Encountering 'The Orthodox Christmas'

 

Dear Parish Faithful,

"I behold a strange and most glorious Mystery!" 

(Canon of the Nativity of Christ, Ode Nine)

 Even though at this moment I am not sure what we will be able to "salvage" of our Nativity liturgical services due to the impending snowstorm and frigid temperatures, I would still like to make a few comments about "The Orthodox Christmas." It is simply ... "different" than what is encountered - or so I am led to believe - in other non-Orthodox churches. That difference, in turn, can evoke a wide spectrum of responses: refreshing, intriguing, odd or disappointing. Over the years, I have heard all of these responses from folks who celebrated their first Christmas in the Orthodox Church. Hence, my brief comments offered here.

One major difference is that there is no special Christmas Eve service in the Orthodox Church: no processions or unique candlelight vigils accompanied by traditional Christmas carols (many of which are both beautiful and theologically sound - "Hail the incarnate Diety" from "Hark the Herald Angels Sing"). In the Church, the traditional cycle of liturgical services remain in their basic structures - Vespers, Compline, Matins and the Liturgy - and into that structure is inserted all of the rich hymnography and scriptural readings that are appointed for the Nativity. The services are imbued with a real festal expression, but again, the basic structures remain. Older Orthodox cultures all have a "folk" element, for lack of a better term, and there you will find a different set of carols and traditions; but these are enjoyed outside of the Church's liturgical cycle of services.

In the parish this year, we have been serving the Prefestal Nativity Vespers, the Royal Hours (now cancelled due to the weather) and Matins and Liturgy. And even Matins is tentative at the moment. Therefore, I would highly recommend that you click on the link provided here, and scroll down to December 24, and read the texts for the various Nativity services that are provided. You will encounter the endlessly rich hymnography praising Christ - the "incarnate Diety" - together with the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, Joseph the Betrothed, the shepherds and wise men, etc.

So, it may prove refreshing, intriguing, odd or disappointing depending upon one's perspective as a first-time or new participant in the "Orthodox Christmas." Best to be prepared I would think. The approach is different, but it would be hard to walk away unaware of the "strange and most glorious Mystery" of the Incarnation of the Word of God. 

Hoping we can gather for worship as a parish community and family!

In Christ,

Fr. Steven

The Incarnation: A word about the Word!

 

Toward Recovering a Genuine Christian Vocabulary


Dear Parish Faithful & Friends in Christ,

“He, the Mighty One, the Artificer of all, Himself prepared this body in the virgin as a temple for Himself, and took it for His very own, as the instrument through which He was known and in which He dwelt.” ~ Saint Athanasius the Great

 

 

 

Within the Church we have a biblical/theological vocabulary that is very expressive of what we believe as Christians. These words are drawn primarily from the Bible, the Ecumenical Councils, and the theological writings of the great Church Fathers, such as Saint Athanasius the Great, quoted above. As responsible, believing and practicing Christians, we need to know this vocabulary at least in its most basic forms. 

 

As we continually learn a new technology-driven vocabulary derived from computers to smart phones, so too we need to be alert to the traditional vocabulary of the Church as it has been sanctified over centuries of use. And this vocabulary should be natural to us – not something foreign, exotic and “only for theologians.” It does not take a great deal of effort to be theologically literate, and there is no excuse not to be.

 

As we prepare to celebrate the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, a key term that must be part of the vocabulary of all Orthodox Christians is Incarnation. The Nativity of Christ is the incarnation of the Son of God as Jesus of Nazareth. Or, we simply speak of The Incarnation, immediately knowing what that word is referring to. 

If we turn to the Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, we find the term defined somewhat blandly, in that kind of clipped, compact and objective style found in most dictionaries:

• in•car•na•tion \in-kär-`nā-shǝn\ n (14c) 1 a (1): the embodiment of a deity or spirit in some earthly form (2) cap: the union of the divinity with humanity in Jesus Christ.

In the Westminster Handbook to Patristic Theology, the Orthodox theologian, Father John McGuckin, begins his definition under a fairly long entry of this term as follows:

• Incarnation — Incarnation is the concept of the eternal Word of God (the Logos) “becoming flesh” within history for the salvation of the human race. Incarnation does not simply refer to the act itself (such as the conception of Jesus in the womb of the Virgin, or the event of Christmas); it stands more generally for the whole nexus of events in the life, teachings, sufferings, and glorification of the Lord, considered as the earthly, embodied activity of the Word [p. 180].

