On Proper Fasting...

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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ON PROPER FASTING...

Bodily purity is primarily attained through fasting, and through bodily purity comes spiritual purity. Abstinence from food, according to the words of the son of grace, Saint Ephraim the Syrian, means: "Not to desire or demand much food, either sweet or costly; to eat nothing outside the stated times; not to give oneself over to gratification of the appetite; not to stir up hunger in oneself by looking at good food; and not to desire one or another sort of food." There is a great fallacy that abstinence from food and the eating of fasting foods are harmful to physical health. It is a known fact that those who fast are the longest-lived and the least prone to sickness. The holy Prophet Daniel and the Three Holy Children offer us an example of this. When the King commanded his eunuch to feed the young men on meat from the royal table, and give them good wine to drink, Daniel told the eunuch that they were not willing to take the meat and wine form the king's table, but wanted only herbs (for Daniel did not want to eat meat sprinkled with blood from the idolatrous sacrifices). But the eunuch was afraid that the young men would be weakened by the fasting food, and spoke of his fear to Daniel. Then the Prophet suggested that he make a test, to see whether the fasting food would weaken them or not: to give food from the king's table to the other young men at court, but to feed these four only on herbs for ten days, and then compare them. The eunuch did what Daniel advised. After ten days, the faces of the four young fasters were fairer and their bodies stronger than those of the Babylonian youth, who had eaten and drunk from the king's table. (The Prologue from Ochrid)

Thanks be to God!

+Father George

Are We Christians Without Christ?

Christ the Lifegiver

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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ARE WE CHRISTIANS WITHOUT CHRIST?
By Photios Kontoglou

When one holds a discussion with pseudo-Christians about hard asceticism of the body and spirit for the love of Christ, they become angered, calling you a hoaxer, a pagan or a barbarian.

If you want to test the faith of a Christian, talk to them about asceticism. The faithful will feel compunction, while the lukewarm, those who are fake and faithless, will protest.

What is then one to make of the following proclamations by Christ? "Blessed are they who have left all and followed Me, or the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force, or In the world you will have sorrow, or Tight is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life."

We want to be Christians without Christ, without spiritual sorrow, without lifting the difficult cross, and would rather walk along the wide road. Such false Christians, when you speak to them about a hard and impoverished life, about sacrifice, about asceticism, reply that Christ does not want such things, and that such things are antics.

But, O foolish man, in Christianity nothing can be overdone. For all human things one could say they are antics, but it is only within Christianity that antics do not exist. What antic is there in loving the one who killed your father? What antic is there in turning the other cheek? What antic is there in hungering and thirsting contempt, in doing what God asks of you, such as loving your neighbor, talking sweetly to one swearing at you, not judging the one who judges you, to be humble before the most destitute people, and while doing all these things you say that you are a worthless slave?

What antic is there in believing that our bodies will be raised as immortal at the blink of an eye, and how the whole world will change at once, and that a new world without corruption will come about? So is there anything in Christianity that is an antic?

Christianity is the most implausible of all that is outrageous, the most unbelievable of all things unbelievable.

This is why the door by which one enters the exotic country of Christ is only one--Faith. And in Faith there are no antics; unbelief, on the other hand, has sly prudence, moderation and compromise. This is why such pseudo-Christians cannot withstand the fire of Faith and have turned Christianity into a moral system, beneficial for worldly life, which is why it does not entirely need Christ  Because the unbeliever is scared, but whoever believes is "bold as a lion," according to the Prophet.

Whoever loves God, is ablaze without showing it, rejoices without laughing, is crushed in the depths of their selves. The love taught to us by Christ is something else besides so-called philanthropy. This is why philanthropists do not taste of the love of Christ, which is "water that wells with eternal life."  The philanthropy people make today is a social debt. These philanthropists, and whoever is a practical person, are not Christians.

Whoever loves Christ and His Gospel, loves that which is worth loving above everything else. In Christ they can find all worthwhile things: love (agape), humility, pain, gentleness, spiritual sorrow and spiritual joy--which are both sweet when done in the name of Christ.

"Come unto Me all of you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Give us rest? We do not want to even hear it. We want to be saddled with our passions, with our enemies, with our wars, with our cares for ambition, for the flesh, with contaminated blood, with pistols, with cannons, with bombs. What will we do without these things, Mr. Peacemaker? How can we live in rest? With what will we fill our emptiness, since for us life is only these things?

