Беседа в день Рождества Христова. Св. Иоанна Златоустого, архиепископа Константинопольского

What the forefathers once mourned and the prophets predicted and what the righteous wanted to see has now come to pass and has been fulfilled: God appeared on earth in the flesh, and lived with men (Baruch 3:38). Let us rejoice and be glad, beloved. If John, while in his mother’s womb, leapt at Mary’s entrance to Elizabeth, then much more we, looking not at Mary, but at our Savior Himself, born today, should rejoice and be glad, be horrified and amazed at the greatness of God’s economy, which surpasses all understanding. Imagine how majestic it would be if we saw the sun descend from heaven, walk across the earth and from here pour out its rays on everyone. If it would be amazing for everyone to see such an event with a sensual sun, then think and imagine now how majestic it is to see the Sun of Truth pouring out His rays from our flesh and enlightening our souls... Now the church closely accommodates the multitude gathered. Therefore, expect a worthy reward for such zeal from Christ, who was born today in the flesh. He will certainly reward such zeal: for love and zeal for this day serves as the greatest proof of love for the Born. If you need to bring something from us, your co-servants, then we will bring it according to our strength, or better, what the grace of God allows us to say for your benefit. What do you want to hear about today? about what else if not about this same day? I can give evidence from which we will undoubtedly be convinced that at this very time our Lord Jesus Christ, God the Word, was born. One of the proofs is that this holiday quickly became known everywhere, reached such heights and became famous. As Gamaliel said about the Christian sermon, what is from man will be ruined: if it is from God, you cannot destroy it, lest those who fight against God be found (Acts 5:38, 39), so I would boldly say about this day that since God the Word is from God, this holiday not only has not stopped, but is growing every year and becoming more famous. For in a few years the sermon spread throughout the entire universe: although those who spread it everywhere were skin-makers, fishermen, unlearned, simple; however, the humiliation of the servants did not harm her at all, because the power of the Preached One had previously arranged everything, destroyed obstacles and demonstrated its own power. If any of the inquisitive are not satisfied with what has been said, then another proof can be cited, which consists in the description found in the Gospels. It came to pass, says the Evangelist, in those days, that a command came from Caesar Augustus to write down the whole universe. This writing was the first to be written by Cyrenia, who ruled Syria. And I want to pee every time in my own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, for he was no longer from the house and fatherland of David, to be married to Mary, his betrothed wife, who is not idle. And while she was there, the days of giving birth to Her were fulfilled: and she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and gave birth to Him, and laid Him in a manger: for there was no place for them in the monastery (Luke 2:1–7). From this it is clear that Christ was born during the first census; and from the ancient codices publicly preserved in Rome, anyone can find out with accuracy the time of this census. We accepted this day from those who know it exactly and live in that city: for those who live there, having celebrated it for a long time and according to ancient tradition, have now conveyed information about it to us. And the Evangelist did not mark the time (of the Nativity of Christ) in vain, but in order to make the day itself clear and known to us and to show the economy of God. Augustus did not issue a command arbitrarily and not on his own, but God moved his soul so that he, albeit involuntarily, would serve the appearance of the Only Begotten. About Christ, all the prophets predicted that He would not come from Nazareth, but would come from Bethlehem and be born there (Matt. 2:6; Mic. 5:2): and everyone had a common conviction that He certainly had to come from there, and not from Galilee. Therefore, since Joseph and Mary, who were citizens of Bethlehem, but left it, settled down to live in Nazareth and stayed there (as often happens with many people who leave the cities in which they were born and live in others to which they do not belong by birth), and meanwhile Christ had to be born in Bethlehem; then a command came out, which, according to God’s dispensation, forced them to involuntarily go to that city. The law, which commanded everyone to fit into their own homeland, forced them to leave from there, that is, from Nazareth, and come to Bethlehem to fit in. Do you see, beloved, the economy of God, both through the unfaithful and through the faithful, arranging His works, so that those who are strangers to piety would know His power and might? The star led the wise men from the east, and the law led Joseph and Mary to the fatherland predicted by the prophets, to Bethlehem, for when they came to the city, Jesus was soon born. That is why He was laid in a manger, since there were many who flocked then from all sides, took their places and caused great oppression; That is why the wise men worshiped Him there. Let us present you with the clearest proof; I just ask you to be careful. Having delivered the Jewish people from Egyptian labors and barbaric violence, God commanded them to build a church. Having divided this church into two parts and placing a curtain between them, He made the outer part of the curtain accessible to everyone, and the inner part inaccessible and invisible to everyone except one high priest. Everyone was allowed to enter the outer part, but only the high priest entered the inner part, and only once a whole year. Moses expressed it this way: and the Lord spoke to Moses: Say to Aaron your brother, let him not enter the holy place inside the veil at all hours, before the face of the purification, which is above the ark of the witness, and let him not die. And let every man not be in the tabernacle of the meeting, when he enters into the holy place to pray, until he departs... (Leviticus 16:2, 17, 18). From this it is clear that when the high priest was within the Holy of Holies, no one was allowed to approach, but must stand outside the veil. Note this carefully. It remains to be shown what the time was at which he entered the Holy of Holies, doing this only once a year. How does the ego know? From the book of Leviticus, in which it says: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, subdue your souls: on that day he will pray for you to cleanse you from all your sins before the Lord, and you will be cleansed... May it be made one in the summer, as the Lord commanded Moses (Lev. 16:29-34). This speaks of the Feast of Tabernacles: for then the high priest went in once a year. So, if during the Feast of Tabernacles one high priest entered into the Holy of Holies, then it is clear that it was then that the Angel appeared to Zechariah while he was in the Holy of