 

Speaking of expanding our theological vocabulary, we need to further know that we translate the key Greek term Logos as Word, referring of course to the Word of God Who was “with God” and Who “was God,” according to Saint John’s Gospel “in the beginning.” We also refer to the Word of God as the “Son,” “Wisdom,” and “Power” of God. It is this Logos/Word of God Who becomes incarnate as Jesus of Nazareth. The key verse that is the classical expression of the Incarnation in the New Testament is found in the Gospel according to Saint John 1:14:  “And the Word (Logos) became flesh.” 

This profound paradox of the Word-become-flesh is found in the well-known kontakion of the Nativity, written by St. Romanos the Melode. He begins his wonderful hymn with that paradox captured in the following manner:  

"Today the Virgin gives birth to the Transcendent One; and the earth offers a cave to the unapproachable One ..."

 

Incarnation is derived from the Latin word “in the flesh.” The Greek word for Incarnation would be sarkothenta, meaning “made flesh.” So the Incarnation of the Word of God is the “enfleshment”of the Word, and here “flesh” means the totality of our human nature. The Word has assumed our human nature and united it to Himself in an indissoluble union that restores the fellowship of God and humankind. The sacramental life of the Church is based on the Incarnation, and the potential for created reality to become a vehicle for spiritual reality. The ultimate manifestation of this is the Eucharist, and the bread and wine “becoming” the Body and Blood of Christ.

Christmas is the time of the year to recall all of this profound reality and recover a genuine Christian vocabulary that expresses our Faith about as well as what is humanly possible. This further means that theological words are not dry and abstract concepts when approached with not only respect, but with awe and wonder. This makes our reading and studying of our theological Tradition exciting – as well as humbling. The words reveal life-transforming truths that if received with prayer and thanksgiving enhance and expand our minds and hearts, so that we might have the “mind of Christ.”

Nikolai Berdyaev on Christianity and Anti-Semitism

Nikolai Berdyaev

 

Dear Parish Faithful,

The homily on the Sunday Before Nativity yesterday focused on the very Jewish Gospel According to St. Matthew (ch. 1:1-25). Commenting on the Jewishness of the Evangelist Matthew's presentation of Christ - in this context his genealogy and birth - I raised the troubling issue of the clear rise in Anti-semitism found in America today. This led me to share some very powerful passages from the French novelist Leon Bloy (+1917) on the issue of anti-semitism. A few parishioners were struck by Bloy's words, so I thought to reproduce them here for those who may want to return to them in the future. I actually found these passages from Bloy in the book by the Russian religious philosopher, Nikolai Berdyaev (1948), Christianity and Anti-Semitism. Here are Leon Bloy's words:

Suppose that there were people round you continually speaking of your father and mother with the utmost contempt, who had nothing to offer them but insults and offensive sarcasms, how would you feel? Well, this is just what happens to our Lord Jesus Christ. We forget, or rather we do not wish to know, that our God made man is a Jew, nature's most perfect Jew, the lion of Judah, that his mother is a Jewess, the flower of the Jewish race; that the Apostles were Jews, as well as all the Prophets; and finally that our whole sacred Liturgy is drawn from Jewish books. In consequence, how may one express the enormity of the outrage and blasphemy of vilifying the Jewish race?

Anti-semitism is the most horrible slap in the face suffered in the ever-continuing Passion of our Lord. It is the most stinging and most unpardonable because he suffers it on His mother's face and at the hands of Christians.

Berdyaev then commented: "These words are addressed to Christians, who ought to understand them. In truth, the superficiality of Christians who believe they can possibly be anti-semites is prodigious!"

