The Nativity of the Theotokos: Philippians 2:5–11

The Apostolic reading Philippians 2:5–11, which is read during the Divine Liturgy on the feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, constitutes one of the Christological hymns of the New Testament. The Apostle Paul does not simply present a moral example of humility, but reveals the mystery of the incarnate Son and Word of God. The Church appoints this passage for the feast of the birth of the Panagia because, in her person, the mystery of the divine economy begins to be prepared within history: the coming of God into the world through the Incarnation.

Paul begins with the exhortation: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” The mind of Christ is the center of the Christian life. This is not a simple imitation of outward behavior, but an inner transformation of the human person. The believer is called to acquire a humble, sacrificial mind, obedient to the will of God. Humility, therefore, is neither social weakness nor psychological inferiority; it is a mode of existence that reveals true love.

Christ, “being in the form of God,” is true God. This phrase declares the eternal divinity of the Son. He did not become God after the Resurrection, nor did He…