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Feast Days in the Month of February





Meeting of the Lord: Sretenie (Februray 15 n.s.)




On
February 2nd (February 15th n.s.) the Church
celebrates the great feast of The Meeting of our Lord in the Temple. The
Gospel lesson for that day relates how the mother of Jesus brought Him
to the temple, as was the custom and requirement under the God-given Law
of Moses, of Israel (Exodus 13: 2,12; Leviticus 12:2-8). When the righteous
Simeon, who received Christ in his arms at the temple, saw the child he
knew immediately that this was the Redeemer promised by all of Israel’s
prophecies, for the elder was inspired by the Holy Spirit (Luke 2:26-27).
Being inspired he himself uttered prophetic words which form the hymn
sung or chanted at the end of every Vespers service: "Lord, now
lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word; for mine
eyes have seen Thy salvation which Thou hast prepared before the face
of Thy people, a light to lighten the gentiles, and the glory of Thy people
Israel
" (Luke 2:29-32).

 

This
particular feast is part of the great celebration that began forty days
prior, with the Nativity of Christ (December 25). Eight days later (January
1) we remembered the Circumcision of Christ and then His Baptism (January
6). The commemoration of these events in our Lord’s earth life basically
form one feast, the feast of the Incarnation of God the Word.

 

God
literally entered the world, into time and history. He was physically
present in the midst of His people, His creatures whom He loves. Our Lord
took on human nature in order to reconcile unto Himself, man who had strayed
far from the Source of his life.

 

In
taking on the "form of a servant" God, at the same time, in
the Person of Christ, fulfilled every requirement of the Law that He Himself
had given to His people through Moses. He demonstrated, thereby, that
everything that had happened in Israel’s history could not be described
merely as a succession of unrelated events. Rather this was a history
with a definite goal: the salvation of mankind. He identified Himself
as the Director of that history and fulfilled its expectation.

 

When
the righteous Simeon took the child into His arms and declared that this
indeed was Salvation Incarnate, the "Light to lighten the gentiles,
and the glory of Israel," a new era began; the era of God’s presence
among His children.

 

To
this day, all of the Church’s celebrations, no matter what the event commemorated
may be, whether in the life of Christ, of the Theotokos, or of the saints,
all are celebrations of Christ and the establishment on earth of the Kingdom
of His presence. He initiated this Kingdom and promised its ultimate realization.
And now, just as the Old Israel had awaited the beginning of God’s Kingdom,
the New Israel (the Church) awaits the Second and Glorious Coming of Christ
and the fullness of His Kingdom, revealed.

 

Although
all of our celebrations are intimately rooted in the knowledge that we
have been called for complete communion with Christ and to live in function
of His Kingdom to which we already belong, we still live in a world that
has for the most part rejected what Christ gave it, that is, authentic
life "in abundance," life with real purpose and meaning. We
Christians, in spite of having accepted what God’s intervention in human
affairs gave us, slip repeatedly and fall into the great temptation to
convert the things of this world into gods. We are constantly attracted
by ways of seeking happiness and fulfillment that exclude God. This, of
course, always proves to be vain and futile.

 

So
our lives vacillate, back and forth, between the assurance of salvation
and indifference, between moments of real joy because we know that God
is with us, and moments of boredom because we cannot give ourselves totally
over to Him.

 

Every
Christian celebration reaches its climax in the Divine Liturgy for the
feast. In this sacred work, when God’s people assemble in His name, we
actually become participants in the Heavenly Kingdom to come. We are as
literally present with Christ in His future Kingdom as the Apostles were
with Him at the Last Supper. So the Kingdom is initiated among us and
we enjoy it before our time, by anticipation. This is what every Eucharist
is; this is what our feasts and celebrations are all about, and that is
why the Eucharist is the very center of all of them.

 

I
will emphasize again, however, that although what we have said is true,
we continually orient our lives towards everyday pursuits, often living
as though we had never experienced this divine reality. That is why repentance
and penitential seasons are in order. That is why in approximately one
month we will enter the Great Fast or Lent during which time we are exhorted
to repent of our sins.

 

It
is a particularly fortunate coincidence that in 1999 the feast of the
Meeting of our Lord, a feast of His Kingdom, coincides almost to the day
with the start of the Lenten Triodion and the announcement of the beginning
of the Great Fast. On the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee (January
31) we are reminded of one of the basic reasons for our need of repentance:
our self-righteousness, our pride, our feeling of superiority and mistreatment
and intolerance of our neighbor.

 

Basically
what is important for us Christians is that we have really "seen
the True Light, received the Heavenly Spirit, found the true faith"
in this experience of the Kingdom of God. The question we must all ask
ourselves sincerely, however, is "what are we like when we return
into this world after this Heavenly experience?"

 

To
Christ Who willed to be held in the arms of the righteous Simeon for our
salvation be glory, honor and worship, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Amen.

Major Feasts of the Month-January


FEAST DAYS IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY

THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST

Commemorated on December 25 (January 7 n.s.)

      Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, was born of the MostHoly Virgin Mary in the city of Bethlehem during the reign of the emperor Augustus (Octavian). Caesar Augustus decreed that an universal census be made throughout all his empire, which then also included Palestinian Israel. The Jews were accustomed to carry out the nation's census-taking according to ancestral-origins, tribes and family-relations. Every ancestral-origin and family-relation had its own designated city as its place of ancestry. The MostBlessed Virgin Mary and Righteous Joseph, descended from the family line of King David, had to go to Bethlehem (the city of David), to register their names on the census-list of Caesar's subjects. At Bethlehem they did not find a single place vacant at any of the city's inns. In the celebrated cave, used as a stable, amidst the hay and the straw, strewn about as food and bedding for the cattle, far from the hearth of home, amidst people that were total strangers, on the cold winter night, and in a setting deprived not only of worldly grandeur but even of the basic amenities – was born the God-Man, the Saviour of the world. "I behold a strange and most glorious mystery, – with awe sings Holy Church, – Heaven – the Cave; the Throne of the Cherubim – the Virgin; the Manger – the Crib, in which lay the placeless Christ God" (Irmos in 9th Ode of the Festal Canon). Without defilement having given birth to the Divine Infant the MostHoly Virgin, Herself without help from strangers, "wraps Him in swaddling cloths and places Him in the manger" (Lk. 2). But amidst the midnight stillness, when all mankind was shrouded in its deepest sinful sleep, the proclaiming of the Birth of the Saviour of the world was heard by shepherds, watching their flocks by night. And the Angel of the Lord came before them and said: "Fear not, for lo I proclaim ye tidings of great joy, which shalt be for all people, for this day is born unto you the Saviour, Which be Christ the Lord in the city of David". The humble shepherds were the first deemed worthy to offer worship for the salvation of mankind unto He That hath condescended to "the image of an humble servant". Besides the Angelic glad tidings to the Bethlehem shepherds, the Nativity of Christ by means of a wondrous star was made known to Magi "knowing the stars", and in the person of these Eastern wise-men all the pagan world, imperceptibly – bent down upon its knees before the true Saviour of the world, the God-Man. Entering wherein the Infant lay, the wise-men Magi – "falling down they worshipped Him, and opening their treasure they presented Him gifts: gold and frankincense and myrh" (Mt. 2: 11).
      In remembrance of the Nativity in the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, the feastday was established by the Church. Its very origin is related to the times of the Apostles. In the Apostolic Constitutions it says: "Brethren, observe the feastdays, and among the chief such the day of the Birth of Christ, which make ye celebration of on the 25th day of the tenth month" (from March, which in those days began the year). There also in another place it said: "Celebrate ye the day of the Nativity of Christ, in the which unseen grace is given man by the birth of the Word of God from the Virgin Mary for the salvation of the world".
      In the II Century also Sainted Clement of Alexandria indicates that the day of the Nativity of Christ is 25 December. In the III Century as before Saint Hypolitus of Rome makes mention concerning the feastday of the Nativity of Christ, and designates the Gospel readings for this day from the beginning chapters of Saint Matthew. It is known also, that during the time of persecution of Christians by Maximian in the year 302, Nicomedia Christians numbering 20,000 were burned in church on the very feastday of the Nativity of Christ (Comm. 28 December). In that same century, but later on after the persecution when the Church had received freedom of religion and had become the official religion in the Roman empire, we find the feastday of the Nativity of Christ observed throughout all the Universal Church. And this is evidenced from the works of saint Ephrem the Syrian, Sainted Basil the great, Sainted Gregory the Theologian, Sainted Gregory of Nyssa, Sainted Ambrose of Milan, Sainted John Chrysostom and other fathers of the Church of the IV Century concerning this feastday. Saint John Chrysostom, in his sermon which he gave in the year 385, points out that the feast of the Nativity of Christ is ancient and indeed very ancient. In this same century also at the place of the Bethlehem Cave, made famous by the Birth of Jesus Christ, the Equal-to-the-Apostles empress Helen erected a church, which her mighty son Constantine strove after her to make resplendid. In the Codex of the emperor Theodosius from 438, and of the emperor Justinian – in 535, is promulgated as law the universal celebration of the day of the Nativity of Christ. It is in this sense, truly, that Nicephoros Kallistos, a writer of the XIV Century, says in his history that the emperor Justinian in the VI Century established the celebration of the Nativity of Christ throughout all the world.
      In the V Century the Patriarch of Constantinople Anatolios, in the VII – Sophronios and Andrew of Jerusalem, in the VIII – Saints John of Damascus, Cosma of Maium and the Patriarch of Tsar'grad Germanos, in the IX – the Nun Cassia and others of names unknown, all these wrote for the feast of the Nativity of Christ many sacred hymns, used at present by the Church to the glory of this radiant festal event.
      However, during the first three centuries, when persecutions hindered the freedom of Christian Divine-services, in certain places in the East – in the Churches of Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria and Cyprus – the feastday of the Nativity of Christ was combined together with the feastday of the Baptism of Christ on 6 January, under the in-common term "Theophany" ["Bogoyavlenie" – which both in the Greek and the Slavonic means "Manifestation of God"]. The reason for this, actually, was from the view, that Christ was baptised at a later time on His birthday, as might be inferred concerning this from the discourse of Saint John Chrysostom who, in one of his sermons on the Nativity of Christ, says: "it is not that day on which Christ was born which is called Theophany, but rather that day on which He was baptised". Towards suchlike a viewpoint also it is possible to consider a nuance in the words of the Evangelist Luke who, speaking about the Baptism of Jesus Christ, testifies, that then "Jesus being incipient [incipiens, arkhomenos] upon His thirtieth year" (Lk. 3:23). The celebration of the Nativity of Christ conjointly with Theophany in certain of the Eastern Churches continued to the end of the IV Century, and in some – until the V or even the VI Century. Remembrance of the ancient conjoining of the feasts of the Nativity of Christ and Theophany at present enters into the making of the order of services in the celebration of these feasts. For both – on the eve-day preceding the feast, there is a similar tradition among the people, that on the festal eve-days the fast ought to be kept until the stars appear. The order of Divine-services on the eve of both feastdays and the feastdays themselves is done the same.
      The day of the Nativity of Christ from of old was numbered by the Church among the Twelve Great Feasts, – in accord with the Divine witness of the Gospel in depicting these festal events as the greatest, most all-joyful and wondrous. "Behold, I proclaim unto you glad tidings, – said the Angel to the Bethlehem shepherds, – of great joy, for all mankind. For unto you this day is born the Saviour, Who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. And this for ye is the sign: ye will find the Infant wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. Then suddenly with the Angel was a multitude of the heavenly hosts, glorifying God and saying: Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, good-will to mankind. Those hearing of this were awestruck at the sayings of the shepherds concerning this Child. And the shepherds themselves returned back, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen" (Lk. 2: 10-20). Thus the Nativity of Christ, as an event most profound and extraordinary, was accompanied by the wondrous tidings to the shepherds and the Magi about the universal rejoicing for all mankind, – "for the Saviour is Born!", by the Angelic proclamation of glory to the new-born Saviour, by the worship to him by shepherds and wise-men, by the reverent awe of many, hearkening to the words of the shepherds about the new-born Child, amidst glory and praise of Him by the Shepherds.
      In accord with the Divine witness of the Gospel, the fathers of the Church in their God-imbued writings also depict the feast of the Nativity of Christ as most profound, universal and all-joyous, which serves as a basis and foundation for all the other feastdays.
      Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

