Christmas Archives - Page 22 of 27

Thirtieth Day of Christmas Advent, Meditation: You Shall Call His Name Jesus

12/14/2015

Meditation: You Shall Call His Name Jesus The Gospel of Matthew begins with a long list of Hebrew names that give the family tree of Jesus on the human side. As we read these names some two thousand years of history pass in review. At the end of the list we find the name above every name, the name of Jesus. The procession passes through the centuries and comes to rest at Bethlehem. “Joseph, son

Eighteenth Day of Christmas Advent, Journey to Bethlehem, Part III

12/02/2015

By Father John Parker The Angels are rejoicing and proclaiming the Good News. The Magi, journeying from afar, bear their gifts foreshadowing the divinity, sovereignty, and humanity of Christ. The shepherds, the first Jews to believe, explain what they have seen and heard, leading others, too, to wonder! As we make our way, as if in a spiral towards the center of Rublev’s Nativity, we are greeted by a strange pair. A couple we wouldn’t

Sixth Day of Christmas Advent, Christmas is Already Easter

11/20/2015

In Jesus, God achieved the perfect synthesis of the divine and the human. The incarnation of Jesus demonstrates that God meets us where we are as humans. God freely and fully overcomes the gap from God’s side. The problem of redemption is already resolved once and for all, long before its dramatic illustration on the cross. Bethlehem already revealed that it was good to be a human being. For the Christian, spiritual power is always

The Ninth Day of Christmas: The Angel of Great Counsel and the Fiery Furnace

01/02/2015

As the God of peace and Father of mercies, You sent to us Your Angel, of Great Counsel, granting us peace. So are we guided to the light of divine knowledge, and keeping vigil from night till morning we glorify You, O Lover of mankind. (Fifth Ode of the Katavasia of the Nativity) THE PREINCARNATE CHRIST is usually referred to in the Old Testament as the Angel of the Lord or as the Angel of

Eighth Day of Christmas: Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia

01/01/2015

Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, “belongs not to the Church of Caesarea alone, nor merely to his own time, nor was he of benefit only to his own kinsmen, but rather to all lands and cities worldwide, and to all people he brought and still brings benefit, and for Christians he always was and will be a most salvific teacher.” Thus spoke St Basil’s contemporary, St Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium. St

The Seventh Day of Christmas: Recognizing God

12/31/2014

Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed time, as do the turtledove and the swallow of the field. The sparrows watch for the times of their coming. But my people do not know the judgments of the Lord. (Jeremiah 8:7) ANOTHER COMMON IMAGE in icons of the Nativity is that of the ox and the donkey. Where does the idea that there were animals at the Nativity come from? There is no mention

The Sixth Day of Christmas: The Star of Bethlehem

12/30/2014

Balaam laid before us precisely the meaning of the words he spoke in prophecy, when he said that a star would dawn, a star that quenches all prophecies and auguries; a star which resolves the parables of the wise, and their sayings and their riddles, a star far more brilliant than the star which, has appeared, for He is the Maker of all the stars, of whom it was written of old: “From Jacob there

The Fifth Day of Christmas: Light Shines in the Darkness (Feast Day of the Holy Innocents)

12/29/2014

Your Nativity, O Christ our God, made the light of knowledge dawn on the world. For through it those who worshipped the stars were taught by a star to worship You, the Sun of righteousness, and to know You, the Dawn from on high. O Lord, glory to You! (Apolytikion of the Nativity) THE SEASON OF CHRISTMAS is a feast of light and joy, since we celebrate the coming of “the true Light which gives

The Second Day of Christmas: The Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos and Hieromartyr Euthymios, Bishop of Sardis

12/26/2014

The Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos: On the second day of the feast, the Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos is celebrated. Combining the hymns of the Nativity with those celebrating the Mother of God, the Church points to Mary as the one through whom the Incarnation was made possible. His humanity—concretely and historically—is the humanity He received from Mary. His body is, first of all, her body. His life is her life. This

The Fortieth Day of Christmas Advent (Eve of Christmas): From the Manger to the Grave

12/24/2014

THE CHURCH TEACHES US the theology of the Scriptures not only with hymns, but also with images. Iconography is one of the “languages” into which Scripture is translated. Thus many of our icons also contain allusions and references to Old and New Testaments. Of particular interest is the icon of the Nativity. We have touched upon a comparison between the birth and the burial of Christ in the katavasia concerning Jonah. This comparison is made

Tags

Thirtieth Day of Christmas Advent, Meditation: You Shall Call His Name Jesus

Eighteenth Day of Christmas Advent, Journey to Bethlehem, Part III

Sixth Day of Christmas Advent, Christmas is Already Easter

The Ninth Day of Christmas: The Angel of Great Counsel and the Fiery Furnace

Eighth Day of Christmas: Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia

The Seventh Day of Christmas: Recognizing God

The Sixth Day of Christmas: The Star of Bethlehem

The Fifth Day of Christmas: Light Shines in the Darkness (Feast Day of the Holy Innocents)

The Second Day of Christmas: The Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos and Hieromartyr Euthymios, Bishop of Sardis

The Fortieth Day of Christmas Advent (Eve of Christmas): From the Manger to the Grave

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