Written by: Catechist Branislav Ilić, Editor of the “Kinonia” Portal
“Let us, O people, begin the celebrations of Christ’s birth, lift up our minds and direct our thoughts towards Bethlehem, and behold in the cave a great mystery! For God has come from the pure Virgin, and Eden is opened – perfect in both divine and human nature. Therefore, let us cry out: Holy God, the Unoriginate Father; Holy Mighty, the Incarnate Son; Holy Immortal, the Comforting Spirit; O Holy Trinity, glory to You!”
(First sticheron on “Lord, I have cried,” Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ)
With these words, the divinely inspired hymnographer invites us to partake in the joyful participation of the Feast of the Nativity of Christ. We have entered the sacred days of the forefeast, days that liturgically introduce us to the mystery of the feast, calling us to glorify the Divine Infant Christ with one mouth and one heart, who was born for us and for our salvation.
To prepare for the Feast of the Incarnation of the Word of God, we have engaged in both spiritual and physical fasting, fervent prayer, and have walked in the rhythm of the liturgical services, following the spiritual guidance offered by the Church’s hymnography. Given the painful reality of our human frailty -our wavering nature burdened by sin – standing on the threshold of Christmas, each of us might ask ourselves: Are we truly ready to meet the Divine Infant?
The Holiness of Fatherhood, Motherhood, and Childhood
In our tradition, the three Sundays preceding the Feast of the Nativity are dedicated to three fundamental sanctities of human life: the sanctity of fatherhood, the sanctity of motherhood, and the sanctity of childhood and its purity.
Firstly, the birth of the Only-Begotten Son of God reveals to us the mystery of the Eternal Father and His divine fatherhood. Christ declares, “Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father who sent Me,” and in another place, “I and the Father are one.” At the same time, He teaches us through the Lord’s Prayer that His Father is also our Father: “Our Father who art in heaven…” Thus, earthly fatherhood gains its meaning only when it is rooted in this eternal, heavenly fatherhood – it becomes sacred. Without this divine reality, no one would have the right to call any man on earth father. Through the birth of the Only-Begotten Son of God, the act of human birth ceases to be merely transient and perishable, instead becoming a birth for eternity.
Secondly, in celebrating Mother’s Day (Materice), we honour the sanctity of motherhood, consecrated through the Theotokos and her divine maternity. By giving birth to the Pre-eternal God as the Young Child, every birth is sanctified and given meaning. As the poet says, “The heart of every mother becomes the heart of the Mother of God.” What is holier on earth than a mother, and what is more exalted than motherhood? So scared and sublime is this mystery that God Himself willed to be born of a woman, making her womb “more spacious than the heavens.”
Thirdly, the child – born of the love between father and mother, through the primordial blessing of God -represents the culmination of all goodness and beauty with which God has endowed His creation. Thus, through Christ’s birth, the divine mystery of love in the Holy Trinity is revealed and bestowed upon us. It also manifests within the Church as a theanthropic community and within the family as the nucleus of this community.
Preparing for the Nativity of Christ
During these sacred Sundays, we spiritually evaluate our preparation for encountering the Divine Infant. These weeks, along with the hymns of the forefeast and the feast itself, call us to cultivate and multiply peace, love, and goodwill in our hearts.
Unfortunately, we live in a world filled with unrest, hatred, and evil. Daily, we hear of wars, conflicts, human tragedies, and natural disasters. Many wonder whether these are the last days of the world. Are we witnessing the fulfillment of the Lord’s words about the signs that will precede the end of time and Christ’s Second Coming?
Rather than being consumed by fear, we should instead be filled with the fear of God. Rather than being poor stewards of the divine gifts entrusted to us, we must become wise caretakers. Rather than being destroyers of the world, we must strive to be the salt of the earth, the light of the world, and a gateway to salvation for the world around us. The root cause of the world’s suffering lies in the broken relationship between God and humanity and the disrupted harmony between man and nature.
Human selfishness and self-indulgence lead not only to the degradation of the soul, but also to the abuse and destruction of nature – the very environment in which we live. Just as humans breathe and live through love, all of creation also longs for mercy, love, and kindness: the water we drink, the air we breathe, the flowers and trees, the fish in the sea, the beasts of the field, and the animals of our homes -all cry out for care and respect. If we abuse or misuse creation, we bring corruption upon it, which in turn affects us all.
When we pollute water, we lose its purity; when we exploit the land, we contaminate its fruits, poisoning ourselves in the process. The climate is changing, the polar ice caps are melting, the order of the seasons is disrupted – all of this results from our greed and recklessness. Modern man, rather than exploring the infinite spiritual spaces of his own soul, focuses solely on material gain and external conquest, which ultimately makes him spiritually empty and unfulfilled. True fulfillment is found only in Christ, in whom “the mystery hidden for ages in God” (Eph. 3:9) is revealed.
When Christ “dwells in our hearts through faith,” only then can we truly understand “what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge” (Eph. 3:17-19).
True Freedom in Christ
The Lord Jesus Christ proclaims: “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free…Whoever commits a sin is a slave to sin.” (John 8:32, 34).
We are only truly free when we walk the path of virtue – a path that is rooted in love for God and neighbour. Misusing God’s gifts or choosing the wrong way of life leads to spiritual enslavement, emptiness, and destruction. True freedom is in Christ, and it is a gift of eternity. This is the only freedom that can overcome the world’s tragedies, fears, and uncertainties, which we are, unfortunately, witnessing today. It implies being awake to the will of God, and limiting one’s wants and desires, i.e. being humble before our neighbours and creation as a whole.
Following the Example of Saint Ignatius the God-bearer
On the first day of the forefeast of the Nativity, we commemorate Saint Ignatius of Antioch, the God-bearer, a great Church Father and Teacher. Let us imitate this great saint, who, with sacrificial love and unwavering faith, endured the most severe persecutions of the Church. Let us take him as our prayerful guide to the quiet harbour of the Lord, for he was called “God-bearer”, not only because he carried God in his heart but also because, according to tradition, Christ Himself embraced him as a child and set him as an example of purity and innocence for His disciples.
Finally, let us take this exhortation of the Church’s hymnography and hasten to meet the Divine Infant with faith, love, and good works:
“Let us offer the Creator faith instead of gold, love instead of myrrh, and good deeds instead of frankincense, for He comes to dwell among His own!” (Second sticheron on the Praises, Forefeast of the nativity of Christ).