You give us peace, but peace is our death, because it is the death of our beloved passions! If You said "I will load you with other such burdens, that you do not recognize; I will enrich your souls with other such riches, that you may have no peace."

People nowadays want gods that will load us, vindictive ones, like Aries, Zeus, Cronos and deceivers like Hermes, and others. They want to live in wickedness, for it is alive and strong.

Yes, "come Lord!" cries out John with joy to Him who comes on the clouds at the Second Coming. You musts be a saint, righteous and perhaps like John in order to rejoice at the coming of Christ and wait for Him. We, on the other hand, cry out "do not come Lord." Because we are sinners, and the wrath of the Lord is coming upon us.

"...All of us fear that You will come "as a thief in the night." If you curse or slander people, or if you write something bad to them, there will come a time when they will forgive you. (Will they? Unlikely, brother, forget it!). One who does not forgive you for such a deed will hate you, and they live in such a way that they are embarrassed about their own life; may the voyage of your life be a rebuke of their own. Whoever has wholeheartedly tasted Christ's peace does not torture himself for being poor, since they willfully desire and accept poverty; such a person loses his joy when he acquires something beyond what is needed, even if it is the most worthless thing. And whatever is humble and poor and prudent, they love it secretly within their heart without saying anything to anyone, because "the humble people always love silence and obscurity. (Source: Orthodox Heritage)

(To be continued)

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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

December 17 - Holy Prophet Daniel and the Three Children: Ananias, Azarius and Misael

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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ON DECEMBER 17th OUR HOLY ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH COMMEMORATES THE HOLY PROPHET DANIEL AND THE THREE CHILDREN: ANANIAS, AZARIAS AND MISAEL

All four of them were of the Royal Tribe of Judah. When Nebuchadnezzar destroyed and plundered Jerusalem, Daniel, as a boy, was taken off into slavery together with Jehoiachin, King of Judah, and many other Israelites. The account of his life, sufferings and prophecies can be found in detail in his book. Utterly given to God, Daniel from his early youth received from God the gift of great discernment. His fame among the Jews in Babylon began when he denounced two lecherous and unrighteous elders, and saved the Babylonians stemmed from the day when he solved and interpreted the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar. For this, the king made him a prince at his court. When the king made a golden idol in the Plain of Dura, the Three Children refused to worship it, for which they were cast into the burning fiery furnace. But an Angel of God appeared in the furnace and soothed the flames, so that the Children walked in the furnace untouched by the fire, and sang: "Blessed art Thou, Lord God of our fathers!" The king saw this wonder (miracle), and was amazed. He then brought the Children out of the furnace and did them great honor.

In the time of King Belshazzar, when the king was eating and drinking with his guests at a feast out of consecrated vessels taken from the Temple in Jerusalem, an invisible hand wrote these three words on the wall: "Mene, Tekel, Upharsin". No-one could interpret these words but Daniel. That night, King Belshazzar was killed. Daniel was twice thrown into a den of lions for his faith in the One, Living God, and both times God preserved him alive. Daniel saw God on His Throne with the Angelic Powers, often saw Angels, had insight into the future of certain people, of kingdoms and of the whole human race, and prophesied the time of the Coming of the Savior on earth. According to Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Daniel and the Three Children lived to great old age in Babylon, and were beheaded with the sword for the True Faith. When Ananias was beheaded, Azarias held out his robe and caught his head, then Misael caught Azarias's head and Daniel Misael's. An Angel of God carried their bodies to Judea, to Mount Gebal, and placed them under a rock. According to tradition, these four men arose at the time of the death of the Lord Jesus and appeared to many, then fell asleep again. Daniel is counted as one of the four great prophets (with Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel). He lived and prophesied half-way through the thousand years before Christ.  (Source: The Prologue from Ochrid)

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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 

The Nativity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: The Mystery of Repentance/Confession

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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THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST: THE MYSTERY (SACRAMENT) OF REPENTANCE/CONFESSION

The Holy Sacrament of Repentance and Confession can rightly be called "the Forgotten Medicine." The whole world is lying in evil. Every one of us is infected with the deadly disease (virus) of sin, and one can be cured from the disease! The medicine is provided, and it is miraculous at that. You are healed the moment you take it. But we do not reach for it, to be healed and to lighten our conscience. Why? Because we have forgotten and neglect it.

