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Services in January 12 / 25 January 2012 Afterfeast of Theophany
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She was a Christian, of an eminent family, a deaconess in the Church. After the death of the Emperor Heliogabalus, the Emperor Alexander came to the throne in Rome. His mother, Julia Mammaea, was a Christian, but the Emperor himself was unsure and hesitant about his faith; an uncertainty that was clearly expressed by his keeping statues of both Christ and Apollo, of both Abraham and Orpheus, in his palace. His chief advisors took it into their own hands to persecute the Christians without his orders. When the virgin Tatiana was led to martyrdom, she prayed for her executioners. And lo, their eyes were opened and they saw four angels around the martyr. Seeing this, eight of them were converted to Christ, for which they were tortured and killed. St Tatiana's martyrdom was long-drawn-out: she was flogged, parts of her flesh were cut off, she was sawn with an iron saw, and then, all disfigured and bleeding, was flung that evening into prison to be brought out on the following day for further torture. But God sent His angel to the prison, to give her courage and heal her wounds.Tatiana, therefore, appeared before her torturers each morning in perfect health. She was thrown to a lion, but the lion became tame before her and did her no harm. |
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Her hair was shorn, from an idea that occurred to their godless minds that some sorcery might be hidden in it, some magical strength. Finally she was led out, together with her father, and the two were beheaded. In such manner this heroic maiden finished her earthly life in about the year 225, and was crowned with an immortal crown of glory. She had the weak body of a woman, but a manly and valiant spirit.
Reading: 32 Sunday after Pentecost (pdf)...
Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, was born of the Most Holy Virgin Mary in the city of Bethlehem during the reign of the emperor Augustus...
Your Nativity, O Christ our God,
Has shone to the world the Light of wisdom!
For by it, those who worshipped the stars,
Were taught by a Star to adore You,
The Sun of Righteousness,
And to know You, the Orient from on High.
O Lord, glory to You!
Today the Virgin gives birth to the Transcendent One,
And the earth offers a cave to the Unapproachable One!
Angels with shepherds glorify Him!
The wise men journey with a star!
Since for our sake the Eternal God was born as a Little Child!
'And when the fullness of time was come, God sent His only- begotten Son' (Gal. 4:4), to save the human race. And when the
ninth month had come after the archangel Gabriel appeared to the most
holy Virgin in Nazareth, saying: 'Hail, thou that art highly
favoured... thou shalt conceive and bear a son'—at that time a decree
went forth from Caesar Augustus that all the inhabitants of the Roman
Empire be taxed. In accordance with this decree, everyone had to go to
his own town and there be inscribed. Therefore righteous Joseph came
with the most holy Virgin to Bethlehem, the city of David, for they
were both of the royal House of David. But, there being a great many
people in that small city for the census, Joseph and Mary could not
find a lodging in any house, and found shelter in a cave which the
shepherds used as a sheepfold. In this cave the most holy Virgin gave
birth to the Saviour of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ. Bearing Him
without pain, as He was conceived without sin of the Holy Spirit and
not of man, she herself wrapped Him in swaddling bands, worshipped Him
as God and laid Him in a manger. Then righteous Joseph drew near and
worshipped Him as the divine Fruit of a virgin womb. Then the shepherds
came in from the fields, directed by an angel of God, and worshipped
Him as Messiah and Saviour. The shepherds had heard a multitude of
angels singing: 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace,
goodwill among men' (Luke 2:14). At that time there also came wise men
from the East, led by a wonderful star, bearing their gifts: gold,
frankincense and myrrh, and worshipped Him as King of kings, offering
Him their gifts (Matt. 2:11). Thus He came into the world Whose coming
had been foretold by the prophets and Who was born in the way that they
had prophesied: of the most holy Virgin, in the city of Bethlehem, of
the lineage of David according to the flesh, at the time when there was
no longer in Jerusalem a king of the tribe of Judah, but Herod the
stranger was on the throne. After many types and prefigurings,
messengers and heralds, prophets and righteous men, wise men and kings,
finally He appeared, the Lord of the world and King of kings, to
perform the work of the salvation of mankind that could not be
performed by His servants. May His be eternal glory and praise! Amen
On this radiant and joyful feast of the Nativity in the flesh of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ I cordially greet you all, my dear ones. On this light-bearing night together we prayerfully echo the doxology of the angels, proclaiming ‘great joy to all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour’ (Lk 2:10-11).
Humanity, which rejected God in the fall, discovers anew the chance to be united with its Creator and Provider. The coming of the Son of God into the world is his voluntary self-abnegation, ready to descend to a tortuous and shameful ‘death – even death on the cross’ (Phil 2:8). God is born in the flesh so that he may manifest his love to people and help every person willing to listen to his call to find the fullness of life.
That is why today’s feast grants to us the immutable hope of help from above in the most complex situations of our life. God, who has not abandoned his creation and has revealed to it the way to eternity, is revealed to us in the Infant Christ, a defenseless child in need of care and love.
All of us must retain in our hearts this Biblical image. In recalling the Divine Infant lying in a manger, we acquire a firm faith and indestructible hope in Divine Providence leading to the good of every human person. And even if in our life no support remains, if all seems to be unsure and unreliable, we are to realize clearly that the Lord can transform through his gracious power the pain, suffering and poverty of our world into happiness, joy and an abundance of spiritual gifts.
On the feast of the coming of the Saviour the mental gaze of the faithful is turned towards the cradle of Christianity, the Holy Land, which was deemed worthy to be the place of the birth, abode and earthly ministry of the Lord. Today Christ’s followers in the countries where the events of sacred history took place are experiencing difficult trials, encounter new threats to the existence of centuries-old spiritual traditions. During these radiant days of the Nativity let us offer up ardent prayers for our brothers in the faith, the guardians of precious holy sites, the inheritors of the tradition of ancient Christianity.
‘If one member suffers, all suffer together with it’ (1 Cor 12:26). These words of the apostle concern not only the members of a single parish, a single church community. Indeed, they embrace all of the children of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, the Orthodox Church spread throughout the world. Her unity abides not only in a single patristic faith and communion in the sacraments but also in the sharing of hardships together, in sacrificial ministry towards each other, in mutual prayer.
The past year has been difficult in the life of many countries and nations, including those who live in the expanse of historical Russia: many tragic events and cataclysms have proved to be a trial of our faith and steadfastness.
However, today the worst tribulations occur not in the material but in the spiritual realm. The dangers which abide on the physical plane have a negative impact on our physical well-being and comfort. And while making the material aspect of life more complex, they nevertheless cannot do essential harm to the life of the spirit. Yet it is precisely the spiritual dimension which sheds light on the most important and grave challenge to our view of the modern world. This challenge is aimed at the destruction of the sense of morality embedded in our souls by God. Today we are told that the human person is the measure – and sole measure – of truth, that each individual has his own truth and that each individual decides for himself what is good and what is evil. The divine truth, and this means the distinction between good and evil that is founded on this Truth, is being substituted by a moral indifference and permissiveness which destroys peoples’ souls and denies them eternal life. If natural disasters and wars ruin the external structure of life, then moral relativism corrodes one’s conscience, making us spiritual invalids, distorts the divine laws of being and breaks the connection between creation and Creator.
We are to resist this danger in the first instance by calling to our help the Most Pure Virgin and the host of God’s saints so that through their intercession before the Throne of the ‘Sovereign Lord, holy and true’ (Rev 6:10), now venerated in the image of the new born Infant, they may beseech for us the strength to combat sin and fight ‘against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places’ (Eph 6:12). It is important to learn how to recognize the deceits and illusions of earthly well-being in our destructive addictions, in our greedy strivings, in the temptations of advertisements, in the entertainment industry and political propaganda. It is important at all times to listen to the voice of our conscience warning us of the danger of sin, to be able to make our actions fit the commandments of the Gospel.
Now, as always, each Christian is called upon to assert through his everyday actions the dignity of a righteous way of life, to resist consciously moral relativism and the cult of getting rich quick. We are surrounded by a great number of infirm, sick and lonely people. There are also many who out of economic necessity have left their homes in search of a wage and need our care, often finding themselves in a hostile environment. Every pastor and layman is to participate in the social, missionary and public life of the Church. As St. Innocent of Chersonese says: ‘It is only in the light of Christ that we can see God, see ourselves and see the world in its true aspect; it is only through the guidance of heavenly Revelation that we can find the path leading to life eternal’.
With those who hope for the consolation of Christ we are to share warmly the joy of today’s feast. Each of us can bring the light of the star of Bethlehem to those close to us and far from us – to our colleagues, friends, relatives and neighbours.
In the past year, working with the state authorities, public organizations and the representatives of the business community, many initiatives have been undertaken that can unite people and revive the strong spiritual and moral foundations of public life.
The development of this co-operation, as well as witness to the precious unity of our Church, was aided by my trips throughout Russia, Ukraine and Moldova. These visits enriched my experience of prayer and communion with the faithful and, I hope, helped to strengthen our spiritual ties. In divine worship attended by a huge number of people the strength of faith and prayer which is the beauty of Orthodoxy, the beauty and power of ‘the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace’ (Eph 4:3), manifested itself in a special way.
In congratulating all of you on the Nativity of Christ and the New Year, I prayerfully wish that you abide unfailingly in the joy of the Lord who was incarnate so that ‘we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life’ (Titus 3:7). ‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit’ (Rom 15:13). Amen.
/+ KIRILL/
PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA
The Nativity of Christ
Moscow
2011/2012
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