean thought. (Abridged from Saint Ambrose of Milan, ‘Concerning the Ever-Virginity of the Virgin Mary.")

"Despite the righteousness and the immaculateness of the life which the Mother of God led, sin and eternal death manifested their presence in Her. They could not but be manifested: Such is the precise and faithful teaching of the Orthodox Church concerning the Mother of God with relation to ancestral ("original") sin and death." (Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov, ‘Exposition of the Teaching of the Orthodox Church on the Mother of God.") "A stranger to any fall into sin" (Saint Ambrose of Milan, Commentary on the 118th Psalm), "She was not a stranger to sinful temptations," "God alone is without sin" (Saint Ambrose, same source)" "while man will always have in himself something yet needing correction and perfection in order to fulfill the commandment of God; "Be holy as I the Lord your God am Holy" (Leviticus 19:2). The more pure and perfect one is, the more he notices imperfections and considers himself all the more unworthy.

The Virgin Mar, having given Herself entirely to God, even though She repulsed from Herself every impulse to sin, still felt the weakness of human nature more powerfully than others and ardently desired the coming of the Savior. In Her humility She considered Herself unworthy to be even the servant girl of the Virgin Who was to give Him birth. So that nothing might distract Her from prayer and heedfulness to Herself, Mary gae to God a vow not to become married, in order to please only Him Her whole life long. Being betrothed to the elderly Joseph when He age no longer allowed Her to remain in the Temple, She settled in his house in Nazareth. Here the Virgin was vouchsafed the coming of the Archangel Gabriel, who brought Here the good tidings of the birth from He of the Son of the Most High. "Hail, Thou that are full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women… The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: wherefore also that which is to be born shall be holy, and shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:28-35).

Mary received the Angelic good tidings humbly and submissively "Then the Logos/Word, in a way known to Himself, descended and, as He Himself willed, came and entered into Mary and abode in Her" (Saint Ephraim the Syrian, ‘Praise of the Mother of God’). "As lightning illuminates wha is hidden, so also Christ purifies what is hidden in the nature of things. He purified the Virgin also and then was born, so as to show that where Christ is, there is manifest purity in all its power. He purified the Virgin, having prepared Her by the Holy Spirit, and then the womb, having become pure, conceived Him. He purified the Virgin while She was inviolate; wherefore, having been born, He LEFT HER VIRGIN. I do not say that Mary became immortal, but that being illuminated by grace, Seh was not disturbed by sinful desires" (Saint Ephraim the Syrian, Homily Against Heretics, 41). "The Light abode in Her, cleansed Her mind, made He thoughts pure, made chaste Her concerns, sanctified Her virginity" (Saint Ephraim the Syrian, ‘Mary and Eve’). One who was pure according to human understanding, He made pure by grace" (Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov, ‘Exposition of the Teaching of the Orthodox Church on the Mother of God’).

Mary told no one of the appearance of the Angel, but the Angel himself revealed to Joseph concerning Mary’s miraculous conception from the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18-25); and after the Nativity of Christ, with a multitude of the heavenly host, he announced it to the shepherds. The shepherds, coming to worship the new-born one, said that they had heard of Him. Having previously endured suspicion in silence, Mary now also listened in silence and "kept in her heart" the saying concerning the greatness of Her Son (Luke 2:8-19). She heard forty days later Symeon’s prayer of praise and the prophecy concerning the weapon which would pierce her soul. Later She saw how Jesus advanced in wisdom; She heard Him at the age of twelve teaching in the Temple, and everything She "kept in Her heart" (Luke 2:21-51). [Resources: The Orthodox Veneration of MARY The Birthgiver of God by Saint John Maximovitch]

(To be continued)

_____________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

THE PROPHECIES ABOUT THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH

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 PROPHECIES ABOUT THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH

The holy Prophets of Israel played a unique and critical role in their society. They repeatedly called the people back to their commitment to obey and worship only the One True God, they warned of foreign invasions; they protested against social and economic injustice; and they even rebuked kings face to face for their sinfulness. In times of crisis they were consulted by kings to discern the Lord’s will. Yet their most significant task was prophesying ABOUT THE COMING OF THE MESSIAHS, the King of Kings.

Through prayer, asceticism, repentance, and the practice of virtue, the Prophets were particularly receptive to the Holy Spirit–He "Who spoke by the Prophets," as the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed declares: "And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, who PROCEEDS FROM THE FATHER; Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; WHO SPOKE BY THE PROPHETS." Saint Basil the Great writes, "In souls pure and cleansed from all defilement, the prophetic gift shines clear." Most unique was the preparation received by Saint John the Baptist and Forerunner, the Greatest of the Prophets (Matthew 11:7-14), who was "filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb" (Luke 1:15).

