The electronic version of special Herald Nativity edition available here.
The printed version of the Herald will be available at our church for a small donation at tutor’s desk. We bring you a taste of this spiritual refreshment below - enjoy.
WELCOMING THE LORD
It was long time ago when holy and great Prophet David said, “Lord, our Lord! How magnificent is Thy name in all the earth! Thou hast raised Thy glory above the heavens.” (Ps. 8:1) But even though that was a long time ago, these words are applicable and acceptable in our times as well. They are always fresh and always radiate the same truth and power.
From the beginning of time, up until our apocalyptic times, the words of praise to the One who created heaven and the earth have always resounded. We also, at the time of the celebration of the Joy of the Nativity, witness the truth of David’s words – the words that are eternally fresh. Aware of the fact that the Lord is eternal, we also eternalize everything related to Him: His existence from eternity, His incarnation from the Holy Spirit and Vir-gin Mary, His divine life, death and resurrection.
Everything connected to Christmas represents a particular joy. The welcome of the God-Child Christ remains an eternally joyful event, which in the consciousness of His followers becomes a witness of a heartfelt gratitude for God’s love, which is so clearly seen in the Birth of God.
Every time afresh we ask questions about the Birth of God. We may not understand it quite well, but that which we understand and to which we hold, is the fact that God loves us, that out of love towards us, His creatures, He decided to become incarnate of the Holy Spirit and be born from the Virgin Mary as one of us.
The Holy Fathers say: “God lowered Himself so that man could be raised up”… “God became man so that man could become god”.
This sacred truth that we adopt, we strongly believe in and, filled with unspeakable gratitude, rejoice in this glorious remembrance of the Birth of God, reliving it every year in our prayerful remembrance. We are prepared with fasting and prayer for the coming of God. It is necessary to prepare ourselves in other ways also and to widely open the doors of our hearts for One Who is begotten of the Virgin. Through His entrance into our hearts, the God-Child inspires us, revitalizes and refreshes us, reminding us of the need for the ultimate Theosis and reaching of the complete aim, our union with God – salvation.
Therefore we, through our church services, during this time, together with the participants of this unique drama, with the shepherds of Bethlehem, the wise men, the stars, following our own spiritual immersion into the spiritual depths of the Birth of God, pray to the God-Child Christ to pour out Grace on all so that we, by celebrating His glorious Birth, could understand the rest of the drama, from the cycles of dramas’ pertaining to the salvation of the mankind. Keeping in mind the greatness of the name of God, His immeasurable love for mankind, manifested in the Incarnation, we should always be ready to accept the Christ-child into our hearts.
Unfortunately, a great number of our people do not understand this event and for whom Christmas is only another excuse for taking a break from the everyday labors. But there is no true rebirth without spiritual rebirth, without the understanding of the fundamental purpose of man. We should pray that the Newborn Christ helps all he members of God’s Church, but also all other people, wherever they may be, whatever creed they may be following, to understand that He, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, the Son of God, was incarnate and was born for the sake of all. The Lord was born for every one of His creatures – for every human being.
We should pray to the God-Child Christ that He put into our hearts the joy of the Nativity, the peace of the Nativity and love and all other virtues which shape the God-like creature of God – man.
Our brethren in Kosovo and Metohija need our prayers this Christmas, for the Lord to warm their hearts and alleviate their fear over their survival on their ancient homeland.
Our prayers are needed nowadays for all the suffering people in the world, whether they are suffering from evil people or from natural disasters. All those sufferings can be understood more easily in the light of the joy of the Nativity, in the light of the revelation of God to people.
Christ is Born – Glorify Him!
Let us glorify Him because through His birth joy comes to all those who believe that He is the deliverer of mankind. God is Born, let us remember! Let us remember the fact that He is born for us and that this is a mystery, which leaves one speechless, but joyful at the same time, for the mystery is salvific. Christ is born; let us greet each other with this all-joyful greeting, the greeting of hope and love, of peace and joy.
Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, giver of life and every joy, help us understand that Thy Nativity from the Theotokos is unto salvation and joy of man-kind. Let the joy of the Nativity, O Good One, be in our hearts, so that we may, full of spiritual joy and celebration of Thy Nativity, together with the Prophet David say, “Lord, our Lord! How magnif-icent is Thy name in all the earth! Thou hast raised Thy glory above the heavens.”
Fr. Milorad Loncar
(Translated by Djordje Baltic)