Category: Feasts Of the Savior

NB:The barren desert will bear many children.

The great power of the holy services of the church and especially the deeply theological and devotional content of matins is that it presents the important dogmas of our faith in startling and understandable ways. In every matins service, there is something that is too beautiful for words, and yet, the words being sung warm the soul and comfort it.

This sticheron above contains such words. A dogma of our faith is that Christ came so that human nature could change, be renewed, become holy. We know this (or should know this – many Christians do not understand this dogma), but in order for it to be completely active in us, we must experience it.

Here, the bearing of many children is used …

Nativity Epistle of Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America

  Christ Is Born! Glorify Him! No sooner was our Lord Jesus Christ born in Bethlehem, joining us under the most contradictory of circumstances, that His persecution began. Upon receiving the news of the Messiah’s Nativity from the three Wise Kings, the most wicked King Herod, in a fit of rage, sent his soldiers to… Continue reading Nativity Epistle of Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America

Nativity Epistle of Bishop John of Caracas and South America

  Brothers and sisters, beloved children in Christ, my dear Christians, yet again we are able to celebrate the radiant feast of the Lord’s incarnation, to honour this divine event, when the pre-eternal Son of God descended upon this earth and became man, so as to lift up fallen humanity and raise it from the… Continue reading Nativity Epistle of Bishop John of Caracas and South America

Ambvon Prayer on the Feast of the Nativity of the Savior

Ambvon Prayer on the Feast of the Nativity of the Savior, translated by Bishop Jerome.

O Master, Christ our God, Who from before all ages didst shine forth from the Father [Greek: “from Thine unoriginate Father”] without passion, and in the latter days wast ineffably incarnate and born of the most holy Virgin;

Who for our sakes wast made poor, that by Thy poverty we might be enriched; …

Nativity Epistle of Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany 2010

Christ is born, glorify Him! And the Word was made flesh (John 1:14) The Mystery of the Incarnation of the Word of God is beyond comprehension to the feeble intellect of mankind. Exactly how this was manifested is unknown even to the angels, archangels and other heavenly bodiless powers. The Holy Fathers say that for… Continue reading Nativity Epistle of Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany 2010

Nativity Epistle of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad

  Archpastors and brethren, most honorable fathers, and all Orthodox children of the Russian Diaspora, beloved in the Lord!  I congratulate you with all my heart on the all-glorious and divinely salvific feast of the Nativity of Christ and the impending New Year!  Each year the feast of the Nativity of Christ enters into our… Continue reading Nativity Epistle of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad

Christ is born to raise up the image that fell of old!

Christ is born //to raise up the image that fell of old! This is a portion of the Troparion of the Forefeast, sung in the Royal Hours for Nativity.

The beautiful troparion of the Forefeast of Nativity sums up succinctly the purpose of the incarnation of the God-Man, Jesus Christ. One may say, it contains in full our “theology of redemption”. Jesus Christ became man so that our image, which “fell of old” due to the sin of Adam and Eve, and the subsequent weakening of the human race might be “raised”. He did not come to “purchase” our forgiveness by dying on the cross His primary mission was not to obtain forgiveness for us! …

BTW: you can hear this troparion in the flesh at the Royal Hours (followed by liturgy), in our old Dallas location, starting at 8am Dec 24/ Jan 6 2010! If you cannot make it, the Vigil for the Nativity is at 7 pm Wednesday, with Nativity Liturgy at 10 AM Thursday.

NB: Interpreting the Nativity Icon.

Ikons are not only “Windows to Heaven” – they also tell a story, if one understands the symbolism. A few things about the Nativity Ikon: …

“NB” is shorthand for “nota bene” ,which is Latin for “Note well”. These shorter posts are meant to be “noted well” more often because they are briefer than the usual blog posts. I have “noted well” that many of my flock does do not read the longer posts. I have a lot of stuff to tell you, so there will still be longer posts, but I also plan to post shorter “snippets” which will have “NB:” in the title.