According to Orthodox Christian Tradition Prophet Isaiah, Prophet Jeremiah, Prophet Micah, and Prophet Zechariah, were among others, key Old Testament Prophets FORETELLING THE MESSIAH, with Prophet Isaiah giving detailed prophecies about His birth (virgin birth), suffering (Isaiah 53), and Divine Nature, while others like Micah (birthplace: Bethlehem) and Zechariah (entry on a donkey, betrayal for silver) provide specific events, all pointing to JESUS CHRIST AS THE FULFILLMENT.

"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: behold, the
virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and you shall call His name
Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14).

This messianic prophecy is fulfilled when the virgin Mary gives birth to Christ. The Hebrew word ALMAH, "UNMARRIED WOMAN," designates, "A HIDDEN VIRGIN, SHUT OFF FROM THE OCCASIONAL SIGHT OF MEN" (Jerome). The Greek word is PARTHENOS, which means "virgin. IMMENUAL meaning "God with us," refers to Christ’s Divine Nature. Messiah coming as a Child (v. 16) refers to His Human Nature.

"And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages. Light of Light; True God of True God; begotten not made; of one essence with the Father, by Whom all things were made; Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit AND THE VIRGIN MARY, AND BECAME MAN…" (Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed).

"For behold, all generations will call be blessed" (Luke 1:48).

For two thousand years the Church has preserved the memory of the Virgin Mary as the PROTOTYPE OF ALL CHRISTIANS–THE MODEL OF WHAT WE ARE TO BECOME IN CHRIST. Mary was truly pure and unconditionally obedient to God. The Holy Tradition of the Church holds that Mary remained a virgin all her life. Orthodox Christians believe that Jesus had relatives, NOT blood brothers. Indeed, at the Cross, Jesus commits His mother to the care of His Disciple John, which would have been a crime against tradition had she had another child to care for her. While lifelong celibacy is not a model for all Christians to follow, Mary’s spiritual purity, her wholehearted devotion to God, is certainly to be emulated.

Mary is also our model in that she was the first person to receive Jesus Christ. As Mary bore Christ within her womb physically, ALL CHRISTIANS NOW HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF BEARING GOD WITHIN THEM SPIRITUALLY. By God’s grace and mercy WE ARE PURIFIED AND EMPOWERED TO BECOME LIKE HIM.

The HONOR we give to the Ever-Virgin Mary also signifies our view of Who Jesus is. From early times the Church has called her mother of God (Gr. THEOTOKOS, literally GOD-BEARER), a title which implies that her Son IS BOTH FULLY MAN AND FULLY GOD. As His mother, Mary was the Source of Jesus’ HUMAN NATURE; yet, the One she bore in her womb WAS ALSO THE ETERNAL GOD.

Therefore, because of her character and especially because of her role in God’s PLAN OF SALVATION, Christians appropriately HONOR MARY as the first among the Saints. The Archangel Gabriel initiated this honor in his address to her: "REJOICE, HIGHLY FAVORED ONE, THE LORD IS WITH YOU; BLESSED ARE YOU AMONG WOMEN!" (Luke 1:28). This SALUTATION clearly indicates that God Himself HAD CHOSEN TO HONOR MARY. Her FAVORED STATUS was confirmed when she went to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who was then six months pregnant with John the Baptist. Elizabeth greeted Mary with these words: "BLESSED ARE YOU AMONG WOMEN, AND BLESSED IS THE FRUIT OF YOUR WOMB! BUT WHY IS THIS GRANTED ME, THAT THE MOTHER OF MY LORD SHOULD COME TO ME?" (Luke 1:42-43). And Mary herself, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, predicted the honor that would be paid to her throughout history: "FOR BEHOLD, HENCEFORTH ALL GENERATIONS WILL CALL ME BLESSED" (Luke 1:48).

In obedience to God’s clear intention, therefore, the Orthodox Church HONORS MARY IN HOLY ICONS, HYMNS, AND SPECIAL FEAST DAYS. We ENTREAT HER, as the human being who was most intimate with Christ on earth, TO INTERCEDE WITH HER SON ON OUR BEHALF. We ask her, AS THE FIRST BELIEVER AND THE MOTHER OF THE CHURCH, ,FOR GUIDANCE AND PROTECTION. WE VENERATE HER–BUT WE DO NOT WORSHIP HER, FOR WORSHIP BELONGS TO GOD ALONE.

In Orthros (Matins), Esperinos (Vespers), and all the divine services of the hours of prayer, we chant this hymn, which expresses Mary’s unique place in creation:

It is truly right to bless you, O Theotokos, Ever-Blessed and Most Pure and the Mother of
our God. More Honorable than the Cherubim, and more Glorious beyond compare than the
Seraphim, without defilement you gave birth to God the Logos/Word: True Theotokos,
we magnify you.

(To be continued)

____________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

FEAR IS OUR ENEMY

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.