Holies; since he appeared to him alone while he was burning incense; and one high priest entered only at this time. Zechariah was inside the Holy of Holies behind the veil. Then the good news was given to him. And the time of this gospel was the feast of tabernacles and fasting: for this is the meaning of the words: subdue your souls. This holiday is celebrated among the Jews in the last days of the month of September, as you are witnesses to it. Then Elizabeth, the wife of Zechariah, conceived, and hid herself for five months, saying: as the Lord has done for me in the days, in a prince he will take away my reproach among men (Luke 1:24-25). Six months pregnant with John, Mary receives the good news of conception. Gabriel came to Her and said: Do not be afraid Miriam: for you have found grace with God, and behold, you conceived in your womb, and gave birth to a Son, and called His name Jesus (Luke 1:30, 31). When She was embarrassed and asked about the method of fulfillment, the Angel answered Her and said: The Holy Spirit will come upon You, and the power of the Most High will overshadow You: in the same way, what is to be born holy will be called the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth is Thy son, and she conceived a son in her old age: and this sixth month is called unfruitful for her: for with God every word shall not fail (Luke 1:35–37). So, if Elizabeth conceived in the month of September, as shown, then the next six months must be counted; they are: October, November, December, January, February, March. At the end of these six months Mary conceived; then, counting nine more months, we will reach the present month. Thus, the first month after the conception of the Lord is April; then May, June, July, August, September, October. November, December is the real month in which we celebrate this day, and in which our Lord was born. Since many of the pagans, hearing that God was born in the flesh, laugh and mock and many of the simplest are embarrassed and disturbed, it is necessary to tell both those and those who are embarrassed that they should never be embarrassed by listening to crazy people, and not be disturbed by the laughter of infidels. Small children often laugh when we talk about important and necessary subjects, but their laughter serves as proof not of the baseness of the ridiculed objects, but of the foolishness of those laughing. The same can be said about the pagans that they, being crazier than children, mock what is worthy of awe and great surprise, but in truth they respect and honor what is funny. However, our objects, ridiculed by them, remain in their importance, without losing any of their glory from their ridicule; and their objects, decorated in every way, show their own ugliness. For is it not extremely insane when they themselves, bowing before stones, trees and low idols, introducing their own gods and confining them, as it were, in prison, find nothing shameful in their deeds and words, but condemn us, who say that God built for Himself a living church through the Holy Spirit, through which He saved the universe? What is reprehensible about this? If it is shameful for God to dwell in a human body, then it is much more shameful for a stone and a tree, and even more so for a stone and a tree to be inferior to a person, unless they consider our race to be of lesser importance than these insensitive things. We affirm that Christ received from the virgin’s womb pure flesh, removed, immaculate and uninvolved in any sin, and restored his own creation. They and, like them, the Manichaeans devoted to wickedness, are not afraid or ashamed; and they say about us that we affirm what is unworthy of God, while we cannot even admit anything like that in our minds, but we affirm what is proper and characteristic of Him, that is, that He, having come, restored His creation in this way of birth. What, tell me, are you saying, man? Claiming that the soul of murderers and wizards is from the essence of God, you dare to condemn us, who do not allow anything like this and cannot hear it, but we consider those who assert this to be wicked and say that God, having built a holy church for Himself, through it introduced heavenly life into our lives. Are you not worthy of a thousand deaths both for the accusations with which you condemn us and for the wicked judgments that you do not stop? If it is not fitting for God to dwell in a pure and immaculate body, as you say, then it is much more indecent to be in the body of a magician, a grave digger, a robber, a monkey or a dog, and not in a holy body, immaculate and now seated at the right hand of the Father. For what harm or what defilement can there be for God from such an economy (of our salvation)? Do you not see this sun, whose body is sensual and destructible, even though the pagans and Manichaeans, hearing this, gasped a thousand times with vexation? And not only this, but also the earth, and the sea, and all visible creatures in general were subjected to vanity. Listen to how Paul explains this when he says: For the creation is not subject to vanity by will, but because of the new one in hope. Then, explaining what it means to obey vanity, he continues: for the creation itself will be freed from the work of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God (Rom. 8:20, 21). Consequently, it is now destructible and perishable: for to work towards corruption means nothing other than to be perishable. So, if the sun, a corruptible body, pouring out its rays everywhere, touching dirt, impurity and many other similar things, is not at all damaged in its purity by touching these bodies, but again collects pure rays, and, communicating its good actions to many of the bodies that perceive it, does not itself receive the slightest stench and defilement: then much more is the Sun of Truth, the Lord of incorporeal forces, having assumed pure flesh, not only defiled, but also made her even more pure and holy. Thinking about all this and remembering the following saying: I will dwell in them and walk around (2 Cor. 6:16), and also: you are the church of God, and the Spirit of God lives in you (1 Cor. 3:16), - we too will speak against the unjust and stop the shameless lips of the wicked, and we will rejoice in our blessings, glorify the incarnate God for such condescension and, according to our strength, show Him worthy honor and reward. For God, there can be no other reward from us than the salvation of us and our souls and zeal for virtue. Let us not be ungrateful to the Benefactor, but let us offer everything within our power: faith, hope, love, chastity, mercy, friendliness. The present time is short, beloved: let us be sober, watchful, sincerely show every concern for everyone, be reverent in everything. Let us not offend God, instead of reconciliation with Him, but, showing all the purity and serenity of our souls, let us propitiate our Lord Jesus Christ, so that we may receive the blessings promised to us, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen 55. In short. See the works of St. John Chrysostom, in Russian. translation 1896, vol. II, pp. 387–399. You might be interested in: