25-е

5508 years before the Nativity of Christ, God Himself, for the transgression of His commandment, expelling our first parents from paradise, in His great mercy, promised them a Savior (Gen. 3:15), and repeated this promise several times (Gen. 22:18; 2 Sam. 7:12–13) in order to prepare people to accept Him. All the prototypes and prophecies relating to the incarnation of the Son of God were fulfilled. The Weeks of Daniel were ending. The fourth iron kingdom of Rome has arrived. The scepter of the prince and leader from the tribe of Judah, according to the prediction of the patriarch Jacob (Gen. 49:10), was finally taken away forever from the house of Judah from the time of the conquest of Judea by the Romans. Universal peace was established in the world, which foreshadowed, as predicted by the prophets (Is. 2:4) and Micah (Mic. 4:3,5:5), the coming of the Intercessor who would reconcile heaven and earth. Many years of experience have testified to the extreme weakness of people without God's help in knowing and honoring God, especially in the fulfillment of His holy. laws and in reconciliation with Him. “The wise Creator, says the Church, again restores man, who, having been created in the image of God, was corrupted by crime, was completely damaged and lost the highest Divine life.” We can say that the entire universe, on the basis of Divine Revelation, and as a result of the living consciousness of its infirmities, was waiting for the heavenly Redeemer, Who became the hope and joy of the tongues (Gen. 49:10; Luke 2:25,38). Before the birth of the Messiah, the Roman Emperor Augustus, who also had conquered Judea in his power, gave the order to carry out a nationwide census in his vast empire. All subjects of the Roman Empire went to register - each in his own city. The Virgin Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth, a city of Galilee. But since both of them came from the family and house of David, who lived in the land of Judah, in Bethlehem, the city of David, they went here to their homeland in Bethlehem, where there was a large crowd of people, St. the strangers in their own land, for lack of better accommodation, stopped in a den, and here the predictions of the prophets about the birth of the Savior were fulfilled; behold, a virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they will call His name Hemanuel: as it is said: God is with us (Is. 4:14; Matt. 1:23); and you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are the least of the rulers of Judah: from you will come a Leader who will shepherd My people Israel (Mic.5:2; Matt.2:6; John 7:42). Our Lord Jesus Christ was born incomprehensibly and ineffably from the Most Pure Virgin Mary, during the reign of the Roman Caesar Augustus, in the summer of 5508. “Under one worldly kingdom there were cities, and the tongues believed in one sovereignty of the Divine: the command of Caesar was a census, but we are in the name of You, our God made man; joined the ranks of the faithful." “Obeying Caesar’s command, O Christ, You entered into the number of slaves, and You made us slaves of the enemy and sin free.” “Under Augustus Caesar, the born God-man accepted the writing, so that he could correct the universal disorder.” The flightless Child, wrapped in swaddling clothes, was laid in a manger - as a sign of the deep humiliation to which sinner man, who has an extreme need for the heavenly help of the God-Man, has fallen. “The Lord rise up in the manger, that the dumbness of mankind may be corrected. In a wordless manger, the Virgin, God’s Word without beginning, places Thee, for I am to resolve the wordlessness of the coming, who has risen up with the envy of the serpent: to be wrapped in swaddling clothes, so that you may break the captivity of my sins.” But the Divine glory of the Infant God was not hidden in the darkness of the night, in the den, in the manger and swaddling clothes - in these first images of His humility and humiliation. The birth of the Savior was immediately known on earth, in different countries of the world, by the shepherds of Bethlehem and the eastern sages, both the simple and the wise. In the field near the den in which the Savior was born, there were Bethlehem shepherds keeping night watch over the flock. An angel appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. “Behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people,” the angel told them, “for today a Savior has been born to you, who is Christ the Lord.” And behold, a sign for you: you will find a baby midwife lying in a manger (Luke 2:10–12). And suddenly a large army of heaven appeared with the Angel, praising God and crying: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men (Luke 2:14). The shepherds, after the Angels had departed from them into heaven, hurried to Bethlehem and found Mary, Joseph and the Infant Lord lying in a manger, and they were the first to worship Him. Having announced to Mary and Joseph that they had seen and heard about the Infant of God, the shepherds returned to their place, glorifying and praising God. But Mary kept all these words which she wrote in her heart (Luke 2:9). Meanwhile, not only the fields of Bethlehem resounded with the glory of the Child lying in the manger, who was the radiance of glory and the image of the hypostasis of God (Heb. 1:3), but he diminished himself, taking on the form of a servant, becoming in the likeness of mankind, and being found in the likeness of a man (Phil. 2:7). Before His birth, a wonderful star appeared in the east of Bethlehem, or, as St. Chrysostom says, “some invisible force,” or, according to St. Demetrius of Rostov, an angelic one. By her appearance she announced to the world that a star had risen from Jacob and a man had risen from Israel and would take all the sons of Seth into captivity (Num. 24:17). These words, spoken by the soothsayer Balaam about 1450 years