Categories: parish-life, feast-days
Date: 26 December 2004 21:10:30
A joyful three days past indeed. I pray that you all found, amongst the stresses and strains that accompany Christmas, a time for reflection on God becoming Man, and the joy and hope we have in Him.Today the Virgin gives birth to the Transcendent One,
And the earth offers a cave to the Unapproachable One!
Angels with shepherds glorify Him!
The wise men journey with a star!
Since for our sake the Eternal God was born as a Little Child!Kontakion for the Third Day of the Nativity of our Lord
My Christmas started with a quick dash across the Bosphrous back to Canterbury to attend an Anglican Blessing of the Crib and Solemn Eucharist. A wonderful friend was singing in the choir, which was accompanied by a wonderful chamber orchestra, four soloists, and an organ -- the size of which belied its majestic sounds. Mozart's Spatzenmesse was sung, as was Handel's joyous "Unto us is born a Son". The service was majestic in the style that Anglo-Catholicism does so well, and it was a joy to participate in the liturgy.
Christmas Day's 5am start did not eventuate (not that I'd have been up), so at 8.30am I traversed the Bosphorus again and celebrated Matins and Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Nativity in the Flesh of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We were joined by two sub-deacons which, as well as being a blessing for us, was -- I am sure -- a blessing for our priest as he celebrates on his own (we have no deacons at present). Pray for him, please.
The joy experienced was unbounded. The hymns, such as the one above, that proclaim the ineffable mystery of God becoming man, and the great joy of the coming of the Lord to save us, is soaked through every sentence spoken. A joy also to hear the words of St Paul in Galatians 4:4-7 and the words of St Matthew in Matthew 2:1-12, and an encouraging, challenging and hope-filled sermon.
All praise to God. I am so thankful I have found Orthodoxy, and so thankful for the love and generosity so freely given by all at my parish. God is gracious indeed!
As our priest was in Canberra Sunday and we had no replacement, I swam the Tiber to St Patrick's Catholic Cathedral, expecting the Feast of St Stephen (as I recalled from my Anglican days), but it was the Feast of the Holy Family. The cathedral, as you can see from the pictures, is very modern [as the original was destroyed by fire in 1996] and it jarred me a bit, but it was a joy to celebrate with God's people, accompanied by the sweetest sounds of a Tongan choir.
Christ is Born! Glorify Him!