Celebration of our Lord’s Nativity/Incarnation Approaches!

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” ~Isaiah 9:6

Dearest Spiritual ‘Ohana,
I greet you with much joy as we come to celebrate the Holy Nativity and Incarnation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! It is a Great Feast we celebrate, year after year, so that we never forget God’s Immense and Immeasurable Love for all of humankind, especially for you and for me. This is exactly why we do this, lest we easily forget!

There are a number of points to ponder that help unfold the Mystery of God’s Love for us. He has gone to extreme lengths to save us and redeem us from the curse of being shut out of Paradise through Adam and Eve, who were created to live in Paradise for eternity, but decided, erroneously, through the deception of the serpent, Satan, that they could be like God when they partook of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Adam and Eve suffered the consequence of being cast out of Paradise in that they sought to be happy without God. So as a consequence were shut out of It. But God could not endure to see humankind cast out of Paradise, so He reopened It for us through our Lord’s Incarnation.

•Incarnation of God The Nativity marks the mystery of the Incarnation—God becoming man in Jesus Christ—affirming divine, measureless love and extremist humility. Our God loves us so much that He condescends, or rather stoops/bends down into the lowest depths of humility to take on human flesh. The Logos, by a word alone, created the entire universe, the earth, the mountains, oceans, plants, animals, and us humans as His crown of creation. In His Incarnation, He becomes one of us to redeem us and save us. There are so many ways He exemplifies to us His Extreme Humility. When He took on flesh, for example, He was conceived in a human womb, was taken care of by human parents– the Virgin Mary and Joseph who was betrothed to Her. He was vulnerable in that when He was born, King Herod sought to kill and destroy Him. He had to learn to speak. He took on suffering in the flesh in being persecuted, hated, and put to death on the Cross.
•Fulfillment of Prophecy The Lord’s Incarnation/taking on of flesh fulfills the realization of Old Testament prophecies about the coming of the Messiah, connecting salvation history. One may read, especially in the Prophesy of Isaiah, which foretold many centuries before, of His Incarnation. Even before His Incarnation/taking on Himself our human nature, the Prophets spoke of the Mystery of His Incarnation and how It would impact all generations of humanity throughout the history of the entire world, and to the ages to come..• Union of Heaven and Earth The birth of Christ bridges the divine and human realms, restoring communion between God and humanity. Through His Incarnation, He is that Bridge that makes it possible for us to ascend to God, in that He has descended to us!
• Beginning of Salvation The Nativity is seen as the starting point of Christ’s salvific work, leading to His Passion, Resurrection, and ultimate victory over death. The Lord’s Nativity is the pathway of reopening Paradise to humankind, which Adam and Eve once closed through their disobedience in heeding Satan’s temptations to desire to be happy without God’s Presence. It restores us to our “former beauty” of finding fulfillment in our human nature’s deepest desire to be in everlasting bliss and communion with God, which is our ultimate purpose.
• Model of Humility and Poverty Christ’s birth in a humble manger teaches believers the virtue of humility and detachment from worldly pride. The great paradox of God’s Glory and Extreme Humility exemplifies the immense lengths that God would go for us, to save us.  He takes the initiative, and allows us to open ourselves to His fulfilling Presence.
• Joy and Peace for All Creation The Feast proclaims peace and reconciliation, not only for humanity but for the entire cosmos, emphasizing universal redemption. The Lord’s Incarnation produces “ripple effects” to all of creation. How can we but not rejoice in the Lord and give continuous Glory to Him!
• Liturgical and Spiritual Renewal Through fasting, prayer, and celebration, we Orthodox Christians renew our faith and prepare our hearts for Christ’s Presence.

I wish all of you the most fulfilling Joy in our Lord’s Holy Nativity!
CHRIST IS BORN! GLORIFY HIM!
With Love in Christ,
+Fr. Alexander