Annual Nativity Narrative Test

Dear Parish Faithful, Here is an old "warhorse" - the annual Nativity Narrative Test of your knowledge of the Gospel Narratives surrounding the Nativity of Christ. I would suggest first taking the test and recording your score. Then, read the Gospels of Sts. Matthew & Luke, and retake the test. Perhaps you will see a good deal of improvement if your initial score was not one to boast about.  Or, you could take the test together as a family and either determine a collective score; or perhaps discover the "biblical scholar" in your midst.   Nativity Narrative Test The test questions should be answered by using the following key: M – St. Matthew L – St. Luke ML – Sts. Matthew & Luke N – Neither Gospel   1. This Gospel contains a sequence of revelatory dreams to St. Joseph _____ 2. This Gospel has an ox and an ass by the manger of the Christ Child _____ 3. This Gospel mentions the census that takes Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem _____ 4. This Gospel contains the genealogy of Christ that begins with the Patriarch Abraham _____ 5. This Gospel narrates the massacre of the Innocents _____ 6. This Gospel narrates the visit of three magi who bring gifts to the Christ Child _____ 7. This Gospel narrates the angelic visitation to shepherds watching their flocks _____ 8. This Gospel contains references to King Herod _____ 9. This Gospel narrates that Christ was born in the Hebrew month equivalent to Dec. _____ 10. This Gospel contains the prophecy of Isaiah that a “virgin” shall conceive _____ 11. This Gospel narrates the journey of the “Holy Family” to Egypt and back to Israel _____ 12. This Gospel narrates that Jesus was wrapped in swaddling cloths _____ 13. This Gospel refers to Jesus as the Word of God _____ 14. This Gospel tells us that the name of Christ’s mother is Mary _____ 15. This Gospel narrates the circumcision of the eight-day old Jesus _____ 16. This Gospel narrates that Jesus was born in a cave/stable/house _____ 17. This Gospel informs us that Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem _____ 18. This Gospel tells us that after His birth, Jesus returned to Nazareth _____ 19. This Gospel refers to the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus _____ 20. This Gospel mentions women in the genealogy of Christ _____

Ding, Dong, Irony on High

Dear Parish Faithful,

"But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are so little to be among the clans of Judah,from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient of days." (Micah 5:2)

 

"In these days" it is almost banal and trite to offer one more Christian critique of the crass commercialization of Christmas. For the simple reason that the pervasiveness of this phenomenon has become integral to the "American way of life" on an annual basis. But as Fr. Thomas Hopko has once written, we cannot, in response, grimace and gnash our teeth while swearing to "put Christ back into Christmas." That is a clearly a dead-end approach. 

 I wrote an earlier mediation that acknowledged the uneasy tension between the asceticism of the Fast and the consumerism of the holiday season. Our goal as Orthodox Christians is to somehow navigate our way through that terrain in such a way that the overall integrity of the Feast of the Lord's Nativity retains a place within our homes - and hopefully in our minds and hearts. Yet, to remind us of just how pervasive the droning of Christmas sales drowns out the Gospel proclamation of the Incarnation of the Word, I recently found this poem that I am sharing here. I am not a good judge of the quality of poetry, but this poem has a share of images and lines that nicely express the point:

Hush that anguished hymn you’re humming:  
“Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” 
Trumpet Christmas! Fix his coming 
firmly at “The First Nowell.” 

He’s already come in glory!  
Why plead, “Savior, come at last”? 
Let’s talk Christmas! Tell a story 
safely in the distant past.  

Drown out John the Baptist. Edit 
out “Prepare! Make straight the way!” 
Cut to Christmas! Buy on credit.  
Square things up another day.  

Advent’s dreary. Let’s start living 
Christmas now! Wear red and green! 
While we’re at it, skip Thanksgiving! 
Deck the halls at Halloween! 

Then, when the Incarnate Verb 
overnight becomes passé, 
carry Christmas to the curb.  
Pack the Prince of Peace away. 

- Julie Stoner (2009)

The line about "Buy on credit" has a certain resonance today, as I have recently read more than one article about the skyrocketing of credit card debt that Americans are dealing with. And with the Christmas season - and let's not lose the irony of this - that debt is shooting into the stratosphere. 

Are there some practical steps that we could take to create some balance in our lives as we approach the Feast? I would offer this humble suggestion: We will serve the pre-festal Vespers together with an appropriate reading to follow on Monday - Thursday, December 19-22. And the Royal Hours on Friday morning, December 23. As the Nativity has been called the "Winter Pascha" (Fr. Alexander Schmemann) these services are something of a "holy week" before the Feast, though far less intense then the Holy Week before Pascha. Make a point of attending at least one of those Vespers for some reorientation toward the "Orient from on high." Or the Royal Hours which offer an incredible insight into the scriptural passages that proclaim the coming of Christ. Christianity at its most expressive has always challenged prevailing cultural and social norms. In fact, it has often been "counter-cultural." Our role is to maintain that tradition on some level.

The Image of Giving in St Nicholas

St Nicholas provides gifts for three daughters to save them from poverty and harm.

 

Dear Fathers, Parish Faithful & Friends in Christ,

 

There are nineteen days of charity, prayer and fasting left before Christmas... Redeem the time.