FEAR IS OUR ENEMY

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but
OF POWER AND OF LOVE AND OF SOUND
MIND” (2 Timothy 1:7).

“There is no fear in love; but PERFECT LOVE
CASTS OUT FEAR, because fear involves
torment. But HE WHO FEARS HAS BEEN MADE
PERFECT IN LOVE. We love Him because He
first loved us” (1 John 4:18-19).

“So do not fear; you are of more value than
many sparrows” (Matthew 10:31).

“Be anxious for nothing, but IN EVERYTHING
BY PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION, WITH
THANKSGIVING, LET YOUR REQUESTS
BE MADE KNOWN TO GOD; and the peace
of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus” (Phillilppians 4:6-7).

The Holy Apostle Paul advises that we rely on the Almighty God rather than retreating to our own illusions of control, but he exhorts us to focus on those things which are truly beautiful. Therefore, by training our minds to focus on content that gives us joy, we begin to indirectly influence our emotions that cause us anxiety. Our holy Geronda Thaddeus identifies cultivating positive thoughts like gratitude, rather than negative thoughts, as a way through which we enter into greater levels of hesychia. He writes, “Our life depends on the kind of thoughts we nurture. If our thoughts are peaceful, calm, meek, and kind, then that is what our life is like. If our attention is turned to the circumstances in which we live, we are thrown into a whirlpool of thoughts and can have neither peace nor tranquility.”

Another great and Holy Father of the Church, Saint John Chrysostom writes about how to treat fear. He teaches dealing with fear by redirecting our focus from worldly threats (poverty, illness, etc.) to God’s presence and promises, emphasizing that only sin is truly fearful and that struggle strengthens virtue; he advises constant prayer, remembrance of God’s nearness, and cultivating a “holy fear” of displeasing Him, which transforms anxiety into spiritual vigilance and perseverance. To build a protective wall against worldly anxiety the believer must remember Christ’s words, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). No Christian should be dismayed by setbacks but he/she must keep praying until God answers, breaking the “yoke” of despair.

The believer in Christ ought to use prayer and mindfulness (nepsis) to push away fearful or negative thoughts as soon as they appear and to always rely on God’s presence and power, not personal strength to overcome challenges. Strengthened by the grace of God, we can work through discouragement in any form that it may attack us. Realizing our dependence on Christ – “For apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5) – teaches us to be humble. Our Lord Christ Himself says to us: “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? ..Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin…Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things” (Matthew 6:25-34). Severe anxiety, not thoughtful planning and care, is what is warned against here. However, persistent anxiety over the things of this world may indicate internal insecurity and possibly a weak faith in God.

A believer is a person who is truly grounded in faith, always positive and confident, because of his/her faith in God and knowing that everything depends on God’s will and wisdom. Our Lord is in control of His creation including of course humanity. As Christians we remember vividly the words of Christ, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:78). The threefold exhortation, “ask–be given, seek–find, knock–be opened,” promises the availability of God’s help. The verbs are present progressive: be asking, be seeking, be knocking. We ask in prayer; seek by learning God’s truth; and knock by doing God’s will. Don’t we all say “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

It is entirely unchristian to allow fear to take control of us knowing how debilitating fear is. Fear causes paralysis not only physically but mentally, emotionally, psychologically and even spiritually. The person ceases to be himself/herself from fear. If a Christian is to surrender to anyone or anything it should be to His Master, Lord, Savior and Creator. Our daily challenges and problems for God are trivial and nonsensical. There is no reason to panic and or to fall apart. Every problem has a solution, every challenge has a way of resolving it. One has to consider his/her options, and to prudently and patiently seek the right solution. One very important thing to consider, of course, is not to overreact, and of course not to overanalyze our concerns. A prudent way is to confront each problem individually and not to attack everything at once. This is called a common sense approach.

My father, may he rest in peace, taught all of his children not to be afraid of life but “to go forth and to never fear.” He actually practiced what he taught us. He did not have much of an education but he was a man of profound faith. He had a strong prayer life and he would never make any decision without praying about it and seeking God’s aid. He was handicapped but that did not stop him from providing for his family even when all the odds were against him. He persevered until he accomplished what he set out to do. An example of this was that he had a serious issue that he felt that he needed an audience with Frederica the queen of Greece to resolve it and surprisingly he met with the queen and he resolved it. Following the Civil war in Greece 1946-1948 while we lived in Athens he had heard of America and after praying about it he set out for our family to immigrate to the United States. At that time, however, in order to come to America a person needed a sponsor, possibly a relative who was a citizen. Did this stop him or discourage him? No! By the grace of God he thought of a person from our village, wrote to him and explained our situation and was able to convince him to be the sponsor for my brother and sister. And eventually the entire family immigrated to America. These accomplishments were not his accomplishments alone, but he was guided and inspired by our Lord Christ, the Mother of God and Saints. There is no question that he had great and sincere faith, courage, and confidence. By faith and courage he accomplished what was believed to be impossible. When he prayed to our Almighty God and Savior, his prayer was not only a petition but truly a dialogue with God.

