HOMILIES
The Nativity Sermon of St. John Chrysostom
St. John Chrysostom
The Nativity Sermon of St. John ChrysostomBethlehem this day resembles heaven; hearing from the stars the singing of angelic voices; and in place of the sun, enfolds within itself on every side, the Sun of justice. And ask not how: for where God wills, the order of nature yields. For He willed; He had the power; He descended; He redeemed; all things yielded in obedience to God. This day He Who is, is Born; and He Who is, becomes what He was not. For when He was God, He became man; yet not departing from the Godhead that is His. Nor yet by any loss of divinity became He man, nor through increase became He God from man; but being the Word He became flesh, His nature, because of impassability, remaining unchanged. Leo The Great of Rome, Homily 21, On The Nativity, 1
St. Leo the Great
Leo the Great of Rome, Homily 21, On the Nativity, 1 Our Saviour, dearly-beloved, was born today: let us be glad. For there is no proper place for sadness, when we keep the birthday of the Life, which destroys the fear of mortality and brings to us the joy of promised eternity. No one is kept from sharing in this happiness. There is for all one common measure of joy, because as our Lord the destroyer of sin and death finds none free from charge, so is He come to free us all. God Entered Into the Depths of Human Life
St. Justin Popovic
God Entered into the Depths of Human LifeIn truth God as a man was born on earth! Why? That we might live through him (1 John 4:9). For without the God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ, human life is wholly and completely a suicidal absurdity, and death is truly the most outright and horrible absurdity on earth. St. Theophan the Recluse: The Nativity of Christ
St. Theophan the Recluse
St. Theophan the Recluse: The Nativity of ChristGlory to Thee, O Lord! Once again we greet the awaited bright days of Christ's Nativity. Let us be glad and rejoice. In order to raise our festivities to a higher level in these days, the Holy Church has intentionally instituted a fast before them—a certain amount of constraint, so that as we enter the festive period we might feel as though we were coming out into freedom. The Word Became Flesh. A Sermon on The Nativity of Christ
St. John of Kronstadt
The Peace of Christ
St. John of Kronstadt
The Peace of ChristThis song to the incarnate God, the Infant Christ, was sung by the angelic hosts on earth at His Nativity. It is a brief song, but its meaning and significance are wise and full of substance. In it is contained and revealed to us the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God for the salvation of the world. This mystery, in the words of the Church, amazed all the angelic powers. But where is this peace on earth, which the angels announced to the Bethlehem shepherds? Christmas’ Deeper Meaning
Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol
Christmas’ deeper meaningThus, we are commemorating our Lord’s incarnation in order to experience on the one hand His great love for us and on the other to feel great gratitude for all the wonderful things He has granted us. In addition, this benefits us in a practical way, because we are offered the opportunity to pass judgement on our life. Homily On the Birth of Christ
by St. Philaret of Moscow (Given by Archimandrite Philaret in the St. Alexander Nevsky Lavra)
St. Philaret of Moscow
Homily On The Birth Of ChristWhoever desires to be a dwelling place of the Son of God, must have his homeland only in God, and with all his ties to his earthly homeland, however natural and proper they may be, he must not compare it to the heavenly. “She Was Alone Conversing With the Alone”
Basil of Seleucia
“She was alone conversing with the Alone”God from all eternity, he came as a newborn infant. He who had prepared eternal dwellings lay in a manger, for there was no room for him at the inn. He who was made known by a star came to birth in a cave. He who was offered as a ransom for sin received gifts from the wise men.Hymn IV, On the Nativity of Christ, by St. Ephraim the Syrian
Hymn IV on the Nativity of Christ, by St. Ephraim the SyrianThis is the month which brings all manner of joy; it is the freedom of the bondsmen, the pride of the free, the crown of the gates, the soothing of the body, that also in its love put purple upon us as upon kings. Contemplation on the Royal Hours on Christmas Eve: First Hour
Archpriest Alexander Shargunov
Contemplation on The Royal Hours on Christmas Eve: First HourOur Lord is born today, let us rejoice and be glad! No one may be sad today no matter what sorrow there be, no matter what losses we have suffered, because today is a festival of life for everyone. The Incarnation and Humility
New Hieromartyr Hilarion (Troitsky), Archbishop of Verey