There are earthly medicines for earthly diseases. And there is an Omnipotent Heavenly Doctor and heavenly medicines for the most terrible disease called sin. This Doctor is Jesus Christ, "the Physician of our souls and bodies". Because every sin is a transgression of God's Holy Law, only God can forgive sins with His wondrous Omnipotence. He can blot out sins as if they had never existed. "Though your sins be as purple, I will make them white as snow; though they be as scarlet, I will make them white as wool" (Isaiah 1:18 [Old Testament]), He promises. But for this to happen, there is one requirement for us--to repent truly.

"Nobody is as gracious and merciful," says Saint Mark the Ascetic, "as the Lord is, but even He does not forgive the sins of the man who doest not repent;...we are being condemned not because of the multitude of our evils, but because we do not want to repent."

How does the forgiving of sins occur?--through the Sacrament of Repentance/Confession. The Christian burdened with his sins goes to the priest with deep repentance in his soul and with a sincere desire to change and reveals to him in a detailed, frank, and full confession the secrets of his heart and conscience. The priest, convinced of the sincere repentance of the Christian and after the suitable introductory prayers, reads to him the sacramental prayer: "May our Lord and God Jesus Christ, according to the grace and kindness of His love for man, forgive you, child (name), all your transgressions; and I, the unworthy priest, through the power given to me by Him, forgive you and free you of all your sins, in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen."

In that moment, whatever the priest is forgiving on earth is also being forgiven in heaven! Is there a greater mercy than this? We could not have believed that this is possible, if it had not been told us by the One Who never spoke an empty word or a life (cf. 1 Peter 2:22).

Sin is a great evil with immeasurably heavy consequences---eternal torments in hell! But its cure, established by Jesus Christ, turns out to be so easy! This is simply incredible--just as Jesus Christ told the ten lepers: "Go shew yourselves unto the priests" (Luke 17:14), and they, when they went, were healed, so it is as if He were speaking to us, sinners: "you are sick with spiritual leprosy? Do not be afraid! You will be healed. Just do this: go show yourselves to the priests."

If we ignore such a mercy of God, how many more punishments we will deserve, because we have no done for our salvation even that small thing which is given to us to do and which is so easy.

What should we do when we are with the confessor?

We have to do the following: 1) Remember that we have come to Christ's infirmary. Here, the visible doctor is the priest, and the invisible--Christ Himself; 2) Confess our sins without false shame; 3) Not seek excuses for our sins; 4) Consciously conceal absolutely nothing: 5) Do not confess with general phrases which have no meaning; 6) Confess briefly, but precisely, the character of each of our sins; 7) Not reveal other people's sins, and conceal, whenever possible, the names of the persons who have tempted us or who have sinned with us through our fault; 8) Not to boast before the priest of any virtues of ours; 9) Not to transfer the blame on others, but only on ourselves; and 10) have a sincere desire not to sin again.

Do not disrespect the sacrament or abuse it for any other personal reason or to accuse your Father Confessor of anything. That in itself is a serious and grave sin.

What Should Do When We Leave the Confessor?

After we have confessed well, we must carry out the penance which has been given to us: bows (metanoies), intensified prayer, fasting, diligent readings of God's Word, almsgiving (charity), visiting the sick, caring for orphans and widows, etc. We must pay attention to the following three points:

1) If you have an enmity against someone, "forgive with all your heart"; so that God will also forgive you (cf. Matthew 6:14-15). Otherwise, your confession will be in vain.

2) Others who have admitted in Confession that they have violated their celibacy or family honor must "give up the bad road forever." They cannot love both the sin and God.

3) Finally, if you have misappropriated another's possession, if you have fobbed someone, "return that which does not belong to you." Otherwise, there is no forgiveness for you.

We see then what the rules are for a saving confession: first, before we go to the confessor, we must examine well our conscience; second, when we are with the priest, we must confess sincerely, with a broken heart, and without shame and excuses; third, when we leave the priest, we must carry out our penance, put an end to the hostility, give up our impure life, thoughts, and return that which is not ours.