DISCOURSE ON THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST
 
                                                      by Sainted Gregory Thaumatourgos,
                                                      Bishop of Neo-Caesarea
      Brethren, we behold now a great and wondrous mystery. Shepherds with cries of joy come forth as messengers to the sons of mankind, not on their hilly pastures with their flocks conversing and not in the field with their sheep frolicking, but rather in the city of David Bethlehem spiritual songs exclaiming. In the highest sing Angels, proclaiming hymns Archangelic; the heavenly Cherubim and Seraphim sing out praises to the glory of God: "Holy, Holy, Holy..." Together all do celebrate this joyous feast, beholding God upon the earth, and mankind of earth amidst the heavens. By Divine providence the far distant are uplifted to the highest, and the highest, through the love of God for mankind, have bent down to the far distant, wherefore the MostHigh, through His humility, "is exalted through humility". On this day of great festivity Bethlehem hath become like unto heaven, taking place amidst the glittering stars are Angels singing glory, and taking the place of the visible sun – is the indefinable and immeasurable Sun of Truth, having made all things that do exist. But who would dare investigate so great a mystery? "Wherein God doth wish it, therein the order of nature is overturned", and laws cannot impede. And so, of that which was impossible for mankind to undertake, God did aspire and did descend, making for the salvation of mankind, since in the will of God this is life for all mankind.
      On the present joyous day God hath come to be born; on this great day of arrival God is become That Which He was not: being God, He hath become Man, so to speak as though removed from Divinity (though His Divine Nature be not divested of); in being made Man, He hath remained God. Wherefore, though He grew and flourished, it however was not thus as it were by human power to attain to Divinity nor by any human ability to be made God; but rather as the Word, by miraculous sufferance, wherein He was incarnated and manifest not being transformed, not being made something other, not deprived of that Divine Nature which He possessed previously. In Judea the new King is born; but this new and wondrous nativity which pagan Gentiles have come to believe, the Jew have eschewed. The Pharisees comprehended incorrectly the Law and the prophets. That which therein was contradictory for them, they explained away mistakenly. Herod too strove to learn of this new birth, full of mystery, yet Herod did this not to reverence the new-born King, but to kill Him.
      That One, Who did forsake the Angels, Archangels, Thrones, Dominions, and all the constant and luminous spirits, – He alone having come a new path, does issue forth from an inviolate of seed virginal womb. The Creator of all comes to enlighten the world, indeed not leaving His angels orphaned, and He appears also as Man, come forth from God.
      And I, though I see by the NewBorn neither trumpets (nor other musical instruments), nor sword, nor bodily adornments, neither lampadas nor way-lamps, and seeing the choir of Christ composed of those humble of birth and without influence, – it doth persuade me to praise of Him. I see speechless animals and choirs of youth, as though some sort of trumpet, songfully resonant, as though taking the place of lampadas and as it were shining upon the Lord. But what shall I say about what the lampadas do light? He – is the verymost Hope and Life Itself, He is Salvation Itself, Blessedness Itself, the focal point of the Kingdom of Heaven. He is Himself borne as offering, so that there would in power transpire the proclamation of the heavenly Angels: "Glory to God in the Highest", and with the shepherds of Bethlehem be pronounced the joyous song: "And on earth peace, good-will to mankind!" Born of the Father, in His Person and in His Being passionless, now in a manner dispassionate and incomprehensible He is born for us. The praeternal birth, He alone Who was born dispassionately doth know of; the present birth, is supernaturally known only by the grace of the Holy Spirit; but in both the first birth truly, and in the present birth in kenotic humbling, actually and immutably God was born from God, but He – is also Man, having received flesh of the Virgin. In the highest of the One Father – He is One, the Only-Begotten Son of the One Father; in kenotic humbling Unique of the unique Virgin, the Only-Begotten Son of the one Virgin... God suffereth not passions, in being born God of God; and the Virgin did not suffer corruption, since in a manner spiritual was born the Spiritual. The first birth – is inexplicable and the second – is insurmiseable; the first birth was without travail and the second was without impurity... We know, Who now is born of the Virgin, and we believe, that it is He, born of the Father praeternally. But what manner of birth it was we would not hope to explain. Neither with words would I attempt to speak of this, nor in thought would I dare to approach it, since the Divine Nature is not subject to observation, nor approachable by thought, nor containable by the hapless reasoning. Needful only is to believe in the power of His works. The laws of corporeal nature are evident: a married woman conceives and gives birth to a son in accord with the purpose of marriage; but when the Unwedded Virgin gives birth to the son miraculously, and after birth remaineth a Virgin, – then is manifest an higher corporeal nature. We can comprehend what exists according to the laws ofd corporeal nature, but afront that which is beyond the laws of nature, we fall silent, not through fear, but moreso through sin-wrought fallibility. We mustneeds fall silent, in silent stillness to reverence virtue with a worthy reverence and, not going beyond the far limits (of word), to be vouchsafed the heavenly gifts.
      What to say and what shalt I proclaim? To speak more concerning the Virgin Birth-Giver? To deliberate more on the miraculously new birth? It is possible only to be astonished, in contemplating the miraculous birth, since it overturns the ordinary laws and order of nature and of things. About the wondrous works (of God) one might say in brief, that they are more wondrous than the works of nature, since in nature nothing begets itself by its own will, though there be the freedom thereof: wondrous therefore are all the works of the Lord, Who hath caused them to be. O, immaculate and inexplicable mystery! That One, Who before the very creation of the world was the Only-Begotten, Without‑Compare, Simple, Incorporeal, is incarnated and descends (into the world), clothed in a perishable body, so that He be visible to all. For if He were not visible, then by what manner would He teach us to keep His precepts and how would He lead us to the invisible reality? It was for this therefore that He became openly visible, to lead forth those of the visible world to the invisible. Far moreso do people reckon their eyesight as more credible a witness than mere hearsay; they trust that which they see, and doubt that which they see not. God willed to be visible in body, to resolve and dispel the doubts. He willed to be born of the Virgin, not to initiate of Her something unneeded and wherein the Virgin knew not the reasons of the matter, but rather the mystery of His birth is an immaculate act of goodness, wherein the Virgin Herself asked of Gabriel: "How can this be, in that I know not a man", – to which She received in reply: "The Holy Spirit shalt come upon Thee, and the power of the MostHigh shalt overshadow Thee" (Lk. 1: 34-35). But in what manner did the Word, Who was God, therefore issue forth from the Virgin? This – is an inexplicable wonder. Just as a goldsmith, having obtained the metal, makes of it a thing suitable for use, thus did Christ also: finding the Virgin immaculate both in spirit and in body, He assumed of Her a spirit-fashioned body conformable to His intents, and was arrayed in it, as in clothing. On this wondrous day of the Nativity the Word was neither afraid nor ashamed to issue forth from the virginal womb, nor did He consider it unworthy of Himself to assume flesh from His creation, – so that the creation, made the attire of the Creator, should be esteemed worthy of glory, and so that mercy should be made known when revealed, from whence God through His goodness hath descended. Just as it would be impossible for an earthen vessel to appear before it be clay in the hands of the potter, so likewise would it be impossible for the perishable vessel (of human nature) to be renewed otherwise, to make it the attire of the Creator, Who is garbed in it.
      What more to say, what shall I expound on? The new wonders do strike me with awe. The Ancient of Days is become a Child, to make people children of God. Sitting in glory in the Heavens, because of His love for mankind, He now layeth in a manger of dumb beasts. The Inpassionate, Incorporeal, Incomprehensible One is taken by human hands, in order to atone the violence of sinners and the iniquitous and free them of their slavery, to be wrapped in swaddling cloths and be nourished on the knees of Woman, so that shame be transformed into honour, the impious to be led to glory, and in place of thorns a crown. He hath taken on my body, so that I be made capable to have within myself His Spirit, – He hath appropriated unto Himself (my nature), being garbed in my body, and doth give unto me His Spirit, so that I, giving and in turn receiving, might discover the treasure of life.
      What shall I say and what proclaim? "Behold, a Virgin in womb shalt conceive and She shalt give birth a Son, and they will call Him the name Emmanuel, in interpretation: God is with us [S nami Bog; Meth' hemon ho Theos; Nobiscum Deus]" (Mt. 1: 23). The saying here deals not with something for future whereof we might learn to hope, but rather it tells us about something that already has occurred and it awes us with something that already has been fulfilled. What formerly was said to the Jews and fulfilled amidst them, is now thus amidst us realised as an occurrence, whereof we have received (this prophecy), and adopted it, and believed in it. The prophet says to the Jews: "Behold, a Virgin shalt conceive" (Is. 7: 14); for Christians however, the saying devolves upon the fulfilling of the actual deed, the full treasure-trove of the actual event. In Judea a Virgin gave birth, but all the lands of the world accepted Her Son. There – was the root of the vine; here – the vine of truth. The Jews squeezed the wine-press, and the Gentiles have tasted of the sacramental Blood; those others planted the kernel of wheat, and these thrive by the grain harvest of faith. The Jews were pricked to death by the thorns, the Gentiles are filled by the harvest; those others sat beneathe the tree of desolation, and these – beneathe the tree of life; those expounded the precepts of the Law, but the Gentiles reap the spiritual fruits. The Virgin gave birth not Herself of Herself, but as willed He needing to be born. Not in corporeal manner did God act, not to the law of the flesh did God subordinate Himself, but the Lord of corporeal nature manifested Himself to appear in the world by a miraculous birth, in order to reveal His power and to show, that in having been made Man, He is born not as a mere man, – that God is made Man, since for His will nothing be difficult.
