My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
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OUR NEW LIFE: THE NATIVITY OF OUR SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST
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This new life is our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is now born in Bethlehem, as He Himself said during the last days of His earthly life: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).
What is this new life, brothers and sisters, and why do people long for it? Because before Christ, people were dissatisfied with their former life, and even now all those who separate themselves from Christ are dissatisfied; they are dissatisfied because earthly life does not correspond to their desires. They want to be healthy and full, but life burdens them with sicknesses and hunger; they want riches and high ranks, but poverty and dishonor goad them, and if they do not fall into these disasters, they still remain dissatisfied with what they have, and desire more good things.
Still, people have not all sought outward prosperity; there have always been those who were burdened by their own lawless life--both by their own and that of the whole world; the same people who were burdened by not knowing what would happen to them after death; who lamented the defeat or destruction of their fatherland; complained that there was no righteousness on earth, but rather deception and violence. For such people life was yet more burdensome than for lovers of self; the latter sought a consolation for their woes, albeit temporary, in drunkenness, debauchery, fighting and robbery, but the better people did not see a ray of light anywhere...
"...One could bring forward many more pictures from life in order to show how little life without Christ corresponds to our desires, be they good or bad. Because of this you find ordinary life burdensome, especially when you know human malice and have understood how impossible it is for people to hope for a more reasonable, just life...
"...Now you will understand why the Holy Apostle John hastens to rejoice those who listen to and read his epistle, assuring them that a new life has appeared in the Savior Who has been born. All the believing Jews had long been awaiting such an Envoy, or Messiah, and the wisest of the pagans had been waiting also. They hoped that the Messiah would both make the path virtuous life easier for each person, and also establish righteousness on the earth, so that sinners would no longer dominate over the righteous, not the pagans over the rightly believing Jews; they hoped, on the contrary, that the manifested Son of God would Himself become a righteous king-conqueror, subdue the pagans and establish righteousness and general happiness on earth, and, in general, bring a new, blessed life to the earth.
And really, He both brought new life and called Himself the Life of all. And those who have accepted His life, followed in His footsteps and united themselves with Him, have really ceased to experience that satisfaction with life which oppressed and still oppresses people who have not come to know Christ...
"...This is the meaning of the Lord's words: "Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? for after all these things do the Gentiles seek...But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness" (Matthew 6:31-33).
It is not said in vain, brothers and sisters, that Christ brought new life to the earth. We see that He turned the human soul around completely; changed its nature, as it were. Formerly people accumulated wealth, now they have started to give it away; formerly they feared prisons and torments, now the Apostles exultantly thank God for them; formerly they feared afflictions, now Saint James writes to the Christians: "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations" (1:2). On earth, as before, there is injustice, and sickness, and poverty, and all kinds of offences, and the more time passes, the more of this there will be, as the Lord predicted will be, as well as the Holy Apostles Peter, Jude, Paul and John. But the souls of Christians were not overwhelmed or crushed by all these afflictions. They came to know another blessedness--inner and spiritual blessedness--and if they grieved about anything, then it was only about their falls into sin and the sins of their neighbors.
How, through what acts of His life, did our Savior change the whole essence of our souls, or our lives?
First of all, by His very Nativity. That transformation of the human soul and life, which is accomplished in Himself, was reflected in all its clarity in the town of Bethlehem. This little town in those days reflected the entire life of the whole human race.
The life of man is a universal struggle for comfort and earthly advantages. The multitude of people who had gathered in Bethlehem was crowded into various dwellings on a cold night; probably the poor envied the rich in their comfort, the rich harshly drove unwanted lodgers out of their homes, and became angry when the overcrowding forced them unwillingly to share their accommodation with others. At least, that is how it always is when a lot of people are crowded together.
Look what happens according to the customs of the new life. He to Whom all the houses, all the towns, and the whole universe belong, deprives Himself of the last human dwellings and takes up His abode together with beasts, committing Himself to an irrational manger instead of the Throne of Cherubim. O, people! Is it for you to struggle and torment each other for preference in honor, cleanliness and comfort when God does not spurn not being allowed in to where people are and is satisfied with an animal shed!
Man! You murmured about your poverty, you looked with an envious eye on the rich and famous, you lamented the poverty of your own hut, you grieved that you are accounted as one of the simple folk. Go down yet lower in your station in life, and you will be accounted to be with God! You considered it a great honor to approach the doorstep of a lord, but look how easily you can obtain a dwelling equal to God's house. You look at palaces with desire because kings live in them or have lived in them; look rather at the stall where the Incarnate Son of God dwelt. You can see the beginning of the new teaching, of the new life, of the new customs. If you follow after Christ in this way, no place will be crowded for you. If everyone takes to heart the image of Christ's life, then there will be plenty of room and no offense for anyone...
"...And further, Christian, go over in your mind everything that the Gospel reading about the Nativity of Christ has proclaimed to us. All our customs, all concepts changed into the new life of the whole of human nature.
Are you grieving over the fact that you have been subject to unjust persecution? But surely you are not more righteous than Christ, Who was pursued by the impious Herod. Are you grieving over exile or banishment? Remember the flight into Egypt. Do you find the yoke of the law burdensome? Gaze on the circumcisions of the Lord and His presentation in the Temple on the 40th day. Or are you distressed at having to submit to one who is worse than you, while you yourself are more enlightened and better than others? But Jesus was far more superior than you to the elder Joseph and, however, He submitted to him...
"...The new life in Christ consists in willingly renouncing worldly goods and not grieving when they are taken away by force. Perhaps you cannot direct your mind this way at once. But to the extent that you willingly deprive yourself of earthly enjoyments, however reluctantly, fast; offend yourself by giving to the poor or giving way to others; do not become angry or take revenge for oppression. Instead, bear offenses in silence. To the extent that you crucify the old man in yourself, to this extent will a new fount of grace-filled life flower out of your heart. "He that believeth on Me, says the Lord, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38).
It is no longer either riches, or health, or glory, or the destruction of enemies that will make you rejoice, but, just as a farmer rejoices over a ripening field, or a hunter over a lot of wild fowl fluttering about, or an artist over the beauty of a sunset--so you will rejoice over prayer, spiritual reading and the opportunity to be kind to your neighbor, either by giving, or consoling one who is grieving, calming one who is angry, or bringing a villain to his senses...
"...Christ God taught us, brothers and sisters, to reach others not to seek for rights, but to renounce them, not to demand equality with the gentry, but self-abasement, not to fight, but to give way, not to commit crimes, but bear offenses. This is how the manifest Sun of Righteousness "hath given us light and understanding" (1 John 5:20), has opened for us the path to eternal and blessed life; this is what righteousness in human society is based on. Then let us, brothers and sisters, glorify the Lord Who has appeared, rejoice in His Nativity! Nothing will take this joy away from us--neither poverty, nor offenses, nor labor day and night. He has blessed all this, and magnified it, and sanctified it with Himself in the town of Bethlehem. Let us draw instructions from here, and to Him, Who has loved us, glory and honor, power and worship, with the Father and the Spirit forever. Amen. (Source: Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky +19360, first Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. This was his 1906 Nativity homily to his flock.) [Orthodox Heritage]
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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" - Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry)
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+Father George