He who does not correct his behavior through Confession does not confess but talks idly, according to the words of Saint Basil the Great. (Source: The Forgotten Medicine. The Mystery of Repentance by Archimandrite Seraphim Aleksiev)

It is through the Sacrament of Repentance and Confession that the Orthodox Christian believer prepares himself or herself to receive the Divine Eucharist or Holy Communion. Some have reduced the preparation to practically nothing. There is no fasting, no forgiveness for our enemies, there no reconciliation, there is cleansing or purification, there is no repentance, there is no prayer, there is no alms and yet one dares to approach Christ and receive him  with arrogance, defiance and unclean. What does one expect to be given by our Lord under these circumstances? Forgiveness? absolution? Rather it is condemnation!

Use the Nativity fast to truly unite yourself with Christ, our Lord, God, and Savior. What the believer seeks from Him is sanctification and salvation.

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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

Our New Life: The Nativity of Our Savior Jesus Christ

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

The Nativity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: The Magi (Part II)

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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THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST: THE MAGI (Part II)

Herod Makes Inquiries

Entering Jerusalem, the Wise Men asked, "Where is He Who was born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and came to do homage to Him." But after Herod the king heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him" (Matthew 2:3).

Why was Herod overcome with wrath? This is because His kingdom would soon come to an end. Why was Jerusalem troubled with him? This is because they were living in unrighteousness, and the time of censure had come. Sadly, Saint John Chrysostomos comments, "See, too, how the Jewish people are troubled, though they should rejoice that it was a Jewish king that was born. But they were troubled because the wicked can never rejoice at the coming of the just. Hence we have, 'And all Jerusalem with him.'

The Protoevanggelion relates the following. Herod then sent messengers to the priests (rabbis) and to the Wise Men whose names were Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar, so that he might pose inquiries to them in the public hall. Now when Herod had gathered all the chief priests (rabbis) and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where it was written concerning Christ (messiah) the King and where should be born.

"And after he gathered all the priests (rabbis) and scribes of the people he kept on inquiring of them where the Christ is born" (Matthew 2:4).

Saint John Chrysostomos asks, "To what end did Herod, who did not believe in the Scriptures, question them? Or, if he believed, how did he hope to kill Him Whom they said was to be the future King? But Herod was urged on by the devil, who did not believe that Scripture lied."

The Jews then answered: "And thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art in no wise the least among the governors of Juda; for out of thee shall come forth a Governor Who shall shepherd My people Israel" (Matthew 2:6).

However, was the Prophet Micah had actually said is as follows: "And thou, Bethlehem, house of Ephratha, art few in number to be reckoned among the thousands of Juda; yet out of thee shall One come forth to Me, to be a Ruler in Israel; and His goings forth were from the beginning, even from eternity" (Micah 5:2).

Saint Gregory the Great writes: "Fitting was it that He was born in Bethlehem; for Bethlehem is interpreted as the 'House of Bread'; for He says of Himself, "I am the Bread, the Living one, the One having come down out of the heavens" (John 6:51).

Saint John Chrysostomos says: "After Herod had received an answer, he believed it to be credible for two reasons: first, because it was spoken by the priests (rabbis); and second, because it was confirmed by prophetic testimony. Herod was not inclined toward reverence for the newborn King, rather, he was disposed to commit that evil slaughter--and that by treachery. He perceived that he could not beguile the Magi by flattery, nor frighten them by threats, nor corrupt them by gold, so as to force them to consent to the death of the future King; accordingly, he planned to deceive them."

Here too, Saint John Chrysostomos points out a wondrous dispensation: "The Jews and the Magi mutually teach each other. The Jews learn from the Magi that a star in the east had proclaimed the Christ, and the Magi learn from the Jews that of old the prophecies have foretold Him. Thus strengthened by this twofold testimony, the Magi desired Him with more ardent faith."

The Wise Men Before Herod

"Then Herod, after he secretly called the Magi, inquired carefully of them the time of the appearing star" (Matthew 2:7).

"Herod was struck with amazement, seeing the piety of the Magi and, overcome by wrath, he inquired concerning when the Child was born."

And having sent away the chief priests (rabbis), Herod inquired diligently of the Wise Men, and said unto them, "What was the sign that did appear concerning the King Who is born?" They answered him declaring, "We saw an extraordinary large star shining among the stars of heaven. It outshone all the other stars, so that they became indiscernible. We knew, thereby, that a Great King was born in Israel and, therefore, we came to worship Him."

Thus, Herod had a private audience with the Magi. Saint John Chrysostomos discloses that "he called them secretly, so that the Jews might not see that he suspected them; lest also, perhaps, they, preferring a King of their own race (and rejecting him), should betray his purpose."