      On the present great day He is born of the Virgin, having overcome the natural order of things. He is higher than wedlock and free from defilement. It sufficed that He the preceptor of purity should shine forth gloriously, to emerge from a pure and undefiled womb. For He – is That Same, Who in the beginning did create Adam from the virgin soil, and from Adam without wedlock did bring forth for him his wife Eve. And as Adam was without wife before that he had a wife, and the first woman then was brought into the world, so likewise on the present day the Virgin without man giveth birth to That One, about Whom spake the prophet: "He – is Man, who is he that doth know Him?" The Man Christ, clearly seen by mankind, born of God, is such that womankind was needed to perfect that of mankind, so that perfectly would be born man for woman. And just as from Adam was taken woman, without impairment and without diminishing of his masculine nature, so also from woman without man was needed to bring forth a man, similar to the bringing forth of Eve, so that Adam be not extolled in that without his means woman should bring forth woman. Therefore the Virgin without cohabitation with man gave birth to God the Word, made Man, so that in equal measure it was by the same miracle to bestow equal honour to both the one and the other half – man and woman. And just as from Adam was taken woman without his diminishing, so likewise from the Virgin was taken the body (Born of Her), wherein also the Virgin did not undergo diminishing, and Her virginity did not suffer harm. Adam dwelt well and unharmed, when the rib was taken from him: and so without defilement dwelt the Virgin, when from Her was brought forth God the Word. For this sort of reason particularly the word assumed of the Virgin Her flesh and Her (corporeal) garb, so that He be not accounted innocent of the sin of Adam. Since man stung by sin had become a vessel and instrument of evil, Christ took upon Himself this receptacle of sin into His Own flesh so that, the Creator having been co‑united with the body, it should thus be freed from the foulness of the enemy, and man thus be clothed in an eternal body, which be neither perished nor destroyed for all eternity. Moreover, He that is become the God-Man is born, not as ordinarily man is born, – He is born as God made Man, manifest of this by His Own Divine power, since if He were born according to the general laws of nature, the Word would seem something imperfect. Therefore, He was born of the Virgin and shone forth; therefore, having been born, He preserved unharmed the virginal womb, so that the hitherto unheard of manner of the Nativity should be for us a sign of great mystery.
      Is Christ God? Christ is God by nature, but not by the order of nature did He become Man. Thus we declare and in truth believe, calling to witness the seal of intact virginity: as Almighty Creator of the womb and virginity, He chose an unshameful manner of birth and was made Man, as He did will.
      On this great day, now being celebrated, God hath appeared as Man, as Pastor of the nation of Israel, Who hath enlivened all the universe with His goodness. O dear warriors, glorious champions for mankind, who did preach Bethlehem as a place of Theophany and the Nativity of the Son of God, who have made known to all the world the Lord of all, lying in a manger, and did point out God contained within a narrow cave!
      And so, we now glorify joyfully a feast of the years. Just as hence the laws of feasts be new, so now also the laws of birth be wondrous. On this great day now celebrated, of shattered chains, of Satan shamed, of all demons to flight, the all‑destroying death is replaced by life, paradise is opened to the thief, curses be transformed into blessings, all sins forgiven and evil banished, truth is come, and they have proclaimed tidings filled with reverence and love for God, traits pure and immaculate are implanted, virtue is exalted upon the earth, Angels are come together with people, and people make bold to converse with Angels. Whence and why hath all this happened? From this, that God hath descended into the world and exalted mankind unto Heaven. There is accomplished a certain transposition of everything: God Who is perfect hath descended to earth, though by Nature He remaineth entirely in the Heavens, even at that time when in His wholeness He be situated upon the earth. He was God and was made Man, not negating His Divinity: He was not made God, since He was always such by His very Nature, but He was made flesh, so that He be visible to everything corporeal. That One, upon Whom even the Heaven-dwellers cannot look, chose as His habitation a manger, and when He came, all around Him became still. And for naught else did He lay in the manger, than for this, that in giving nourishment to all, He should for Himself extract the nourishment of infants from maternal breasts and by this to bless wedlock.
      On this great day people, leaving off from their arduous and serious affairs, do come forth for the glory of Heaven, and they learn through the gleaming of the stars, that the Lord hath descended to the earth to save His creation. The Lord, sitting upon a swift cloud, in the flesh wilt enter into Egypt (Is. 19: 1), visible fleeing from Herod, on that very deed which inspires the saying by Isaiah: "On that day Israel wilt be third amidst the Egyptians" (Is. 19: 24).
      People entered into the Cave, thinking not at all about this beforehand, and it became for them an holy temple. God entered into Egypt, in the place of the ancient sadness there to bring joy, and in the place of dark gloom to shed forth the light of salvation. The waters of the Nile had become defiled and harmful after infants perished in it with untimely death. There appeared in Egypt That One, Who upon a time turned the water into blood and Who thereafter transformed these waters into well-springs of the water of rebirth, by the grace of the Holy Spirit cleansing away sins and transgressions. Chastisement once befell the Egyptians, since in their errors they defied God. But Jesus now is come into Egypt and hath sown in it reverence for God, so that in casting off from the Egyptian soul its errors, they are made amicable unto God. The river waters concurred worthily to encompass His head, like a crown.
      In order not to stretch out in length our discourse and briefly to conclude what is said, we shall ask: in what manner was the passionless Word made flesh and become visible, while dwelling immutably in His Divine Nature? But what shall I say and what declare? I see the carpenter and the manger, the Infant and the Virgin Birth-Giver, forsaken by all, weighed down by hardship and want. Behold, to what a degree of humiliation the great God hath descended. For our sakes "impoverished, Who was rich" (2 Cor. 8: 9): He was put into but sorry swaddling cloths – not on a soft bed. O poverty, source of all exaltation! O destitution, revealing all treasures! He doth appear to the poor ‑‑ and the poor He maketh rich; He doth lay in an animal manger – and by His word He sets in motion all the world. He is wrapped in tattered swaddling cloths – and shatters the bonds of sinners having called the entire world into being by His Word alone.
      What still should I say and proclaim? I see the Infant, in swaddling cloths and lying in the manger; Mary, the Virgin Mother, stands before it together with Joseph, called Her husband. He is called Her husband, and She – his wife, in name but so and seemingly wedded, though in fact they were not spouses. she was betrothed to Joseph, but the Holy Spirit came upon Her, as about this the holy evangelist doth speak: "The Holy Spirit shalt come upon Thee, and the power of the MostHigh wilt overshadow Thee: and He to be born is Holy" (Lk. 1: 35) and is of the seed of Heaven. Joseph did not dare to speak in opposition, and the righteous man did not wish to reprove the Holy Virgin; he did not want to believe any suspicion of sin nor pronounce against the Holy Virgin words of slander; but the Son to be born he did not wish to acknowledge as his, since he knew, that He – was not of him. And although he was perplexed and had doubts, Who such an Infant should be, and pondered it over – he then had an heavenly vision, an Angel appeared to him and encouraged him with the words: Fear not, Joseph, son of David; He That shalt be born of Mary is called Holy and the Son of God; that is: the Holy Spirit shalt come upon the Immaculate Virgin, and the power of the MostHigh wilt overshadow Her (Mt. 1: 20‑21; Lk. 1: 35). Truly He was to be born of the Virgin, preserving unharmed Her virginity. Just as the first virgin had fallen, enticed by Satan, so now Gabriel bears new tidings to the Virgin Mary, so that a virgin would give assent to be the Virgin, and to the Nativity – by birth. Allured by temptations, Eve did once utter words of ruination; Mary, in turn, in accepting the tidings gave birth to the Incorporeal and Life-Creating Word. For the words of Eve, Adam was cast out of paradise; the Word, born of the Virgin, revealed the Cross, by which the thief entered into the paradise of Adam. Though neither the pagan Gentiles, nor the Jews, nor the high-priests would believe, that from God could be born a Son without travail and without man, this now is so and He is born in the body, capable to endure suffering, while preserving inviolate the body of the Virgin.
      Thus did He manifest His Almightiness, born of the Virgin, preserving the virginity of the Virgin intact, and He was born of God with neither complication, travail, evil nor a separation of forsaking the immutable Divine Essence, born God from God. Since mankind abandoned God, in place of Him worshipping graven images of humans, God the Word thus assumed the image of man, so that in banishing error and restoring truth, He should consign to oblivion the worshipping of idols and for Himself to be accorded Divine honour, since to Him becometh all glory and honour unto ages of ages. Amen.