The Incarnation and HumilityThese hymns are given full voice beneath the monastic church domes and fill all present with their content. Hearing them, the Faithfull’s consciousness breaks away from the earth; not for one day or for a few hours, as in the parish churches—no, it breaks away from the earth long before the feast and remains in the heights of spiritual upliftment, spiritual rapture, for nearly an entire week. Homily At The Liturgy, January 8, 2011—The Second Day of Christmas, and the 85th Anniversary of the Birthday of Metropolitan Pitirim (Nechayev)
Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov)
Homily at the Liturgy, January 8, 2011—the second day of Christmas, and the 85th anniversary of the birthday of Metropolitan Pitirim (Nechayev)Today, on the second day of Christmas, the Gospel is read in church about how the Mother of God and holy righteous Joseph fled with the Christ Child from Herod to Egypt. But how many pious, good people remained in Israel then! How many innocent victims there were, beginning with the infants of Bethlehem, were slain by the evil wrath of King Herod! This Miracle Has Torn History In Two
Panegyric on the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Archimandrite Iachint Unciuleac
This Miracle Has Torn History in TwoA new miracle has occurred! Now, in a brief span of time the cave has been replaced with thousands upon thousands of churches large and magnificent, adorning all corners of the world. The poor manger has turned into a multitude of divine altars. The Infant in swaddling bands awaits us now in the form of the Holy Mysteries. Another Way
Fr. Seraphim Holland
Another WayHere is what I want to share with you from my heart. When the wise men had finished worshipping the Lord Jesus, Being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way (Mt. 2:12). This is very significant. Every time I read this, I am filled with great joy. There is another way, brothers and sisters. Christmas Letter From Elder Ambrose of Optina
Fr. Sergius Chetverikov, St. Ambrose of Optina
Christmas Letter From Elder Ambrose of OptinaWisdom seekers in the Lord! By the mercy and long-suffering of God we are once again reaching the yearly time of the Feast of Christ's Nativity. Instead of the usual simple greetings with the Feast, I want to say a few words to you about the great Mystery of this glorious Feast. The Incarnation
Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh
The IncarnationProbably none of you has experience of being in the street; I had it when I was a child and a youth, and it’s a very unpleasant feeling to know that you have nowhere to go and that you are totally unwanted in any of the places that shine with light, which obviously speak of warmth to you.The Slaughter of the Innocents, and Free Will
The Slaughter of the Innocents, and Free WillBrothers and sisters, on this Sunday after Nativity we hear about the flight into Egypt and the reason for the flight into Egypt: Herod wanted to kill the young child Jesus, and after he could not find Jesus was angry, and killed, according to our tradition, at least 10,000 holy infants. Now there are many events in the world that we cannot understand even in our own lives, minor events, large events that the entire world knows about, and historical events that we cannot understand such as this event. Nativity Encyclicals
Christmas Message by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia
Sretensky Monastery Greets Our Readers with the Nativity of Christ
LITURGICS
The Divine Services of the Nativity of Christ
Bishop Alexander (Mileant)
CHRISTMASTIDE
Christmastime Questions and Answers
Hieromonk Job (Gumerov)
Christmastime Questions and AnswersHow could the Magi come from the east to a star that they saw in the east? Righteous Elizabeth, the mother of St. John the Forerunner, is called in the Bible a relative of Mary, and also cited as a daughter of Aaron. Does this mean that Jesus did not come from the tribe of Judah? Are the magi Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar canonized saints? When in history did the use of “BC”—before Christ, and “AD”—Anno Domini come about? Can we pray for the reposed during the Christmas and Theophany period? Childlike Joy of Christmas
Igumen Nektary (Morozov)
Childlike Joy of ChristmasAnd I was happy. Not because I had completed probably the first fast in my life, not because I had lasted to the end of this service so foreign to me, and not from the awareness that I had “endured,” but a simple happiness—some kind of childlike, pure joy, thanks to which you become a child and begin to hope that, no matter how bad you are, the Kingdom is for you. Sunday After Nativity. Joseph the Betrothed
Archpriest David Moser
Sunday after Nativity. Joseph the BetrothedJoseph became, at this moment, the very first convert to the Christian faith, for he abandoned his own fallen opinion and received with joy the revelation of God that this Child would be for the salvation of not only the people of Israel, but of all mankind. The Sunday After Nativity
Archpriest Andrew Phillips
The Sunday After NativityIt is interesting to recall to Non-Believers the words of the Gospel regarding this Flight into Egypt, and how Joseph was commanded to 'take the young child and his mother into Egypt'. We note how the Scriptures clearly do not call Christ, 'Joseph's son', or his mother, 'your wife'. Again the Scriptures say that all this was to fulfil the words of the Scriptures: 'Out of Egypt have I called my son', and not, 'out of Egypt have I called Joseph's son'. An Orthodox Reflection on the 12 Days of Christmas
Gabe Martini
An Orthodox Reflection on the 12 Days of ChristmasUltimately, then, the meaning of both the Nativity of Christ and the entirety of the 12 Days of Christmas is the receiving and giving of Christ, who is truly the gift and the giver, the one who is received and distributed. From Birth to Baptism: The Glory of Christmastide
Vincent Martini
CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD
What We Do On The Day Before Christmas
Hieromonk Job (Gumerov)
What We Do on the Day Before ChristmasThe term in the Russian Church for the day before the feast of the Nativity of the Lord as well as before the feast of the Theophany is sochelnik or sochevnik. How the Nativity of Christ Is Celebrated in Georgia
Shio Otarashvili
How the Nativity of Christ is Celebrated in GeorgiaThe Nativity of Christ is a great feast of the whole of the Christian world, and each country has its own unique traditions of celebration of it. Georgia is no exception in this respect. December 25/January 7 is called in Georgian “Shoba Akhali Tseli”, that is, “Christmas – New Year” (exactly in this sequence). Caroling In Christmas in Glen Rock, PA
Jesse Dominick
Caroling in Christmas in Glen Rock, PAIt’s a quiet little place in Southern York County, PA of a humble population of 2,000. There’s only one traffic light in the whole town. Most of the year the strongest attraction is the Mignano Family Restaurant, with authentic Italian food made by authentic Italians. But ask anyone who has lived in Glen Rock, PA and they’ll tell you there’s only one place to be on the night of Christmas Eve into Christmas: huddled under that one traffic light in the center of the town at midnight, heralding our Lord’s salvific entrance into the world with hymns of nineteenth-century England. The Nativity of Christ in Orthodox Japan
Galina Besstremyannaya
The Nativity of Christ in Orthodox Japan“Christ is born; glorify Him! Christ comes from heaven; meet ye Him!” Orthodox hymns of the Nativity service were sung in Church Slavonic at the church in Hakodate, founded by the Russian Consulate and built in 1859.CHRISTMAS STORIES AND SONGS
Miracles On Christmas
Olga Rozhneva
Miracles on ChristmasThe Nativity of Christ is a festival of extraordinary kindness and warmth, when all of us, like children, wait for miracles. And the Lord as a loving Father comforts us and grants us miracles, as testified by your miraculous Christmas stories, our dear readers. Lullaby To Christ
Nun Euphemia (Paschenko)
Editor’s Pick of Christmas Videos
Editor’s Pick of Christmas VideosJust as in Medieval Europe the people gathered to hear the Christmas madrigals, we can also enjoy Christmastime song and watch how different cultures celebrate the birth of Christ. Here is a sampling of Christmas videos from around the world, to make the Christmas spirit linger with our readers.Sing Unto the Lord All the Earth
Sing Unto the Lord All the EarthChristians sing praises to the Lord in all languages, and not only in churches and prayers, but also in their songs, which become especially clear for all to see and hear during the feast of Christ’s Nativity, when all over the baptized world, from snow-covered Europe to green Greece and the waterless deserts of the Arab world. People sing Christmas carols and songs, praising the Infant God and His Most Pure Mother.
Christmas in VerseThe Son of God, the eternal King, that did us all salvation bring, and freed the soul from danger; He whom the whole world could not take, the Word, which heaven and earth did make, was now laid in a manger.
Who'll take the Son?Another voice shouted angrily, ''We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!''But still the auctioneer continued, ''The son! The son! Who'll take the son?''PHOTOGALLERIES
Marina Yurchenko. Nativity and Theophany in Yakutia.
Marina Yurchenko. Nativity and Theophany in Yakutia.The main religion in Yakutia is Orthodox Christianity, and the feasts of Christmas—the Nativity of Christ, and Theophany, when the Lord’s Baptism is celebrated, are very special in this land that boasts some of the coldest waters in the world. Photographer Marina Yurchenko captured the special mood of Orthodox Yakutia’s winter feasts in 2010. “Snow Is Flying All Over Russia, Like Good Tidings of Great Joy”
