The Nativity of Our Lord

During the season of Advent we longed for the coming of Christ. In Christmastide we experience the joy of His coming into the world. The Church is full of the mystery of the Incarnation of Christ. Jesus as God, begotten of the substance of the Father before all ages and born of the substance of His Mother in the world, is given to us. "And His name shall be called the Angel of Great Council."

By the union of our souls with Jesus born to human life, we are born to the divine life. "As many as received Him He gave them power to be made Sons of God" (St. John).

In the birth of Jesus we learn to know God as His Father: "All things are delivered to Me by My Father. And no one knoweth the Son but the Father: Neither doth anyone know the Father but the Son and He to whom it shall please the Son to reveal Him" (St. Matthew).

During Christmastide, the liturgy shows us the Messias as the Son of God, clothed with humanity, glorified by the humble surprised shepherds, and adored by the Magi from the East. Let us fall down before the Child and bless God, for the birth of Jesus is the beginning of our Redemption through grace to the supernatural life.

For Christmas, the old custom of celebrating its feast at midnight has been kept, for it was at this hour that Mary in her spotless virginity gave to the world its Savior. In the midst of darkness, the Light was born. Therefore the Church celebrates Christmas on December 25, the time of the year when the days begin to lengthen. The custom of having three Masses originated in Jerusalem. A Mass was said in Bethlehem at a very early hour in the morning. Later a second Mass was celebrated in the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem. About midday a third Mass was celebrated. Each of the three Masses has its identifying characteristics. The Midnight Mass celebrates particularly the birth of Jesus, the Mass at dawn commemorates the adoration of the shepherds, the daytime Mass celebrates the eternal generation of the Word and the dignity of the Son of God.

Whereas Advent is the season of "absence of Jesus," Christmastide is a season of great joy in our possession of the Savior. Eight days after Christmas the Church celebrates the Circumcision of Jesus. On January 6, she commemorates the adoration of Jesus by the Magi (Epiphany), and Christmastide closes eight days later.

Last night right as we went to bed, John and I were pleasantly surprised to hear a brass "band" playing Christmas carols. We had no idea where it was coming from, until we looked up and saw a group of people on the porch of the house up the hill right behind our flat with their instruments. I'm sure most of Gaming heard them, but we were lucky enough to get a "front row seat."

This morning we woke up early to have cinnamon rolls (a tradition in my family) and open presents. Of course we took plenty of pictures. Maria had a blast, and John and I found that Christmas is much more fun now that we can watch Maria's excitement! She had no idea what to do at first when we handed her the presents, and then no idea why she was getting all these new toys, but she didn't seem to mind!

At 10 we attended Divine Liturgy, which was in Romanian, because many of the Romanian students here have family visisting. After Liturgy the few families who are still here had a small "Agape" meal. This evening we are going to have dinner with a family from India, and a couple of whom the wife is from Germany and the husband is from Siberia.