______________________________________________________________________________

 

. Nativity of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ in the Flesh

The birth of our Lord Jesus Christ by the Ever Virgin Mary (Mt.

1:18-25, 2:1-12; Lk. 2:1-20) in Bethlehem1 is celebrated on the

present day. The beginning of the establishment of this feast

belongs to the earliest time of the Church. In the standard

opinion, the feast of the Nativity of Christ is older in the Western

Church than in the Eastern; but this should only be understood

about the time of celebrating the feast on December 25. In the

Eastern Churches it was celebrated on January 6 until the 4th

century and was known by the name of Theophany. This feast had a special

character and was dedicated not only strictly to the memory of the birth or baptism

of Christ, but in general to the appearance of God in the flesh, to the revelation in

Christ and through Christ of the divine grace. This is why the feast is called

Theophany or, more precisely, the manifestation - e/pifa,neia. The initial basis to

celebrate the Nativity of Christ on January 6 served not the historical connection

with the birth of the Lord to this date, who even for antiquity remained an

unknown person, but the mystical understanding of the relationship between the

first and second Adam, between the originator of sin and death and the Author of

life and salvation. The second Adam, according to the mystical understanding of

the ancient Church, was born and died on the same day on which the first Adam

was created and died, - on the sixth corresponding to January 6, the first month of

year. Thus the unity between the Eastern and Western Churches concerning the

time of celebrating the birth on December 25 is established only since the 4th

century. From this view point the feast was entered into the Constantinopolitan

Church for the first time about the year 377 under the decree of Emperor Arcadius

according to the custom of the Roman Church and due to the energy and the power

of the eloquence of St. John Chrysostom, and from here it spread to all the

Orthodox East2.

Already the very subject of the feast also points out the purpose of its

establishment: the commemoration and glorification of the birth of our Lord Jesus

Christ in the flesh by the All Holy Virgin Mary. This is the first and basic purpose

of the establishment of the feast. Very early another idea was connected to it: in

this precise establishment of the feast by means of disclosing true doctrines about

the incarnation and the birth of the Savior counters the errors of the heretics: the

Ebionites, Docetists and Basilidians. Due to these false doctrines and that on the

very feast on January 6 the ancient Church paid its main attention to the

commemoration of the event of the birth of Christ as the very appearance of God in

the flesh. In the 4th century with the occurrence and spread of Arianism, the new

and strongest motive appeared to glorify the event of the birth of Christ for the

Orthodox Church. Finally, with reference to feast on December 25 the Church

meant to give a counterbalance to the pagan cult and to protect believers from

participating in it. It is known, that among the Romans the feast of the so-called,

dies natalis Solis invicti [day of the nativity of the unconquerable Sun] falls on

December 25, serving the expression of the idea of the continual return of the year

and as if the sun is renewed and of the former day of unbridled amusements of the

people, with the day of entertainment for slaves and children and so forth. Thus in

itself this day was more appropriate for the commemoration of the event of the

birth of Jesus Christ, Who in the New Testament frequently is referred to as the

sun of the truth, light of the world, salvation of the people and victor of life and

death, but the reprehensible pagan commemoration was sufficient motive for the

Church to improve it according to the meaning of its lofty Christian

commemoration. Therefore the ancient Church, already denying the identity of the

two similar feasts, the pagan and Christian, will adopt the feast of the Nativity of

Christ of the observed meaning and the expressive denial also of pagan

superstitions and customs3.

Asserting our faith in the greatest mystery of the incarnation of our Lord

Jesus Christ and condemning all heretics, who deformed this teaching by sophism,

the Holy Church, celebrating the Nativity of Christ, in its hymns describes this

feast as a day of universal joy, "for today is born a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord"

(Lk. 2:10-11). "Let heaven and earth", exclaims the Holy Church, "today be

gladdened in the prophecy"; "all creation leaps for joy for the Savior Lord was

born for its sake in Bethlehem: for every idolatrous deception ceased, and Christ

reigns forever"4. At the same time the Holy Church celebrating the Nativity of

Christ morally teaches us the holy life of the One Who was worthy to be born the

Lord. "For us today is born a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord", "for the sake of

humanity and for our salvation", and we, now celebrating this birth of Christ the

Lord, naturally, should ignite in ourselves the determination to be reborn from a

sinful life to a life holy and pleasing to God. Our Lord Jesus Christ having come

down to earth entered into a relationship of grace with us and "was not ashamed to

call us brethren" (Heb. 2:11); but, in order for us to be worthy of this lofty dialogue

and of union, in order not to turn ourselves away from the Lord Who came down

from the heavens, it is necessary for us to leave the darkness of sin and to come

nearer to light of faith, piety and good deeds. The Creator and Master of heaven

and earth appeared in the world not in glory and magnificence, but in need, poverty

and humiliation; the King Who reigns and the Lord Who dominates accepts not

luxurious chambers, but a poor cave. By this the majesty of humility, poverty,

meekness, simplicity and the perniciousness of pride, riches, vanity and luxury is

shown to us. Worthy to be the first to hear the good news of the angels about the

birth of the Savior of the world and the first to worship Him were simple

Bethlehem shepherds (about them see below), and after them the wise Persian

magi (about them see below), and thus at the manger of the Savior we see two sorts

of people - shepherds and magi, i.e. the simplest people and the most educated

people. By this we are inspired that the Lord accepts each and all: those pleasing to

Him and the simple illiterate, when they are connected to the true fulfillment of

their calling, with the purity of conscience and life; human wisdom is not rejected

by Him when it is able to subordinate itself to the inspiration from above and uses

its knowledge to the glory of God and for the use of neighbor. This teaches each

one to be content with his participation and at the same time demonstrates that no

calling and position interferes with their coming nearer to God, that pure and

sincere labor, inspired by faith and hope in God is the conscientious fulfillment of

the duties always pleasing to God and attracts His blessing that in the eyes of God

the precious things are not external advantages in the light, but purity of heart and

of conscience, meekness and humility of spirit, submissiveness and obedience to

the law of God, patience and compliance, hope and fidelity to will of God,

gentleness and goodwill to neighbor, going irreproachably before God in all the

commandments and precepts, that these precious qualities do not belong

exclusively to any estate, that in all callings and positions the person may be

pleasing to God, if he will be well pleasing to Him in word, desire and thought. In

general the event of the appearance of God in the flesh picturesquely described in

the festal services with all the circumstances surrounding it represents by itself an

inexhaustible source for our edification5.

Troparion, tone 4

Thy Nativity, O Christ our God,

Has shone to the world the light of wisdom,

For by it those who worshipped the stars,

Were taught by a star, to adore Thee

The Sun of righteousness,

And to know Thee the Orient from on high:

O Lord glory to Thee.

Kontakion, tone 3

Today the Virgin give birth to the transcendent One

And the earth offers a cave to the unapproachable One,

Angels and shepherds glorify Him,

Wise men journey with the star:

Since for our sake the eternal God was born as a little child.

Magnification (Megalynaria)

We magnify Thee, O Lifegiver Christ, who for our sake is now born in

the flesh from the unwedded and immaculate Virgin Mary.

The feast of the Nativity of Christ is one of the twelve major feasts. It

has 5 days of Forefeast (from Dec. 20 to 24) and six days of Afterfeast; Its

Leave-taking is Dec. 316. The liturgical books call it "a three day Pascha".

According to the majesty of commemorated events this feast is celebrated as

the most festive of all feasts, except for Pascha. St. John Chrysostom calls the

day of the Nativity of Christ the most honorable and important of all feasts",

"the mother of all feasts".7 The Vigil on the feast of Christmas begins with

Great Compline (in which however the ending prayers are dropped) instead

of Vespers, which is already merged with the Liturgy. In this Compline the

Church especially expresses its spiritual joy by singing the prophetic song:

"For God is with us". After reading the Great Doxology, there is a Litia and

the Blessing of Loaves, and then Matins is served. "If the Nativity of Christ

falls on a Sunday, we sing nothing from the Sunday services".

Matins Gospel: Mt. 1:18-25; Sel. 2. Epistle: Gal. 4:4-7; Sel. 209. Gospel:

Mt. 2:1-12; Sel. 3. The liturgy is served "early in the morning, labor for the

sake of vigilant". In the Liturgy instead of "the Trisagion” sing "As many as

have been baptized into Christ".

On the feast of Christmas, even if it falls on Wednesday or Friday,

laymen are authorized to eat meat, and monks, cheese and eggs. "From the

Nativity of Christ up to Holy Theophany there is no fasting or kneeling in the

church or in the cells".

During the days of the Nativity of Christ church servers go to the homes

of parishioners "with glory", similar to the angels who announced the Savior

of the world with great joy to the Bethlehem shepherds, announcing and

singing glory to God and to the born Savior with the singing of the festal

Troparion and Kontakion, sometimes with the addition of a brief Litany of

Fervent Supplication8.

Commemoration of the deliverance of the Church and Sovereign Russia

from the invasion of the Gauls and twelve nations with them in 1812. In the

Russian Orthodox Church the solemnity of the Divine services of the feast

becomes still more magnified by the commemoration of the defeat of the French

and their flight from Russia in 1812.

This commemoration is served after the Liturgy with the singing of the

Thanksgiving Molieben, but must not be confused with the kneeling placed

here as it is not a kneeling of the fast and repentance, but rather the

expression of thanksgiving. In this Molieben the Holy Church confesses the

Son of God as the Ruler of kingdoms and nations and at first raises the Many

Years to the Sovereign Emperor and to all His House, then the Eternal

Memory to the Emperor Alexander in blessed repose in God, chosen by the

Providence of God for the protection of the faith and salvation of the

fatherland, and finally the Many Years to the troops.

The prayer, read at the Molieben, is printed in one edition (1826, 1882)

in a much larger form, and the other (1870) is in the abbreviated, but in this

and the other form the prayer is allowed for reading at the Molieben (Decree

of Holy Synod III-V/18-4, 1882).

Adoration of the Magi

Three Magi, Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar, having learned about the birth

of the Messiah according to the wonderful star which appeared to them in the sky

and led them to the birthplace of the world's Savior and they presented to Christ

gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh (Mt. 2:1-12). They believe that these magi

(i.e. eastern wise men) came from Persia. Obviously, they knew the Jewish

expectation of the Messiah. According to the opinion of some, these magi were

descendants of the Babylonian wise men, who formerly were under the leadership

of Daniel (Acts 2:48), who even has sown among his subordinates the seed of the

true faith and expectation of the Messiah (Num. 24:17; Dan. 9:24-27). Being

worthy to bow to the born Savior, the magi, undoubtedly, were distinguished with

lofty spiritual qualities. Apparently, in the use of their reason and in their

acquisition of human knowledge they were inspired by piety and faith in the

promised Savior and with all their enlightenment there was the glory of God and

their own salvation. Their very trip for the adoration of the Savior bears witness to

their faith, love and diligence. According to some tales, the magi, having returned

to their country, were turned to contemplative life and prayer. Subsequently Ap.

Thomas met them in Parthia, and they, having accepted baptism from him,

themselves became preachers of Christ. After their death, their relics, found by St.

Helen, were first placed in Constantinople, but from there were transferred to

Mediolanum (Milan), and later to Cologne. In the Cologne cathedral they even

now show visitors the skulls of these three wise men, opened by the Bishop of

Cologne Reynold in the 12th century. In honor of the magi the West established

the special feast called "the feast of the three kings", which superseded the feast of

Theophany on Jan. 6 (see page 16). Among simple people in the West the magi

were honored as the protectors of travelers.

Commemoration of the Shepherds who saw the Lord

Undoubtedly, the shepherds were people who were strictly devout, true

Israelites, who were fervently awaiting and desiring the coming of the promised

Messiah, frequently, especially in the silence of the night, under the light of the

heavenly bodies, turned to pious reflections and conversations on the holy subject

of their desires and expectations. Through all their simplicity they were powerful

in faith, through their seeming roughness they had cleansed and softened their

hearts with the fear of God, through all their scarcity of externally possessed

precious treasure in the world, with pure conscience before God and the people,

they carefully fulfilled their small service and did not expect another reward,

except for their uprightness before God and before the people. For their fervent

expectations of the Messiah, for their fair and sincere labor, for their conscientious

discharge of the duties of their service inspired by faith and hope in God, for their

piety and their lofty spiritual qualities, the humble Bethlehem shepherds received

the greatest mercy from the Lord: they were the first to whom the angels revealed

the birth of the Savior and they were the first to have seen Him, they were the first

on behalf of all the human race to have bowed down to Him (Lk. 2:8-20).

1At the present time Bethlehem is a small settlement of about 4,500 inhabitants, and that remarkably there

are no Jews among them. The inhabitants of Bethlehem make bone and olive wood chotki (beads), mother-ofpearl

crosses, little images, representations of the tomb of the Lord and other things. All these plentiful things are

bought up by pilgrims. Near the settlement above this cave where the Savior was born rises the temple at the edge

of the mount, with its eastern side; here is located the Monastery of the Nativity of Christ. A majestic temple

cruciform in shape was built by Empress Helen. Subsequently this temple was remodeled and worthily adorned by

Emperor Justinian. The main altar of the Bethlehem temple is constructed over the very cave of Nativity of the

Savior of the world. From both sides of the altar 15 marble steps descend to the basement church which actually is

the birthplace of the Savior. Expensive lampadas are suspended around the floor of the cave of the Nativity over

which a marble slab supported by columns serves as the altar table where the liturgy is performed. Stepping back

a few steps from the place of the Nativity of the Savior, it is possible to see a special cave where they enter for two

or three steps where the manger was where the Divine Child rested. The manger in which the Savior reposed was

carried away to Rome and put there in certain temple. In its place a Roman Catholic altar table is built in the cave.

In the same cave opposite the little cradle manger of the Savior is built another (also Roman Catholic) altar table,

in that place where the Holy Virgin Theotokos with the Baby Jesus on Her bosom received the worshipping magi.

All the walls of the cave, here as also at the sanctuary of the Nativity, are covered with expensive fabrics, and

most of the silver and gold plated lampadas hang along the main arch and along the sides. The entire cave is five

sagenes (35 feet) in length and one and a half sagenes (about 10 feet) in width.

2The establishment of celebrating the Nativity of Christ on December 25 had great meaning in the

formation of the church calendar. As soon as this feast was established and sanctified then in conformity with

this it received the appropriate place with the other days with the closest connection to the day of the birth of the

Savior such as: March 25, January 1, February 2, September 23 and June 24 (Refer to Lk. 1:36).

3The 12 days after Christmas is called the Christmas season (Sviatkami), i.e. the holy days because they are

consecrated by the great events of the Nativity of Christ and Theophany. Christmas season is a Christian feast, but

mixed into it was much that was pagan inherited from most ancient times. The Slavs from of old had during the time

of the Christmas season a custom to masquerade, to put on masks "of a wedding", "of a chicken", "to play a goat", to

honor the "toro" (bull), to tell fortunes (on beans, tin molding, on little twigs, eavesdropping, etc.) and bird magic, to

arrange skating and dances, to light fires, etc. With the spread of Christianity in Russia all these pagan rites, customs

and amusements did not lose all their power, having become complicated with new formations on a Christian basis.

And at the present time the masquerading, fortune-telling and other so called Christmas seasonal pastimes and

entertainment continue to exist. But these Christmas season “Holy” days with references inappropriate to their

holiness are why they must be rooted out.

Already Tertullian is armed against wearing masks. The blessed Augustine condemned masquerading and

the custom "cervum facere", probably, something like "to play a goat" in Little Russia. The Rudder (according to the

list of the 13th century) forbids comic masks ("in masquerade games") and speaking like a goat, saying that the Holy

fathers rule "that men do not clothe themselves in women's apparel, nor women in men's, that they do not create a

Dionysian orgy on feasts, nor may they put on tragic masks, nor shall they assume comic, nor satyric nor tragic

masks, for they are the contrived essence of desecration, singing tremulously for pity's sake and for the lament for

struggling", etc. The Nomocanon published in Kiev at the beginning of the 17th century repeats that "men dressed

like women and women dressed like men, or plat bands as in Latin countries, having become accustomed to evil,

create various masks transforming themselves". At the end of the 17th century, Patriarch Jehoiakim, describing the

Moscow Christmas season (sviatki), is indignant that "men, women and maidens go along the streets, adding foul

language to many demonic songs and dancing with prodigal impurity, transforming themselves into creatures

dissimilar to God, adapting the human image to demonic and idolatrous figures, tragic and other demonic

contrivances by putting on made-up images, seducing Orthodox Christians with dancing and other contrivances". In

the vault of present laws (Ustav o pred. i presech. prest. st. 30-31, izd. 1876) it is forbidden "on the eve of the

Nativity of Christ and during the continuation of the Christmas season (Sviatok) to participate in the ancient

idolatrous traditional games and to put on idolatrous clothing to do impious dances on the streets and to sing

seductive songs". As to fortune telling our Church has for long time been strictly concerned about them and

rigorously forbade them among Christians. In like manner, the 61st Canon of the 6th Ecumenical Council states:

"Those who turn to wizards or other similar soothsayers so that they may learn from them what they wish them to

reveal, let all such, agreeing with the decrees lately made by the Fathers concerning them, be subjected to the canon

of a six-year penance. And those who tell fortunes about happiness, about fate, but equally also to the so called

enchanters, makers of safety amulets and sorcerers should also be subjected to this same penalty. Those who persist

in these things and do not turn away from such fatal and pagan fictions, we are determined to completely expel from

the Church as the sacred canons command". The contemporary Christmas seasonal fortune-telling although is

sometimes begun as a joke, but almost always is terminated with great harm for the soul. Let alone the impossibility

to know the future by means of ridiculous fortune telling, it must have the view that the future is not useful for us as

active knowledge. If the so-called happy events in our life were known to us earlier, then they would be customary

for us and would not serve our joy and our happiness. Of course similarly the one who would obviously know what

the future would be would not labor, that this or that is certainly necessary for him in the future, and without labor

he would become lazy and would be the most unfortunate being, but those, who would know that in the future they

would be threatened with any kind of greatest misfortune would be even more unfortunate. Wherefore not knowing

coming troubles, we only suffer from the misfortune which reaches us, but knowing, we also suffer affliction from

the expectation of misfortune. God, according to His wise Providence, has hidden the future from us. It means that

anyone who fearlessly tries to open the curtain of the future wants to go against God, and instead of a strong faith in

the power of God to believe in the power of the creature as if this creature somehow can reveal the future to us. The

Lord most wisely also arranged for our blessing so that He hides the future from us. Therefore it follows that he who

tries to determine his future, it is as though he recognizes himself as wiser than God and according to his

understanding recognizing himself as more useful than the all-wise Providence of God, is fatal for that person. The

true Christian should always firmly remember that only in hope in God, in deep fidelity and humility to His Holy

will is our hope, our power and our happiness and that fortune telling postpones the mercy and help of God for us,

but that the use of fortune telling during the holy days established for the glorification of the Savior Who was born,

there is a defilement of the holiness of these days, worthy of the penalties of God. The holiness of these days is

broken and with every kinds of other unchristian indecent noisy, loose amusements and entertainments, which are

scheduled for us during the Christmas season and which have in view to make these days pleasant and cheerful.

"The spirit of Christ," according to the remarks of Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow, "is not the enemy of

legislative joy"; the soul exhausted by the noise of vanity rests in innocent games and entertainment, and eating

supports the feeling of friendship among people. From the Christian point of view, games and entertainment which

do not break the purity of ideas, feelings and words, do not offend hearing and the eyes and do not debase human

worth, are permitted. But it is necessary to remember firmly, that "where there is effeminacy and luxury," as St.

