“I behold a wonderful and most glorious mystery: the cave is a heaven; the Virgin the Throne of the Cherubim; the manger – the place where the uncontainable Christ God was born; let us extol Him, singing praises to him.”(Canon of Christmas)
The greatest and most profound mystery of the Christian faith is the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God. The eternal God becomes a little infant and does not cease to be God. “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us,” says St. John the Evangelist (1,14). “The eternal God is born” we sing in our Ukrainian Christmas Carol. Christ’s nativity is the cradle of our faith. Only faith is able to accept this unfathomable mystery, understand it, and adore it.
In the first centuries, the holy Fathers of the Eastern Church accepted the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word of God with profound faith and great piety. Enraptured by this mystery, they have nothing but words of wonder for the most wonderful love of God, the sacrifice, humility, and poverty of the newly-born Messiah and Saviour. Moreover, from their lips come exclamations of heavenly joy that the time of salvation has come.
Like the holy Fathers, in her Christmas celebrations our Church also joyfully praises and glorifies the mystery of the birth of the divine Infant. For the strengthening of our faith and a better understanding of this mystery, we shall cite here portions from the Christmas sermons of the holy Fathers and from our Nativity services. Here we will direct our special at- attention to the greatness, majesty, and significance of Christ’s Nativity for the salvation of the human race.
The Majesty and Significance of the Nativity of Our Lord
The holy Fathers first direct their special attention to the greatness of the mystery of the Nativity. In his Christmas sermon St. Basil the Great (†379) teaches us how to receive the mystery of the Incarnation: “The actual, first nativity of Christ, his eternal birth from all eternity in the bosom of His Father, must be venerated in silence. We should not even permit our minds to investigate this mystery. Since time and space did not yet exist, since no form of expressions had yet been created, and since there is not a single eye witness, nor anyone who could describe this eternal birth, how can reason form any concept for reflection? How can the tongue give expression to thoughts that cannot be formulated? The Father was, and the Son was born! Do not say: “when?” but rather, leave that question unasked. Do not ask: “How?” for there is no answer! For the word “when” suggests time, and “how” suggests birth in the flesh… God is on earth, He is among men, not in fire nor amid the sound of trumpets; not on the smoking mountain, or in darkness, or in the terrible and roaring tempest giving the law, but manifested in the flesh, the gentle and good One dwells with those he condescends to make his equals. God is in the flesh, not operating from a distance, as did the prophets, but through his human nature, one with ours, he seeks to bring back all mankind to himself.”
St. Gregory the Theologian (+390) in his word on the Nativity of Christ wonders at the mystery of the Incarnation: “The Word of God Itself, eternal, invisible, incomprehensible, incorporeal, the beginning of the beginning, light of light, the source of life and immortality, a reflection of the original beauty, an irremovable seal, an unchangeable image, decree and Word of God assuming his form, bearing a body for the sake of the body, uniting himself to a rational soul for the sake of my soul, purifying all being, the Uncreated One is created; the Uncontainable One is contained by means of a rational soul, which is the intermediary link between God and the earthly body.”
St. John Chrysostom (†407) in one of his Christmas sermons extols the mystery of the Nativity of Christ in these words: “I see an extraordinary and wonderful mystery: the shepherds fill my ears with sound, singing not a song of the desert but a heavenly hymn. The angels sing, the archangels praise, the Cherubim implore, the Seraphim extol, all celebrate, seeing God on earth and man in heaven; the high- below, according to his plan; and the low – on high, according to the love of God toward man. Today Bethlehem became heaven. Instead of stars, it received the singing angels, and in- instead of the sun it contained the unspeakable Sun of truth. Do not ask how this can be, for whenever God wills, the order of nature yields…That the Virgin gave birth to him, that I know, and that God gave birth to him in time, that I believe, but the manner of giving birth I learned to reverence in silence…” (Works, Vol. 6, p. 692)
In another Christmas sermon, he says: “Is there anything that could equal this Feast? God on earth, and man in heaven, the angels serve man, man associates with the angels and other heavenly Powers; the demons flee, death is conquered, paradise is opened, the curse is taken away, sin has disappeared, offenses are banished, truth comes to earth. Nature, against which the Cherubim guarded paradise, today is united with God.” (Works, Vol. 12, p. 787)
St. Athanasius the Great (+373) in his word on the Nativity of Christ says: “Even the hovel in which the Virgin gave birth, assumes the appearance of a church where the manger – is the prothesis; Joseph the celebrant; the shepherds – the deacons; the angels the priests; the Lord – the bishop; the Virgin the altar; the mother’s breasts chalices; the vestments the incarnation; the Cherubim the ripidions; the Holy Spirit – the discos; and the discos veil – the Father.”
St. Ephrem the Syrian (+373) sang praises to the Incarnation in very beautiful, deeply dogmatic Christmas hymns: “It was a pure night,” he says, “during which the Pure One ap- appeared, to purify us. Let nothing become mingled with our sentiments, lest they be polluted.” (Hymn I, 82) “The day of your Nativity joined heaven and earth, for on this day the most High came to earthlings.” (Hymn IV, 14) “The Most High became a child but in him there was hidden a treasure of wisdom.” (Hymn IV, 148) “The Most High was nourished by the milk of Mary, while all creatures were being nourished by his riches.” (Hymn IV, 149)
In the Vespers service of the feast we sing in the sticheras of Lytiya: “Heaven and earth are united today because Christ is born. Today God came to earth and man ascended into heaven. Today, he who is invisible by nature became visible in the flesh for man’s sake; hence, glorifying him, we cry: “Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to men of good will…” The sticheras at the Aposticha of Vespers says: “A great and most glorious miracle took place today: A Virgin gives birth and the womb remains intact. The Word becomes incarnate but does not separate himself from the Father; the angels together with the shepherds sing praises, and we, too, together with them sing: “Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth.”