before the birth of Christ, are attributed to the event of the birth of the Savior by Origen, Saint Cyprian, writers of the 3rd century; saints Ambrose of Milan, Ephraim the Syrian, Gregory of Nyssa, Amphilochius of Iconium, writers of the 4th century; also the compiler of the prologue and St. Demetrius, Metropolitan of Rostov, and the Orthodox Church in his hymns. She calls the born Christ the star that shone from Jacob. An extraordinary star brought from the east the magi or wise men (Dan. 1:20; V, II) to worship the newborn King of the Jews, who, falling before Him, bowed and presented Him with gifts - gold, frankincense and myrrh - gold as for the King, frankincense as for God, myrrh as for mortal man. The Magi, according to St. Demetrius, Metropolitan of Rostov, and the Church, were those kings of Arabia and Sheba, from countries rich in gold and incense (2 Chronicles 9:1), about whom the prophets David (Ps. 71:10) and Isaiah (Is. 60:6) predicted, and probably belonged to the remains of the Church of Daniel and the beginnings of the pagan. “When the star shone from Jacob, O Lord, You filled the joys of the observers of the star, the wise guardians of the broadcasts of the ancient soothsayer Balaam, and clearly accepted them, brought (to You), as the firstfruits of the pagans. The daughter of Babylon draws to her from Zion the captive youths of David, and she herself sends with gifts her sons (her own) - the Magi - to worship the daughter of David, who has received God into herself. Babylon possessed the spoils and captives of the wealth of the kingdom of Zion, but Christ attracts to Zion as a guiding star both its treasures and star-watching kings.” According to Kozma of Maium, “Ethiopia and Tarshish, the Arabian islands and Sheba of Media fell before the Savior.” And not only the shepherds and the wise men recognized and confessed Christ the Savior, but also every creature, according to the saying of the Church, brought a gift to the born Lord: Angels - singing, heaven - a star, shepherds - a miracle, the wise men - gifts, the earth - a den, the desert - a manger, people - the Virgin Mother, paganism - the beginning of Christianity in its magicians. Thus, in the Bethlehem den and through the humiliation of the born Savior, the Divine glory shone forth! Since ancient times, the Day of the Nativity of Christ has been ranked by the Church among the great and twelfth holidays, in accordance with the Divine testimony of the Gospel, which depicts the celebrated event as the greatest, most joyful and wonderful. Behold, they preach the good news to you, the Angel said to the Bethlehem shepherds, great joy will come to all people. For today a Savior was born to you, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. And behold, a sign for you: you will find a midwife lying in a manger. Then suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of heavenly howls, praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. All who heard were amazed at what was said by the shepherds about the Savior who had been born, and the shepherds themselves returned, glorifying and praising God about everyone they had heard and seen (Luke 2:10–20). Thus, the Nativity of Christ, as the highest and most extraordinary event, was accompanied by wondrous news to the shepherds and wise men about the great worldwide joy for all people, as the Savior was born, angelic doxology to the born Savior, the worship of Him by the shepherds and wise men, the reverent surprise of many who heard the words of the shepherds about the born Child, His glory and praise from the shepherds. In accordance with the Divine testimony of the Gospel, the Fathers of the Church in their God-wise writings depict the holiday of the Nativity of Christ as the greatest, universal and most joyful, which serves as the beginning and foundation for other holidays. “From the treasury of this glorious day (the Nativity of Christ), says St. Ephraim the Syrian, all days borrow their blessings. Great, Lord, is this day of Yours, the day of Your Nativity is celebrated by everyone.” St. Gregory the Theologian on the day of the Nativity of Christ exclaimed in his word, just as the Church sings now: “Christ is born, glorify! Christ from heaven, come out to meet! Christ on earth, rise up! Sing to the Lord, all the earth (Ps. 94:1). And we will celebrate not magnificently, but Divinely; not in a worldly way, but in a worldly way, not our holiday, but the One who became ours, better to say, the holiday of our Master, not the holiday of infirmity, but healing, not the holiday of creation, but re-creation.” “Here it comes,” says St. Chrysostom is about the day of the Nativity of Christ, the most honest and most important holiday of all holidays. Whoever calls her the mother of all holidays will not sin. What kind of holiday is this? This is the Nativity of Christ according to the flesh; In this holiday, the Epiphany and Holy Easter, the Ascension of the Lord and Pentecost have their beginning and foundation. If Christ had not been born according to the flesh, he would not have been baptized, and this is the feast of the Epiphany; and did not suffer, and this is Easter; and would not have sent the Holy Spirit, and this is Pentecost. So, from the feast of the Nativity of Christ, our holidays began, like various streams from a source.” In another word, St. Chrysostom calls the holiday of the Nativity of Christ famous and famous among everyone from Thrace to Cadiz, and depicts the greatness of the holiday as follows. “What the forefathers longed for so strongly, what the prophets foretold, and the righteous longed to see, has happened today. God appeared on earth in the flesh and moved among people. Let us rejoice and be glad, beloved! John leaped in his mother’s womb when Mary came to Elizabeth, his mother; should we not shout more with inner joy as we see today not only Mary, but also our