John Chrysostom teaches, "where there is drinking and all kinds of entertainment, there nothing is difficult and

everything is shaky, changeable. Listen to this, whoever likes to watch indecent dancing will destroy his

conscience". During the "holy days" one should more strenuously try not to distract the mind and heart from holy

thoughts, feelings and actions; and this obliges everyone to eliminate the self from all noisy turbulent gladness.

Revelry and noisy worldly gladness does not make a feast of Christ joyful and pleasant for us, but calming the soul,

satisfying and making glad the heart is the grace of God bestowed from above only to those who avoid everything

that offends the love of God, that averts the benevolent gaze of the Heavenly Father from us, that dishonors the holy

and venerable name of Christ, that breaks the holiness of the feast. Many efforts and labor on the part of the pastors

of the Church are required in order that the celebration of the Christmas season be given a true-Christian character.

4 In his homily for this feast St. John Chrysostom says: "What the forefathers so strongly aspired, what the

prophets announced beforehand and the righteous ones wished to see, today was accomplished. God was revealed

on earth in the flesh and dwelled among the people. O beloved ones! Let us rejoice and be glad! John leapt in the

womb of his mother when Mary came to Elizabeth; should we not exclaim all the more from internal joy, seeing

today not only Mary, but also our Lord, our Savior? Should we not be filled with greater awesomeness and

amazement, seeing His birth and the greatest mystery of His incarnation, not conceivable for the mind? What

amazement would come to us if the sun left the sky, rotated on the earth, and His rays were distributed to all people?

Really all the inhabitants of the earth would be struck by such a wonder: shouldn't we be no more filled with the

deepest amazement at the major wonder now accomplished that the Sun of truth spreads its rays from our flesh and

lights up our souls?"

5St. Ephraim the Syrian says in his talk on the feast of the Nativity of Christ, "Now a day of mercy is sent

up, that none follows his neighbor with revenge for the offence put to him; the day of joy has come that none will be

guilty of afflictions and sorrows for the other. This is the day, cloudless and clear, that anger, the disturber of peace

and tranquility, will be bridled. This is the day, in which God has descended to sinners, that the righteous will be

shamed is announced to the sinners. This is the day in which the Lord of creation has come to the slaves, in order

that the lord with similar love is not ashamed to condescend to his servants. This is the day, in which the Wealthy

has become impoverished for our sake, that the wealthy will not be ashamed to share his meal with the poor!"

"Come, O blind men and receive the light of eyes! Come, O lame men, receive strong legs! Come, O tongue-tied

and dumb, receive the gift of words! Come all those not possessing hands, receive power in the hands! The Creator

Son has a treasury full of every kind of healing. Flow down, O Lepers, receive cleansing without labor". "And you,

wanderers and strangers, hasten to the great Physician! The Son of the King - the Lord of everything avoids

nobody."

"We shall," teaches St. Gregory the Theologian in his sermon on the day of the Nativity of Christ,

"celebrate not extravagantly, but divinely, not according to the world, but above the world, not as our own feast, but

as the feast belonging to Him Who is ours, or it is better to say, the feast of our Master. We shall not crown the

threshold of our houses, nor arrange dances, nor decorate the streets, nor satiate the eye, nor enchant the ear with

musical pipes, nor enervate the nostrils with perfume, nor defile the taste, nor indulge the touch - these are the short

ways to vice, these are the gates of sin. Let us not be effeminate in clothing, soft and flowing, all whose elegance is

useless, nor in the glittering of gems, nor with the sheen of gold, nor with the tricks of color, resulting in the

suspicion of natural beauty and invented to desecrate the image of God. Let us not be given to speaking like a goat

and to drunkenness, with which as I know, are connected to debauchery and licentiousness (Rom. 13:13). Since the

lessons which evil teachers give are evil, or, it is better to say, harvests from worthless seeds are worthless. Let us

not set up high beds with wooden branches, building luxurious meals for the belly. Let us not appraise the bouquet

of wines, the seasonings of cooks, and the great expense of unguents. Let neither land nor sea offer us a gift of

precious dung - for this is the way I have learned to estimate luxury! Let us not try to surpass each other in

intemperance (all that is excessive and beyond need, in my opinion, is intemperance), especially, when others, who

are made of the same clay and in the same manner with us, are thirsty and suffer need. To the contrary let us leave

all this to the pagans, pagan splendor and pagan celebrations. They call by the name of gods those who are charmed

by dung, but consistently serve their divinity with their belly as evil inventors, sacrificers and venerators of evil

demons. But if we, who venerate the Word, must have pleasure, then let us be pleased in the word and the law of

God, and in the tales about the other, and about the reasons for the actual celebrations in order that our pleasure

would be making to His, and not alien to the One who has called us".

"Venerate the birth, by which you were freed from the chains of your birth; render honor to little

Bethlehem, which had led you back to Paradise; bow down before the crib, through which you, being speechless

was nourished by the Word. Recognize (as Isaiah commands you), as the ox its Owner, and as the ass its Lord's

crib" (Is. 1:3).

"Go with the star, offer gifts with the Magi, gold and frankincense and myrrh, as to a King, and as to God,

and as to the One who died for you. Glorify Him with shepherds, exult with angels and sing with archangels. Let

this celebration be common to the powers in the heavens and on earth. For I am persuaded, that the heavenly

powers are rejoicing and are now celebrating with us, because they love mankind and love God".

"If Christ flees to Egypt, willingly flee with Him. It is good to flee with the persecuted Christ. If He tarries

in Egypt, call Him out of Egypt, by offering Him good worship there. Travel faultlessly through every stage of

growth and powers of Christ. As a disciple of Christ, be cleansed, be circumcised and take away the veil which

covered you since birth".

"Be crowned with thorns, with the severity of life according to God. Put on the purple robe, accept the reed,

and let them mockingly bow down before you while swearing the truth. Finally, willingly be crucified, die and share

burial with Christ that you may rise with Him, and be glorified, and reign, look at and be looked at by the Great

God, the God who is worshipped and glorified in Trinity, Whom let us pray, will be and now is. How is this possible

that our Lord Jesus Christ is revealed to us prisoners of the flesh".

6Almost everywhere among Christian peoples the real feast, as the feast of the birth of the divine Child, is

considered by preference as a feast for children, for whom it has become customary to put up a fir-tree, decorated

with various toys and sweets and in the evening shining with lit candles attached to its branches. It is recognized

that this custom passed to us from Germany where it existed from ancient times. According to the ideas of the

Archpriest J. Debolsky, branches of a fir-tree can serve as an instructive paradigm that our nature in itself, as a

lifeless and a barren branch, that it is only in Christ Jesus, the Source of life, light and joy, can be chilled and bear

spiritual fruit (Gal. 5:22-23).

According to the opinion of others, the fir-tree serves as a symbol of the tree of life, returned to us with the

birth of Christ the Savior; being decorated with lit candles, it serves as a symbol of the spiritual light, enlightening

the world with the coming of Christ, and, by the hanging fruits, it serves as a symbol of the endless kingdom of

grace and of its saving fruits, revealed with the birth of the Savior.

But the famous preacher Archpriest J. N. Polisadov in one of his sermons calls the custom of putting up a

fir-tree for the children "completely ridiculous, purely German or, more precisely speaking, some kind of paganism,

unbecoming to the feast of Christ at all, with pure absurdity ".

According to the opinion of the "Tserkovnyi Vestnik [Church Messenger], it is quite natural, that in grayhaired

antiquity the fir-tree was made an accessory of some kind of pagan festival, but subsequently all the pagan

spirit in the custom has disappeared and gave up its place to other ideas and feelings. In Germany during the past

time all members of the family, peacefully and ritually gathered around the fir-tree, enjoyed reading stories about

the birth of Christ, sang appropriate festal hymns and songs. It was then considered obligatory to distribute gifts to

the children, maids and the poor". The doors of every home were hospitably opened for the hungry and needy.

Grades and ranks were forgotten at this time (see Tserkovnyi Vestnik [Church Messenger] 1893, 52). All this,

certainly, is fully appropriate for the feast of Christ. And in general does not present anything prejudicial in putting

up a fir-tree for children, if this entertainment is so arranged that it has a moral-educational value for them, if their

teachers manage to lead their idea from contemplation of the decorated fir-tree to the Bearer of all blessings, to the

born Christ and to stimulate in their hearts the feeling of awesomeness and gratitude of unspeakable benefactions

for the human family for Him, if fir-tree gifts laying around them serve as an encouragement for them to good

behavior, if it will stimulate in them the feeling of compassion for the needy and their needs to help them and to

share the received gifts, etc. Unfortunately, other teachers are far from all this... Still more sorrowful that frequently

the children's feast of the fir-tree turns to debauchery for adults.

7 "Here comes", says St. Chrysostom about the day of the Nativity of Christ, "the most important feast of

all: whoever will call it the beginning of all feasts will not sin in any way. What is this for the feast? The Nativity of

Christ in the flesh: on this feast they have the beginning and the basis of the day of Theophany and Pascha,

Ascension of the Lord and Pentecost. If Christ was not born in the flesh and were not baptized is why there would be

no feast of Theophany. And that He would not have suffered is why there would be no Pascha. He would not have

sent the Holy Spirit, and that after this there would be no Pentecost. And so from the feast of the Nativity of Christ

comes our feasts, as from the source of various streams".