Characteristic Traits of the Incarnation
The other aspects of the Incarnation of the Son of God that the holy Fathers admired were sacrifice, humility and poverty: “And this shall be a sign to you,” said the angels to the shepherds, “you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2,12) These virtues will shine forth throughout his entire life; they will accompany him to the cross and to his grave.
In his Christmas sermon, St. Athanasius exclaims: “Who will not speak out, who will not wonder at the Lord’s coming? In heaven he is a freeman, on earth he is a hireling; above he is rich, below he is poor. In heaven he is the divine Throne, on earth he is in the cave; in heaven he is in the unfathomable bosom of the Father, on earth he is in the small soulless shelter and manger. Who will not express wonder at the great things above and the small swaddling clothes below! He who loosens is bound; he who nourishes is nourished. The incomprehensible appears as a child. He who makes fountains gush forth is nourished from the Virgin’s breasts. He who carries all creation, is unspeakably carried. The all-present One is ineffably limited. O Wonder! What most glorious truths!” (Prologue)
St. John Chrysostom, pondering the manner of the Incarnation of the Son of God, says: “I see the carpenter and the manger, the child and the swaddling clothes, a birth of a Virgin deprived of all that is necessary; all is poverty; all is destitution. Do you not see the riches in that great poverty? How he who is rich became poor for our sake? How he had no bed, but was laid on a bare manger? O poverty! You are the source of riches! O immeasurable riches, which appear as poverty!” (Works, Vol. 6, p. 698)
St. Ephrem the Syrian summons us to imitate Christ’s humility and love: “Today, when God has come to sinners, let not the righteous raise himself above the sinners. Today, the Lord of the universe has come to his servants, let also the master condescend to his servants in love. Today when the Rich One became poor for our sakes, let also the rich invite the poor to his table.” (Hymn 1, 92-94)
The Mystery of the Incarnation Source of Heavenly Joy
A heavenly and angelic joy is the third characteristic that radiates from the Christmas sermons of the Holy Fathers and our Christmas liturgy.
St. John Chrysostom begins his first Christmas sermon with words of unspeakable joy and enthusiasm: “What the forefathers longed for, what the prophets predicted and what the righteous long to see, today came to pass and was fulfilled: God appeared on earth and dwelt among men. Therefore, my beloved, let us be glad and rejoice.” And in another Nativity sermon he expresses his joy: “And so, seeing all rejoicing, I too, want to rejoice and celebrate. But I rejoice without playing on the zither, without moving a violin bow, without a flute in my hands; I do not even light a torch, but instead of musical instruments I accept the swaddling clothes of Christ. They are for me – hope; they are for me – life; for me they are – salvation; they are for me – the flute; they are for me – the zither.” (Works, Vol. 6, p. 698).
St. Gregory the Theologian, calling all to rejoice, says: “Christ has come in the flesh, rejoice with trembling and joy with trembling because of sin – with joy, because of hope… Who will not adore the Eternal? Who will not praise the Last? Again darkness is dispersed, and again light appears… For I am sure that the heavenly Powers rejoice and celebrate today with us, because they are full of love for man and for God.”
Our Christmas services are full of joyful and happy tones. In the Vespers service at Lytiya we sing: “Angels rejoice in heaven and people exult today, and all creatures leap with joy, because of the birth of the Lord Saviour in Bethlehem; for all deceit of idolatry has ceased and Christ reigns forever.” In the sticheras at the Praises in Matins services we sing: “O just ones, be happy; O heavens, rejoice; you mountains, leap for joy because Christ is born. Like the Cherubim, the Virgin makes a throne, carrying in her womb the Incarnate Word of God. Shepherds are gazing upon him who is born; the Magi are offering gifts to the Master. The angels are singing praises, saying: O Incomprehensible Lord, glory to you.”
The holy Fathers and authors of our Christmas services not only admire and extol the mystery of the Incarnation, but also summon us to give worship to Christ and bring him the gifts of our faith and love, together with the Most Holy Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, the angels, the shepherds and the Wise Men.
St. Gregory the Theologian in the above-mentioned Christmas sermon calls to us: “Adore the Nativity through which you are freed of the chains of birth. Give honor to little Bethlehem which again led you to paradise. Kneel before the manger through which, being foolish, you were given life by the Word…follow the star, bring with the Wise Men gifts: gold, incense and myrrh, as to a King, as to God, and as to the one who died for you. Bring glory with the shepherds, rejoice with the angels, sing praises with the archangels, so that a common celebration of the heavenly and earthly Powers may be formed.”
In the Vespers service of the feast, in extolling the Divine Child, we sing: “O Christ, what shall we offer you for your coming on earth as man for our sake? Every creature that has its being from you gives thanks to you: the angels offer hymns of praise, the heavens give a star; the Magi present their gifts and the shepherds, their wonder; the earth provides a cave and the desert a manger. As for us, we offer a Virgin Mother, O God, You who are from all eternity, have mercy on us.”