A
beautiful hymn celebrating our Lord’s coming to the earth in the flesh:
O Bethlehem
prepare, Eden is opened up for all; and Ephratha, take heed, make yourselves ready and prepare; the Tree of Life has bloomed forth from the
Holy Virgin; and from her holy womb, spiritual Paradise,
wherein is found to grow the divine, rescuing Tree, and as we eat thereof we shall all live, and shall not die as did Adam. For Christ is born
now to raise the image that had fallen beforehand.
Source: ‘Apolytikion of the Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ’, Nancy Takis, trans., 2011, http://www.newbyz.org/nativity_christ_forefeast_troparion.pdf,
accessed 22 Dec. 2014
And
a sermon given by St John of Kronstadt commemorating this wondrous event begins
in this way:
The
Word became flesh; that is, the Son of God, co-eternal with God the Father and
with the Holy Spirit, became human – having become incarnate of the Holy Spirit
and the Virgin Mary. O, wondrous, awesome and salvific mystery! The One Who had
no beginning took on a beginning according to humanity; the One without flesh
assumed flesh. God became man – without ceasing to be God. The Unapproachable
One became approachable to all, in the aspect of an humble servant. Why, and
for what reason, was there such condescension [shown] on the part of the
Creator toward His transgressing creatures – toward humanity which, through an
act of its own will had fallen away from God, its Creator?
It
was by reason of a supreme, inexpressible mercy toward His creation on the part
of the Master, Who could not bear to see the entire race of mankind – which,
He, in creating, had endowed with wondrous gifts – enslaved by the devil and
thus destined for eternal suffering and torment.
And
the Word became flesh!...in order to make us earthly beings into heavenly ones,
in order to make sinners into saints; in order to raise us up from corruption
into incorruption, from earth to heaven; from enslavement to sin and the devil
– into the glorious freedom of children of God; from death – into immortality,
in order to make us sons of God and to seat us together with Him upon the
Throne as His royal children.
O,
boundless compassion of God! O, inexpressible wisdom of God! O, great wonder,
astounding not only the human mind, but the angelic [mind] as well!
. . .
Source: ‘The Word Became Flesh’, http://www.orthodox.net/nativity/nativity-sjok-2.html,
accessed 26 Dec. 2014
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