Jesus says, “With men this is impossible, but WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE” (Matthew 19:26). There is a Greek phrase that says, “Τά αδύνατα παρά ανθρώποις, δυνατά παρά Θεώ” (Ta adynata para anthropois, dynata para Theo”). In other words, “what is impossible with people/men/mankind is possible with God.” A Christian must be willing to learn from God’s teachings and allow Him to lead the way. The Almighty and Loving God will not violate our free will and, therefore, we need to ask Him to lead us, for He said, “I am the way, truth, and the life” (John 14:6).

__________
“Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!”
+ Saint John Chrysostomos

+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George

“HOPE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT” Romans 5:5

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.

"HOPE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT" [Romans 5:5]

"Rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also
glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does
not disappoint, BECAUSE THE LOVE OF GOD HAS BEEN POURED
OUT IN OUR HEARTS BY THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO WAS GIVEN TO
US" [Romans 5:2-5].

"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of
these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13).

"Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our
Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, OUR HOPE" (1 Timothy 1:1).

Hope is indispensable and essential in the life of the believer and without it no one can succeed in life. Hope is founded on faith and trust in God’s unconditional agape for us. For those who truly believe in Him and feel His presence within their heart, hope brings an overwhelming warmth and joy within it. The Christian truly finds it impossible to separate the three God-given virtuous faith, hope and agape. One cannot have one without the other for they are interdependent.

The human being cannot function without faith, without hope and without agape. Our earthly life depends on all three to have any purpose or meaning. The Holy Apostle Paul writes: "that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partakers of his hope" (1 Corinthians 9:10). Everything that we do in life is based on the hope that good things will occur and that our Lord will inspire us to make a difference not only in our lives but in the lives of our fellowman. Saint Paul is speaking to those who are overtaken by negative feelings when he says, "We are hard pressed on every side, YET NOT CRUSHED; we are perplexed, BUT NOT IN DESPAIR; persecuted but NOT FORSAKEN; struck down, but NOT DESTROYED" (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). This is victorious, but not trouble-free, Christianity. These trials "show both the power of God, an, more, disclose His Grace" (Saint John Chrysostom). Furthermore, he writes: "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17). Despite Saint Paul’s hardships and sufferings, he sees God’s everlasting "glory" and calls his trials "light affliction."

A truly committed Christian never gives up hope and would be unthinkable to contemplate it. The Christian is not a defitist but one who finds strength in God’s grace and promise. His or her attitude is explained in the wise words of Prophet Habakkuk: "For though the fig tree will not bear fruit and there be no grapes on the vines; The labor of the olive three fail and the fields yield no food; though the sheep have no pasture yet I will glory in the Lord; I will rejoice in God my Savior. The Lord God IS MY STRENGTH; He will direct my feet to the end; He will set me upon high places, sot to conquer by His song" [3:1719).

Without hope or losing hope life becomes unbearable and painful. Losing hope in God and in one’s self produces anxiety, stress, and despair. Think of a person who is ill and if this person loses hope of being healed or recovering from his/her illness how would he/she endure the suffering and torment brought about by the illness. Our Holy Orthodox Church commemorates and honors the countless holy Martyrs who suffered horrific tortures. How could the Christian Martyr endure all the suffering, agony and pain if they did not hope that it would lead to heavenly the crown of glory? It is imperative that we hope in God our Savior to overcome all temptations, all trials, all challenges, all disappointments or failures in life.

Prayer is based on hope. Hope in the love of God Who loves us and is willing to die for us to save us. The Christian needs only to glance at Jesus’s Cross to understand how much He loves us. The Christian must always remember the Cross to feel, if it is humanly possible, Christ’s suffering, pain, humiliation, and sacrifice when He was willing to die to save all of mankind. How can anyone compare his own sufferings to the suffering of the Son of God, Jesus Christ? If we suffer it is because of our own mistakes and lack of faith in God and at times in ourselves. Our Lord Jesus Christ did not deserve to be crucified, tortured and killed. When we see Him on the Cross, we see injustice and man’s cruelty. But we also see Our Lord, God and Savior Victorious and Triumphant.

Faith, hope and love lead us to victory and triumph. Our All-Merciful and All-Loving God has given us all the tools and the power to overcome any problem, difficulty, injustice, and disappointment in life. It is up to us to use them and to know that He is always with us. We only need to believe in Him, to trust Him, to hope in Him and surrender to Him. God knows what is best for us. We must aside our pride, our arrogance, our disbelief, our ambitions, our pessimism and embrace His wisdom and guidance.

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