8 Vainly some, mainly of the young priests, look at this custom as humiliating for the shepherd of the

Church, and are confused that the "glorifying of Christ" is incorporated together with the collecting of voluntary

gifts of the flock for the benefit of the clergy. Being sent "to glorify Christ" at the homes of parishioners, but the

priest should not be confused, but to the contrary rejoice, and to rejoice not with an earthly joy, but in the holy joy

coming from Christ Himself, wherefore, going "with glory" among the homes, the priest is doing his apostolic

mission, his red legs go not to gather alms from parishioners, but to carry the good news about the birth of Jesus -

the one hope of the Christian family to their homes. The priest does not go to the homes of his parishioners to stretch

out his hand, but to extend the blessing with the honorable cross and his priestly blessing to all the homes; not the

poor priest in the home of a parishioner, but the faithful servant of Christ - His wealthy one by grace. Good will gifts

of parishioners to the clergy during the "glorifying" are not humiliating gifts when they are completely natural. Who

grazes the flock and does not drink the milk of the flock? And is it possible to demand that the good feelings of the

parishioners in relation to the clergy not be expressed by an external image? Good will gifts of the flock, first of all,

are not completely alms, but the bread of the Lord, - the Lord Whom you serve and not to wait for the bread from

who knows where, and secondly, these gifts serve as a mightily and spiritually tie between shepherd and flock, for

he must be their father, and they his children. That they compose one family of Christ is why the shepherd, eating

from the gifts of the parishioners, as though he constantly participates with them even in one meal. It is not

necessary to hide from view, that the "glorifying" (as well as in general "going with a relic" on other feasts) is based

on the need deeply rooted in the Orthodox people to bless his dwelling with the presence of the relic and prayers of

the church servers on the day of the feast. And many of the flock are deeply convinced that in the person of the

server of God the Lord their home is worthy of His visitation. Undoubtedly, this devout custom will exist as long as

the Orthodox faith will be in Rus. The goodness of this custom is reflected also in external behavior especially

among the simple Russian people, the peasants, who before the clergy arrive for the glorifying, keep from rough

sensual pleasures usual during the holidays, and after the visitation of the clergy "with glory" to their houses the

religious mood is elevated among them and is carried over into the temple. Serving with the most hopeful guard of

becoming behavior of parishioners during the days of the most high feast, the custom of glorifying together with

them gives a plentiful source of comfort to disabled elders and to small children, the sick and the healthy, who,

because of the range of distances, severity of weather or for the other reasons, had no opportunity to participate in

the spiritual celebration of the feast in the temple. It should be understood by this that the duty of the shepherd of the

Church is to support in every way similar sorts of pious customs, for by doing so it also is a religious nurturing of

the flock that in every way develops pious habits and strengthens pious customs (For details see Tserkovnyi

Vedomosti [Church Messenger] 1892, 51).

S. V. Bulgakov, Handbook for Church Servers, 2nd ed. 1274 pp. (Kharkov, 1900) pp. 473-

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The Circumcision (Obrezanie) of the Lord:

Commemorated on January 1 (January 14 n.s.)

      The Circumcision (Obrezanie) of the Lord: On the eighth day after His Nativity, our Lord Jesus Christ – in accordance with the Old Testament Law, accepted circumcision, which was decreed for all infants of the male gender as a sign of the Covenant of God with the Forefather Abraham and his descendants (Gen. 17: 10-14, Lev. 12: 3). Upon the performing of this ritual the Divine Infant was given the name Jesus, which had been announced by the Archangel Gabriel on the day of the Annunciation (Blagoveschenie) to the MostHoly Virgin Mary (Lk. 1: 31-33, 2: 21). According to the explanation of the fathers of the Church the Lord, the Creator of the Law, accepted circumcision, giving example for people how faithfully the Divine ordinances ought to be fulfilled. The Lord accepted circumcision for this reason – so that later on no one should be in doubt that He was truly Man, rather than merely being the bearer of illusion-seeming flesh as certain heretics (Docetism) happened to teach. In the New Testament (Covenant) the ritual of circumcision gave way to the sacrament of Baptism, which it pre-figured (Col. 2: 11-12). Accounts about the feastday of the Circumcision of the Lord in the Eastern Church continue right up through the IV Century. The Canon of the feast was written by the Monk Stephen Savvaites (Comm. 28 October and 13 July). Together with the Circumcision, accepted by the Lord as a sign of the Covenant of God with mankind, He received also the Name Jesus (Saviour) as the seal of His service – the deed of the Salvation of the world (Mt. 1: 21; Mk. 9: 38-39, 16: 17; Lk. 10: 17; Acts 3: 6, 16; Phil. 2: 9-10). These two events, the Circumcision and Naming, remind Christians that they have entered into a New Covenant (Testament) with God and "are circumcised with a circumcision not done by hand, in putting off the sinful body of the flesh, by the Circumcision of Christ" (Col. 2: 11). The very name "Christian" witnesses to an entrance of mankind into a New Covenant with God.

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Theophany / Bogoyavlenie

Commemorated on January 6 (January 19 n.s.)

      Theophany / Bogoyavlenie denotes the feast whereby through the Baptism of the Lord the MostHoly Trinity has been revealed to the world (Mt. 3: 13-17; Mk. 1: 9-11;  Lk. 3: 21-22). God the Father spoke from Heaven about the Son, the Son was baptised by the holy ForeRunner of the Lord John, and the Holy Spirit descended upon the Son in the form of a Dove. From ancient times this feast was called the Day of Illumination and the Feast of Lights, since that God is Light and has appeared to illumine "those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death" (Mt. 4: 16) and to save through grace the fallen race of mankind.
      In the ancient Church it was the custom to baptise catechumens at the vespers of Theophany, such that Baptism also is revealed as a spiritual illumination of mankind.
      The origin of the feast of Theophany came about in Apostolic times. Mention is made concerning it in the Apostolic Decretals. From the II Century there is preserved the testimony of Sainted Clement of Alexandria concerning the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord and performing the night vigil before this feast.
      In the III Century on the feast of Theophany there is known the dialogue concerning Divine-services between the holy martyr Hyppolitus and Saint Gregory the WonderWorker. In the following centuries – from the IV to IX Century – all the great fathers of the Church – Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostomos, Ambrose of Milan, John Damascene, had their own comments about the feast of Theophany. The monks Joseph the Studite, Theophanes and Byzantios composed much liturgical music for this feastday, which even now  is sung for Divine-services. The Monk John Damascene said, that the Lord was baptised not because He Himself had need for cleansing, but so that "by water to bury human sin", to fulfill the law, to reveal the mystery of the Holy Trinity, and finally, to sanctify "watery nature" and to proffer it to us in the form and example of Baptism.
      On the feastday of the Baptism of Christ, Holy Church asserts our faith in the mystery – most sublime and incomprehensible to human intellect – of the Three Persons of the One God. It teaches us to confess and glorify as equally-honoured the Holy Trinity One-Essence and Undivided. It exposes and collapses the fallacies of the ancient pseudo-teachings, which attempted with reason and by human terms to explain the Creator of the world. The Church shews the necessity of Baptism for believers in Christ, and it inspires for us a sense of deep gratitude for the Illumination and Purification of our sinful nature. The Church teaches that our salvation and cleansing from sin is possible only by the power of the grace of the Holy Spirit, wherefore it is necessary to preserve worthily these gifts of the grace of holy Baptism – keeping clean this priceless garb, about which the feast of the Baptism tells us: "As many as have been baptised into Christ, have put on Christ" (Gal. 3:27).
[Translator Note: literally rendered from Greek "Theophany" means "Manifestation of God", whereas "Epiphany" connotes "Manifest upon"; "Theophany" is the more accurate rendering of Slavonic "Bogoyavlenie".]

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DISCOURSE ON THE DAY OF THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST: St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople

       We shall now say something about the present feast. Many celebrate the feastdays and know their designations, but the cause for which they were established they know not. Thus concerning this, that the present feast is called Theophany – everyone knows; but what this is – Theophany, and whether it be one thing or another, they know not. And this is shameful – every year to celebrate the feastday and not know its reason.
      First of all therefore, it is necessary to say that there is not one Theophany, but two: the one actual, which already has occurred, and the second in future, which will happen with glory at the end of the world. About this one and about the other you will hear today from Paul, who in conversing with Titus, speaks thus about the present: "The grace of God hath revealed itself, having saved all mankind, decreeing, that we reject iniquity and worldly desires, and dwell in the present age in prudence and in righteousness and piety", – and about the future: "awaiting the blessed hope and glorious appearance of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ" (Tit. 2: 11-13). And a prophet speaks thus about this latter: "the sun shalt turn to darkness, and the moon to blood at first, then shalt come the great and illuminating Day of the Lord" (Joel 2:31). Why is not that day, on which the Lord was born, considered Theophany – but rather this day on which He was baptised? This present day it is, on which He was baptised and sanctified the nature of water. Because on this day all, having obtained the waters, do carry it home and keep it all year, since today the waters are sanctified; and an obvious phenomenon occurs: these waters in their essence do not spoil with the passage of time, but obtained today, for one whole year and often for two or three years, they remain unharmed and fresh, and afterwards for a long time do not stop being water, just as that obtained from the fountains.
      Why then is this day called Theophany? Because Christ made Himself known to all – not then when He was born – but then when He was baptised. Until this time He was not known to the people. And that the people did not know Him, Who He was, listen about this to John the Baptist, who says: "Amidst you standeth, Him Whom ye know not of" (Jn. 1:26). And is it surprising that others did not know Him, when even the Baptist did not know Him until that day? "And I, – said he, – knew Him not: but He that did send me to baptise with water, about This One did tell unto me: over Him that shalt see the Spirit descending and abiding upon Him, This One it is Who baptiseth in the Holy Spirit" (Jn. 1:33). Thus from this it is evident, that – there are two Theophanies, and why Christ comes at baptism and on whichever baptism He comes, about this it is necessary to say: it is therefore necessary to know both the one and equally the other. And first it is necessary to speak your love about the latter, so that we might learn about the former. There was a Jewish baptism, which cleansed from bodily impurities, but not to remove sins. Thus, whoever committed adultery, or decided on thievery, or who did some other kind of misdeed, it did not free him from guilt. But whoever touched the bones of the dead, whoever tasted food forbidden by the law, whoever approached from contamination, whoever consorted with lepers – that one washed, and until evening was impure, and then cleansed. "Let one wash his body in pure water – it says in the Scriptures, – and he will be unclean until evening, and then he will be clean" (Lev. 15: 5, 22: 4). This was not truly of sins or impurities, but since the Jews lacked perfection, then God, accomplishing it by means of this greater piety, prepared them by their beginnings for a precise observance of important things.
      Thus, Jewish cleansings did not free from sins, but only from bodily impurities. Not so with ours: it is far more sublime and it manifests a great grace, whereby it sets free from sin, it cleanses the spirit and bestows the gifts of the Spirit. And the baptism of John was far more sublime than the Jewish, but less so than ours: it was like a bridge between both baptisms, leading across itself from the first to the last. Wherefore John did not give guidance for observance of bodily purifications, but together with them he exhorted and advised to be converted from vice to good deeds and to trust in the hope of salvation and the accomplishing of good deeds, rather than in different washings and purifications by water. John did not say: wash your clothes, wash your body, and ye will be pure, but what? – "bear ye fruits worthy of repentance" (Mt. 3: 8). Since it was more than of the Jews, but less than ours: the baptism of John did not impart the Holy Spirit and it did not grant forgiveness by grace: it gave the commandment to repent, but it was powerless to absolve sins. Wherefore John did also say: "I baptise you with water...That One however will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Mt. 3: 11). Obviously, he did not baptise with the Spirit. But what does this mean: "with the Holy Spirit and with fire?" Call to mind that day, on which for the Apostles "there appeared disparate tongues like fire, and sat over each one of them" (Acts 2: 3). And that the baptism of John did not impart the Spirit and remission of sins is evident from the following: Paul "found certain disciples, and said to them: received ye the Holy Spirit since ye have believed? They said to him: but furthermore whether it be of the Holy Spirit, we shall hear. He said to them: into what were ye baptised? They answered: into the baptism of John. Paul then said: John indeed baptised with the baptism of repentance", – repentance, but not remission of sins; for whom did he baptise? "Having proclaimed to the people, that they should believe in the One coming after him, namely, Christ Jesus. Having heard this, they were baptised in the Name of the Lord Jesus: and Paul laying his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them" (Acts 19: 1-6). Do you see, how incomplete was the baptism of John? If the one were not incomplete, would then Paul have baptised them again, and placed his hands on them; having performed also the second, he shew the superiority of the apostolic Baptism and that the baptism of John was far less than his. Thus, from this we recognise the difference of the baptisms.
      Now it is necessary to say, for whom was Christ baptised and by which baptism? Neither the former the Jewish, nor the last – ours. Whence hath He need for remission of sins, how is this possible for Him, Who hath not any sins? "Of sin, – it says in the Scriptures, – worked He not, nor was there deceit found in His mouth" (1 Pet. 2: 22); and further, "who of you convicteth Me of Sin?" (Jn. 8: 46). And His flesh was privy to the Holy Spirit; how might this be possible, when it in the beginning was fashioned by the Holy Spirit? And so, if His flesh was privy to the Holy Spirit, and He was not subject to sins, then for whom was He baptised? But first of all it is necessary for us to recognise, by which baptism He was baptised, and then it will be clear for us. By which baptism indeed was He baptised? – Not the Jewish, nor ours, nor John's. For whom, since thou from thine own aspect of baptism dost perceive, that He was baptised not by reason of sin and not having need of the gift of the Spirit; therefore, as we have demonstrated, this baptism was alien to the one and to the other. Hence it is evident, that He came to Jordan not for the forgiveness of sins and not for receiving the gifts of the Spirit. But so that some from those present then should not think, that He came for repentance like others, listen to how John precluded this. What he then spoke to the others then was: "Bear ye fruits worthy of repentance"; but listen what he said to Him: "I have need to be baptised of Thee, and Thou art come to me?" (Mt. 3: 8, 14). With these words he demonstrated, that Christ came to him not through that need with which people came, and that He was so far from the need to be baptised for this reason, – so much more sublime and perfectly purer than Baptism itself. For whom was He baptised, if this was done not for repentance, nor for the remission of sins, nor for receiving the gifts of the Spirit? Through the other two reasons, of which about the one the disciple speaks, and about the other He Himself spoke to John. Which reason of this baptism did John declare? Namely, that Christ should become known to the people, as Paul also mentions: "John therefore baptised with the baptism of repentance, so that through him they should believe on Him that cometh" (Acts 19: 4); this was the consequence of the baptism. If John had gone to the home of each and, standing at the door, had spoken out for Christ and said: "He is the Son of God", such a testimony would have been suspicious, and this deed would have been extremely perplexing. So too, if he in advocating Christ had gone into the synagogues and witnessed to Him, this testimony of his might be suspiciously fabricated. But when all the people thronged out from all the cities to Jordan and remained on the banks of the river, and when He Himself came to be baptised and received the testimony of the Father by a voice from above and by the coming-upon of the Spirit in the form of a dove, then the testimony of John about Him was made beyond all questioning. And since he said: "and I knew Him not" (Jn. 1: 31), his testimony put forth is trustworthy. They were kindred after the flesh between themselves "wherefore Elizabeth, thy kinswoman, hath also conceived a son" – said the Angel to Mary about the mother of John (Lk. 1: 36); if however the mothers were relatives, then obviously so also were the children. Thus, since they were kinsmen, – in order that it should not seem that John would testify concerning Christ because of kinship, the grace of the Spirit organised it such, that John spent all his early years in the wilderness, so that it should not seem that John had declared his testimony out of friendship or some similar reason. But John, as he was instructed of God, thus also announced about Him, wherein also he did say: "and I knew Him not". From whence didst thou find out? "He having sent me that sayeth to baptise with water, That One did tell me" What did He tell thee? "Over Him thou shalt see the Spirit descending, like to a dove, and abiding over Him, That One is baptised by the Holy Spirit" (Jn. 1: 32-33). Dost thou see, that the Holy Spirit did not descend as in a first time then coming down upon Him, but in order to point out that preached by His inspiration – as though by a finger, it pointed Him out to all. For this reason He came to baptism.
      And there is a second reason, about which He Himself spoke – what exactly is it? When John said: "I have need to be baptised of Thee, and Thou art come to me?" – He answered thus: "stay now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill every righteousness" (Mt. 3: 14-15). Dost thou see the meekness of the servant? Dost thou see the humility of the Master? What does He mean: "to fulfill every righteousness?" By righteousness is meant the fulfillment of all the commandments, as is said: "both were righteous, walking faultlessly in the commandments of the Lord" (Lk. 1: 6). Since fulfilling this righteousness was necessary for all people – but no one of them kept it or fulfilled it – Christ came then and fulfilled this righteousness.
      And what righteousness is there, someone will say, in being baptised? Obedience for a prophet was righteous. As Christ was circumcised, offered sacrifice, kept the sabbath and observed the Jewish feasts, so also He added this remaining thing, that He was obedient to having been baptised by a prophet. It was the will of God then, that all should be baptised – about which listen, as John speaks: "He having sent me to baptise with water" (Jn. 1: 33); so also Christ: "the publicans and the people do justify God, having been baptised with the baptism of John; the pharisees and the lawyers reject the counsel of God concerning themselves, not having been baptised by him" (Lk. 7: 29-30). Thus, if obedience to God constitutes righteousness, and God sent John to baptise the nation, then Christ has also fulfilled this along with all the other commandments.
      Consider, that the commandments of the law is the main point of the two denarii: this – debt, which our race has needed to pay; but we did not pay it, and we, falling under such an accusation, are embraced by death. Christ came, and finding us afflicted by it, – He paid the debt, fulfilled the necessary and seized from it those, who were not able to pay. Wherefore He does not say: "it is necessary for us to do this or that", but rather "to fulfill every righteousness". "It is for Me, being the Master, – says He, – proper to make payment for the needy". Such was the reason for His baptism – wherefore they should see, that He had fulfilled all the law – both this reason and also that, about which was spoken of before. Wherefore also the Spirit did descend as a dove: because where there is reconciliation with God – there also is the dove. So also in the ark of Noah the dove did bring the branch of olive – a sign of God's love of mankind and of the cessation of the flood. And now in the form of a dove, and not in a body – this particularly deserves to be noted – the Spirit descended, announcing the universal mercy of God and showing with it, that the spiritual man needs to be gentle, simple and innocent, as Christ also says: "Except ye be converted and become as children, ye shalt not enter into the Heavenly Kingdom" (Mt. 18: 3). But that ark, after the cessation of the flood, remained upon the earth; this ark, after the cessation of wrath, is taken to heaven, and now this Immaculate and Imperishable Body is situated at the right hand of the Father.
      Having made mention about the Body of the Lord, I shall also say a little about this, and then the conclusion of the talk. Many now will approach the Holy Table on the occasion of the feast. But some approach not with trembling, but shoving, hitting others, blazing with anger, shouting, cursing, roughing it up with their fellows with great confusion. What, tell me, art thou troubled by, my fellow? What disturbeth thee? Do urgent affairs, for certain, summon thee? At this hour art thou particularly aware, that these affairs of thine that thou particularly rememberest, that thou art situated upon the earth, and dost thou think to mix about with people? But is it not with a soul of stone naturally to think, that in such a time thou stand upon the earth, and not exult with the Angels with whom to raise up victorious song to God? For this Christ also did describe us with eagles, saying: "where the corpse is, there are the eagles gathered" (Mt. 24: 28) – so that we might have risen to heaven and soared to the heights, having ascended on the wings of the spirit; but we, like snakes, crawl upon the earth and eat dirt. Having been invited to supper, thou, although satiated before others, would not dare to leave before others while others are still reclining. But here, when the sacred doings are going on, thou at the very middle would pass by everything and leave? Is it for a worthy excuse? What excuse might it be? Judas, having communed that last evening on that final night, left hastily then as all the others were still reclining. Here these also are in imitation of him, who leave before the final blessing! If he had not gone, then he would not have made the betrayal; if he did not leave his co-disciples, then he would not have perished; if he had not removed himself from the flock, then the wolf would not have seized and devoured him alone; if he had separated himself from the Pastor, then he would not have made himself the prey of wild beasts. Wherefore he (Judas) was with the Jews, and those (the apostles) went out with the Lord. Dost thou see, by what manner the final prayer after the offering of the sacrifice is accomplished? We should, beloved, stand forth for this, we should ponder this, fearful of the coming judgement for this. We should approach the Holy Sacrifice with great decorum, with proper piety, so as to merit us more of God's benevolence, to cleanse one's soul and to receive eternal blessings, of which may we all be worthy by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to with Whom the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, and worship now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.


 
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