Saint John Chrysostomos adds that "each (Satan and Herod) is troubled by his own greed, and fears a succession to his kingdom: Herod an earthly successor, the devil a heavenly one."

Herod then sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search diligently for the young Child; and when ye have found Him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship Him also." When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the Star, which they saw in the east, went before them till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the Star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy" (Matthew 2:8-10).

Herod reigned to revere the Child when, in reality, he planned violence. Saint Kosmas characterized Herod "as the troubled enemy of God, who, in his wild madness, plotted how he might slay Christ."

Saint John Chrysostomos brings to our attention that, when the Magi were in that place, "the Star had hidden from them. Hence, they were compelled to make inquiry in Jerusalem concerning Christ. Thus, at the same time, they made Him known. This took place for two reasons. First, for the confounding of the Jews; for the Magi, encouraged only by the rising of a star, have been seeking Christ, and in strange lands, while the Jews, who have been reading from their childhood the prophecies that spoke of Christ (Messiah), and though He was born in their midst, have not received Him. Secondly, so that the priests (rabbis), being questioned as to where Christ was born, would make answer to their own condemnation, "from Bethlehem"; because they who had instructed Herod concerning Christ, were themselves without knowledge of Him. Thus, after the Magi made their inquiry, the Star appeared. And they, observing the obedience of the Star, understood the dignity of the King."

The Wise Men Enter the House

The Magi, being led by the Star, followed it "till it came and stood over where the young Child was" (Matthew 2:9) with His Mother. Now by this time, Joseph had secured a room for the Theotokos and her Son. Thus, in Orthodox iconography of "The Veneration of the Magi," they are depicted in a house, which is in agreement with the words of the Evangelist Matthew that "they (the Magi) came into the house (εις τήν οικίαν) [Matthew 2:11]. The Theotokos is usually seen sitting on a throne with a high polygonal back. The Christ Jesus is sitting on His Mother's lap.

"And after they came into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His Mother, and fell down and did homage to Him" (Matthew 2:11).

Saint Leo the Great remarks that the Magi beheld a child, "small in size, depending on others, powerless to act, differing in no way from any other human infant; for the Son of God had assumed the true nature of man." Saint John of Damascus writes that "they saw Thee wrapped in swaddling clothes...Who sharest all our suffering. And in joy, they gazed upon Thee, Who art at once both mortal and Lord."

The Magi did not see before them either scepter or throne, only utter poverty. Saint John Chrysostomos adds that "He was not crowned with a diadem, nor resting on a gilded bed...If, therefore, they had come searching for all earthly king, they would have been rather mortified than filled with exceeding joy, for they would have undertaken the toil of a journey without reward. But now they seek a heavenly King, though they saw in Him nothing regal; yet satisfied by the testimony of a Star, their eyes were glad as they looked upon a poor little child; for the Spirit within them showed that He was a Being of awe." Saint John Chrysostomos further comments, "What moved them to venerate Him? For the Virgin bore no distinguishing mark, and the abode which would either compel them or induce them to do this...What was it then that moved them?...The Star and the Light that God had placed in their hearts led them step by step to more perfect knowledge."

The Magi Open Their Treasures

"And after they opened their treasures, they offered gifts to Him: gold, and frankincense and myrrh" (Matthew 2:11).

Then they brought forth out of their treasures. "And eagerly opening their treasures, they offered to Him precious gifts: refined gold, as to the King of the ages, and frankincense, as to the God of All; and myrrh they offered to the immortal, as to one three days dead."

What was the significance of these gifts?  Hymns from the Canon of the Forefeast disclose their meaning. "The kings, first-fruits of the nations, bring Thee gifts;...by myrrh they point to Thy death, by gold to Thy royal power, by frankincense to the dignity of Thy Divinity." Furthermore, "The error of Persia has ceased: for the stargazers, kings of the east, bring gifts of gold, myrrh, and frankincense to Christ the King of all at His birth."

Saint John Chrysostomos and Saint Gregory the Great make an important observation: the Magi did not return by the same route. Saint John writes that "It was not possible that, after having come from Herod to Christ, they should return again to Herod." Concurring with this, Saint Gregory writes: "They intimate something here of great import. Our true country is Paradise, to which, having now come to the knowledge of Jesus, we are forbidden to return by the path we left." (Source: The Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church)

Through the intercessions of Thy Saints, O Christ God, have mercy on us. Amen.

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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