Lord, our Savior! Shouldn't we be filled with great awe and wonder, seeing His birth and the greatest mystery of His incarnation, incomprehensible to the mind! What amazement we would be in if the sun came down from the sky, revolved on the earth, and spread its rays to all people! Indeed, all the inhabitants of the earth would be amazed by such a miracle: shouldn’t we be filled with the deepest surprise at the much more important miracle that has now taken place, when the Sun of Truth spreads Its rays from our flesh and illuminates our souls! Therefore, I really wanted to see this day and, moreover, in such a way that it would be celebrated publicly, as I now see. For the space of this church is almost too small for such a large congregation. Expect rewards from the Savior born today. He is able to reward you justly for your fiery jealousy.” Blessed Augustine calls the feast of the Nativity of Christ annual and says: Christ sent John, so that he would be born when the days begin to increase, thereby transforming what the same John says: It is fitting for him to grow, but for me to grow small (John 3:30). In reverent obedience, let us celebrate the birthday of Christ in the form of a servant. We cannot yet contemplate that He was born of the Father before the morning star: let us repeat that He was born of the Virgin in the hours of the night. We are not yet able to be at our Father’s supper: that we may know the manger of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Right The Church proclaims about the greatness of the feast of the Nativity of Christ: “Thy Nativity, O Christ our God, the light of the world’s mind shines forth (Pl. 84:12), in which He who serves the stars (the Magi) learns to bow to Thee as a star, the Sun of righteousness, and to Thee to lead from the heights of the East: Lord, glory to Thee.” Like an important civil event, about which rumor usually spreads far among people, the event of the great feast of the Nativity of Christ spreads over many days. Within the limits of the forefeast and afterfeast, the feast of the Nativity of Christ lasts 12 days. However, he is right about the entire Divine Service. The Church, what it does from September, the beginning of the ancient church year until the day of the holiday, can be looked at as the time of the Old Testament, in which many by faith saw and expected the coming Messiah (Heb. XI). In this space of time, from September to the holiday, during its Divine services, the Church primarily remembers the Old Testament prophets, forefathers and fathers, and the events that preceded the birth of Jesus Christ. These events and the death of many Old Testament righteous people were so arranged by Providence that their memories are correct. Churches, anticipating the feast of the Nativity of Christ, prepare us for the celebration of this holiday. The Church and civil law call us all to a worthy celebration on the day of the Nativity of Christ. In ancient times, as now, on this holiday Christians abandoned worldly and everyday affairs. Public seats were freed from attendance; slaves were given freedom from labor. Everyone hurried to the church of God for the public divine service, during which they received Holy Communion. Tain and listened to pastoral teachings. After the Divine Service, they were engaged in matters of piety, in accordance with the civil decrees and the suggestions of St. father. This is how St. once taught on the day of the Nativity of Christ. Ephraim the Syrian: “Now the day of mercy has dawned, so that no one pursues his neighbor with vengeance for the offense inflicted on him; the day of joy has come, so that no one will cause sorrow and sorrow for another. This is a cloudless and clear day, let anger be curbed, the disturber of peace and tranquility. This is the day on which God condescended to sinners, so that the righteous should be ashamed to be proud of himself before the sinner; this is the day on which the Lord of creation came down to the servants, so that the master with such love should not be ashamed to descend upon his servants: this is the day on which the Rich One became poor for our sake, so that the rich will not be ashamed to share their meals with the poor.” The reverence of the Russian Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich on the day of the Nativity of Christ and other holidays extended to the point that some criminals were released from prison and the poor received relief. On the contrary, since ancient times, public games, shows and entertainment that violate the sanctity of the holiday have been prohibited on the great holiday of the Nativity of Christ. In accordance with the prophecy of Isaiah about the Savior: a rod will come out of the root of Jesse. and the flower will spring up from the root (Is. 11:1) and in accordance with the words of the Church’s hymn in honor of the event of the Nativity of Christ: “Christ is a branch from the root of Jesse and a flower from it, you have grown from a virgin,” some of the parents on the feast of the Nativity of Christ supply dry branches (Christmas trees) for their children, decorating them with the light of lamps and sweets. These branches can serve as an instructive image of the fact that our nature in itself, as a lifeless and fruitless branch, in Christ Jesus, the source of life, light and joy, can vegetate and bear spiritual fruits: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, mercy, faith, meekness, self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). Remembrance of the deliverance of the Church and the Russian power of the Gaul invasion After the glorious deliverance from the invasion of foreigners in 1812, the Orthodox Church, always prayerfully helping the fatherland, perpetuated the victory over the enemies with an annual celebration on the feast of the Nativity of Christ with thanksgiving to the Lord, the defender of truth.