What mysteries beyond mind
and speech! God in His compassion is born on earth, putting on the form of a
servant that He may snatch from servitude to the enemy those who with fervent
love cry out: Blessed art Thou, O Savior Who lovest mankind.
1st
Stichera at The Praises, Orthros of Christmas Eve
As we approach
the great Feast of the Holy Nativity, the Church’s hymns help us to prepare for
the feast. During the Pre-Feast, a joyful and wonderful preparation is
announced: what is about to happen is good news!
Several years ago – it seems
like a lifetime ago now – I read a book called “The Kingdom of God is a Party”, by Tony Campolo.
I’m not necessarily recommending the book, but I have always found the title striking. And it
is so wondrously true at this time of year!
The very Kingdom of the heavens, the Kingdom of our God, is bursting
upon us – gate-crashing the petty concerns of our lives (Thanks to Philip Turner for
that remarkable line from his passion play, "Christ in the Concrete City!) and as the Kingdom of the Heavens gate-crashes our live this Nativity Season, everyone, without exception, is invited!
As I have mentioned in my last two posts,
the Pre-Festal theme is joyful anticipation and, even more important, joyful
invitation. But that invitation is not just to us, but to the entire cosmos!
Come, Israel slow of heart, cast from
thee the mist that lies upon thy soul; recognize the Maker Who is born in a
cave. He is the expectation of the nations; He shall destroy thy feasts: for
thou wilt not consent to cry aloud: Christ the King of Israel is come.
“O Sun, my Son, how shall I wrap Thee in
swaddling clothes? How shall I give Thee milk, Who givest food to all creation?
How shall I hold Thee in my arms Who holdest all things? How shall I look upon
Thee without fear, on Whom the cherubim with many eyes dare not to lift their
gaze?” So spake she who knew not wedlock as she held Christ.
O ye shepherds, shout aloud
in new songs: O ye Magi, cast away your magic spells. Let the mountains and the
hills rejoice exceedingly. O ye daughters of kings, come unto the joy of the
Theotokos. O ye people, let us say: Blessed art Thou, our God Who now art born:
glory to Thee.
O most blessed womb of the
Maid of God, thou hast been shown forth as spiritually vaster than the heavens.
For Him Whom heaven cannot contain, thou dost carry and hold within thee. O
most blessed breasts of the Virgin, that Christ has sucked Who feeds all that
has breath! He has built flesh for Himself in the womb of the Maiden that knew
not a man.
2nd – 4th
Stichera and Doxostika from the Praises, Orthros on Christmas Eve
Again, the theme
is joyful anticipation and, even more important, joyful invitation, not just to
us, but to the entire cosmos! It is not just you and I and our families and
friends who have received the invitation and are almost ready to celebrate the Great Feast – it’s all!
Those who
have rejected Christ (represented in the hymn by Israel) are invited.
The Holy Theotokos,
who in the heavenlies celebrates with us, amazed and filled with wonder at what has been
wrought through her, is included!
All who have ever gazed upon and all who will ever gaze upon Him
before whom the angelic hosts cover their eyes are enticed to participate.
The very city of Bethlehem and
even the inanimate objects such as the manger and the swaddling clothes – all
that was, is, and ever shall be - is not excluded, but is now coming to celebrate with us the Nativity in the
Flesh of our Lord, God and Saviour!
No matter how we
may feel at Christmas – and for many it’s a lonely and grief-filled time of
year – whether we’re surrounded by friends and family, or even if we have no
one with which to share the Feast, we are not alone. The whole of the Cosmos,
the bodiless powers of heaven, all peoples who are, who have been, and who will
be, are now are invited with the very rocks and stones of this wondrous Creation
to join in the Feast!
Christ
is born! Let us (all) glorify Him!
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