“Today Christ is born of the Virgin in Bethlehem.
Today, He who knows no beginning now begins to be,
and the Logos is made flesh.”
(Orthros hymn of the Feast of the Nativity)
The simplicity of the Nativity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ reveals the depth God’s love and the
mystery of His actions in our life. As we celebrate Christmas anew this year, once again the Panagia and Saint Joseph,the shepherds and wise men, the angels and animals direct our attention to our Lord. He who is truly the “way,the truth and the life” (John 14:1) who reveals Himself in the humble circumstances of a cave in Bethlehem. All time is centered upon His coming. All of creation surrounds
Him who fashioned the creation!
The story of the birth of Christ is a vivid reminder of the depth of God’s love for us. He loves us so much
that He has entered into life is this world in the person of Jesus Christ. The infinite God mysteriously accepted the limitations of our humanity. It was not enough for God to act through signs and wonders of the physical world. It was not enough for God to guide us through the prophets
and teachers of old. No, this was not enough for our God.
To express His boundless love for us, the Living God appeared among us in the person of Christ our Lord. By
fully identifying Himself with us, our Lord has come to teach us, to heal us and to leads us back to the Father. He
has come to remind us that we are the Father’s precious sons and daughters. As Saint John the Evangelist says:
“God so loved the world that He sent His only Begotten Son so that all who believe in Him will not be lost but
will have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Many years before the Beatitudes were taught and many years before His glorious Resurrection, our Lord
revealed God’s love for us through the simple events of His birth. The Lord of Glory demonstrated His love for us simply by entering into our life and by sharing in all that is truly
human. Saint Basil the Great reminds us of this saying: “Every act and every word of our Saviour is a guide for holiness and virtue.
For this reason He became human, so
that in images He may depict both holiness and virtue for us…For this reason He bears a body so that we may imitate His life” (Ascetical Principles, 1).
Through His Nativity in Bethlehem,
our Lord reveals to us the breath and depth of God’s love for us. Whether we see Him as the child in Bethlehem, the teacher in Galilee or the Risen Lord in Jerusalem; our Lord is truly the greatest gift of the Father ‘for us
and for our salvation.’
The story of Christ’s Nativity speaks
to us about the mysterious ways of God. The Triune God acts in ways that we do not always expect. His ways are truly wonderfilled.
For centuries, the ancient Israelites
had expected the Messiah. The prophets, especially Isaiah and Jeremiah, called the people to readiness and openness of God’s actions. Their message provided the people with indications about the coming Messiah.
Yet, when “the fullness of time had
come” (Galatians 4:4), the Messiah did not arrive as a conquering hero in a golden chariot with pomp and splendor. He was not robed in expensive clothing. He did not appear
in the capital city. Throngs of adoring
followers did not accompany Him.
When the Messiah finally arrived, He
came first as a baby. He was born to a young girl – a virginal born! The event occurred in the simply village of Bethlehem. He was sheltered in a place reserved for animals because
the inn was full. There, in such simple
circumstances, “the Logos became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth…” (John 1:14). This is the mysterious way of God!
Through the Christmas story, our Lord reveals that God acts in ways that we do not always expect. We cannot shape the mighty acts of God to our limited understanding.
The Triune God is greater than our limited perceptions of Him. He acts in mysterious and wondrous ways to draw us to Him and to one another in love.
The persons who are involved in the story of Christ’s birth were all quite different. The Panagia and Saint Joseph were humble travelers seeking a place of shelter. The shepherds were simple men of the land tending their flocks. The wise men were wealthy and aristocratic foreigners wandering in a strange land. Yet, each of them shared a common characteristic. They opened
their hearts to the actions of the Lord who mysteriously led them to the village of Bethlehem. Each of them allowed God to act in their lives. The Panagia and Saint Joseph were willing to change their whole life to nurture
and protect the Christ-Child. The shepherds were willing to hear the words of the angels. The wise men were willing to follow the star. We remember them to this day because
they opened their hearts and trusted in the Lord.
Through His Nativity in Bethlehem, our Lord reveals that we too must open our hearts to His presence and actions. God wants us to share in His work of reconciliation.
Like the participations in the first Christmas,we too are called to be persons whose hearts are opened
to the divine presence and actions.
The story of the Nativity of our Lord and its significance is often clouded by the commercialism of the season. There is a very frenzied pace to these days which can so easily depersonalize us and dampen the true joy of
the season. The stores tempt us for weeks on end to buy this thing or buy that thing. Some of us prefer to speak of the ‘Holiday Season’ rather than of Christmas. Many schools have forbidden the remembrance of Christ’s Nativity
in the classroom. Yes, throughout our society,many fail to remember that the coming of Christ is truly at the heart of the Christmas celebrations.
What can we do? Let us remember that the season celebrates the love of God revealed in the coming of
Christ. For those with true faith, the colored lights, the green trees, the wreaths and the flowers are the symbols
of the joy of Christmas. Let us celebrate the joy of Christ’s coming! Let us share the love of God with others.
Christ has come to bear witness of the Father’s love for us. We too can share this love with others, especially with the poor and less fortunate among us. We can be sensitive to those who cannot easily celebrate because of a loss in their lives. Let us be the
ambassadors of God who shares His care
and philanthropy. Let us seek the Lord
with an open heart as the shepherds and
wise men did. This means that we find opportunities for prayer and meditation, for reading the Holy Scriptures related to Christ’s coming. This means that we can make Christmas a special holy day by participating
in the Divine Liturgy and by receiving
Holy Communion with reverence
of God, with faith and with love.
Wishing you all a very merry
Christmas and praying that the abundant
blessings of the Incarnate God fill your hearts and homes,

+Fr. Panagiotis Papanikolaou, ANNUNCIATION, Pensacola, FL

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Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Atlanta
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Atlanta, GA 30329

Phone: 404-634-9345
Fax: 404-634-2471
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Email: kpowers@atlmetropolis.org

Proistamenos: His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios
Email: patras@atlmetropolis.org