 

Today we commemorate St. Nicholas of Myra in Lycia, the Wonderworker (December 6). There is a certain unresolved tension that accompanies his person and memory: On the one hand, there are few "hard facts" about his life (to the point where many doubt his actual historical existence); and on the other hand, he is clearly one of the most beloved and universally venerated of saints within the Church. It is said that even many Muslims venerate St. Nicholas! A good example of an objective account of the few facts behind the saint's life can be found in a short introductory biographical note concerning St. Nicholas in the book,The Time of the Spirit:

Little is known for certain about the life of St. Nicholas, bishop of Myra in Lycia (Asia Minor). It is believed that he suffered imprisonment during the last major persecution of the Church under Diocletian in the early fourth century, and that he attended the first Ecumenical Council at Nicea in 325. Christian tradition has come to regard him, in the words of an Orthodox hymn, as "an example of faith and an icon of gentleness." (Time of the Spirit, p. 69)

For those interested in the historical background of St. Nicholas, the following note found in The Synaxarion, Vol. II, edited by Hieromonk Makarios of Simonas Petras, may prove to be of real interest:

Since the medieval period, St. Nicholas of Myra has been confused with St. Nicholas of Sion, who founded a monastery not far from Myra at the end of the 5th century. The Vita of the latter has come down to us but the incidents in it have been entirely ascribed to St. Nicholas of Myra, with the result that St. Nicholas of Sion has been forgotten n the hagiographical accounts.... (See The Life of Saint Nicholas of Sion, edited and translated by I. N. P. Sevcenko (Brookline, MA, 1984).

So, even if we are dealing with a "composite figure" when we venerate St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, we nevertheless are given a glimpse into the "mind of the Church" when it comes to an image of a true pastor. A powerful and enduring image of a genuine Christian shepherd has remained within the memory of the Church, regardless of the now unrecoverable "facts" behind the actual history of 4th - 5th c. Asia Minor. It is this "unerring" intuition of the People of God that the faithful respond to up to the present day that remains as a solid foundation upholding all of the wonderful stories that endear us to St. Nicholas. The Church today desperately needs bishops of the type embodied by St. Nicholas. A shepherd who is a "rule of faith and an image of humility" would mean a great deal more to the Christian flock, than legal-minded adherence to canon law. St. Nicholas both protected and interceded for his flock, according to the great Russian Orthodox iconographer, Leonid Uspensky. And he further writes:

This 'life for others' is his characteristic feature and is manifested by the great variety of forms of his solicitude for men: his care for their preservation, their protection from the elements, from human injustice, from heresies and so forth. This solicitude was accompanied by numerous miracles both during his life and after his death. Indefatigable intercessor, steadfast, uncompromising fighter for Orthodoxy, he was meek and gentle in character and humble in spirit. (The Time of the Spirit, p. 69)

Well-known as St. Nicholas has been, he is perhaps less well-known in today's world. In fact, he may be slowly slipping away from Christian consciousness. Santa Claus, that rather unfortunate caricature of the saintly bishop, clearly has something to do with this. But perhaps the very virtues embodied by this saint are slowly fading from our consciousness. A few weeks back, I wrote a meditation that passed on the name our social and secular world has "earned" for itself through its rampant commercialization of Christmas - and that is Getmas. The author who coined this new term - I forget his name - claims it came to him based on a conversation he had had with a good friend about the "spirit of Christmas." The friend of our author said that Christmas was about "getting things." When the author countered by saying, "I thought Christmas was about giving," the friend quickly retorted: "Sure, people are supposed to give me things!" Out of this sad exchange came the unfortunate, but accurate, Getmas.

St. Nicholas was about the proper understanding of "giving." Perhaps the most enduring quality of his image is that of giving to children in need. Our children learn that those who already "have" more are those who will yet "get" more. And that is because they are taught this by their parents who yield to their childish demands. So we persist in widening the gap of imbalance between the "haves and "have-nots" without too many pangs of (Christian) conscience. St. Nicholas wanted to restore a sense of balance, and so he looked first to those who were in need, so that they could also taste some childlike happiness from receiving an unexpected gift. In a simple manner, this imitates the giving of God Who gave us Christ at a time when everyone - rich and poor alike - were impoverished through sin and death. 

I sometimes fantasize that an ideal celebration of Christmas would find a relatively affluent family making sure that they spent more on those in need than on themselves. If Christianity is indeed the "imitation of the divine nature" as St. Gregory of Nyssa once said, then that need not necessarily be such an unrealistic idea. I do not believe that I have ever actually done that, so I convict myself through the very thought. Yet, I am convinced that our children would respond with an eager spirit of cooperation if properly prepared for some approximation of that ideal. Why should it be otherwise if, according to the Apostle Paul, Christ said that it is more blessed to give than to receive?

Once again, just a thought based upon the image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.