On the Saving Nativity According to the Flesh of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ
This is the Festival of the virgin birth! Our address must be exalted therefore in accordance with the greatness of the feast, and enter into the mystery, as far as this is accessible and permissible, and time allows, that something of its inner power might be revealed even to us. Please strive, brethren, to lift up your minds as well, that they may better perceive the light of divine knowledge, as though brightly illuminated by a holy star. For today I see equality of honour between heaven and earth, and a way up for all those below to things above, matching the condescension of those on high. However great the heaven of heavens may be, or the upper waters which form a roof over the celestial regions, or any heavenly place, state or order, they are no more marvellous or honourable than the cave, the manger, the water sprinkled on the infant and His swaddling clothes. For nothing done by God from the beginning of time was more beneficial to all or more divine than Christ’s nativity, which we celebrate today.
The pre-eternal and uncircumscribed and almighty Word is now born according to the flesh, without home, without shelter, without dwelling, and placed as a babe in the manger, seen by men’s eyes, touched by their hands, and wrapped in layers of swaddling bands. He is not a spiritual creature coming into being after previously not existing; nor flesh which is brought to birth but will soon perish; nor flesh and mind united to form a rational creature, but God and flesh mingled unconfusedly by the divine Mind to form the existence of one theandric hypostasis, who entered the Virgin’s womb for a time. By the good pleasure of the Father an the co-operation of the Spirit, the Word who transcends being came into being in this womb and by means of it, and now He is delivered from it and born as an infant, not loosing but preserving the signs of virginity. He is born without suffering, as He was conceived without passion, for as His mother was shown to be above the pleasure of passion when she conceived, so she is above grievous pains when she gives birth. “Before the pain of travail came upon her, she escaped it” as Isaiah says (Isaiah 66.7 LXX), and she brought forth in the flesh the pre-eternal Word. Not only is His divinity inscrutable, but the manner in which He was united with the flesh is past understanding, His condescension unsurpassable, and the human nature He assumed divinely, ineffably sublime, and so far above all thought and speech, that it does not admit of any comparison with creation. Even though you see in the flesh the child born to the Maid who knew no husband, He is still beyond compare. It says, “He is fair in beauty beside the sons of men” (Psalm 45.2 LXX). It does not say “fairer” but simply “fair”, so as not to compare incomparable things: the nature of God Himself to that of mere men.
“God, thy God”, it says, “hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows” (Psalm 45.7). The same one is both perfect God and perfect man; the same God is both the one who anoints and is anointed. For it says, “God, thy God hath anointed thee.” It is as man that the Word from God the Father is anointed, and He is anointed with the co-eternal Spirit who is of one nature with Him. This is the oil of gladness, which is why, again, it is the same God who is both the divine unction and the one anointed. But although He is anointed as man, as God He has the source of anointing within Himself. That is why he who beheld things in a divine manner saw and foretold that all those anointed by God were partakers of His life. For it is the property of God alone not to partake of the lives of others but to be partaken of, and to have as partakers those who rejoice in the Spirit. Such is the infant born now in the lowly stable, and hymned by us as a babe in the manger.
For He who produced all earthly and heavenly things out of non-being, when He saw that His rational creatures were brought to nothing because of their desire for something greater (Genesis 3.5), bestowed upon them Himself, than whom nothing is greater, and to whom nothing is equal or comes near to being equal, and offered Himself to be partaken of by those who so wished, in order that from that time forward we might exercise our desire for something better without risk, although in the beginning we fell into the ultimate danger on that account (1 Corinthians 15.26), and in order that each of us, in desiring to become God, might not only be blameless, but also attain to our longing. In a mysterious way, He abolished the pretext for the original fall, which was the superiority and interiority observable in beings and the resulting envy and treachery, as also the disputes, both open and concealed, which this caused. Because the author of evil did not want to be lower than any of the angels, but to be equal in excellence to the Creator Himself, he was the first to suffer the terrible fall before anyone else. Smitten by envy, he deceitfully attacked Adam and dragged him down to the abyss of Hades by means of the same desire. By so doing, he made Adam’s fall difficult to reverse, and it required God’s extraordinary presence, which has now been accomplished, to restore him. His own fall, however, he rendered incurable once and for all, because he did not acquire his arrogance from anyone else, but became himself the principle of evil and the fulness of evil, and made himself available to anyone wishing to participate in evil.
Now since it was God’s good pleasure to annul the pretext for that pride which brought down His rational creatures, He makes everything like Himself; and because by nature He is equal to Himself and equal in honour, He makes the creation equal to itself by grace and equal in honour. And how was this done? The very Word of God from God emptied Himself in an indescribable way, came down from on high to the lowest state of man’s nature, and indissolubly linked it with Himself, and in humbling Himself and becoming poor like us, He raised on high the things below, or rather, He gathered both things into one, mingling humanity with divinity, and by so doing He taught everyone that humility is the road which leads upwards, setting forth today Himself as an example before men and holy angels alike.
Because of this, the angels now possess steadfastness, having learnt in a practical way from the Master that the way to be exalted and to resemble Him is not arrogance but humility. Because of this, men are easily set right, as they recognize humility as the road by which they are recalled. Because of this, the prince of evil, who is conceit itself, has been put to shame and overthrown, whereas previously he imagined that he could somehow stand and was something, inasmuch as he had enslaved some, and pulled them down with himself, through their desire for something greater, while also hoping to do the same to others through their extreme folly. Now he is seen as a plaything, having been well and truly found out by those he had evilly deceived before. Now that Christ had been born, the devil is trampled down by those who were previously under his feet, who are no longer presumptuous, as the destroyer advised, but identify with the lowly (Romans 12.16), as the Saviour taught through His deeds, and win heavenly exaltation through humility.
That is why God who sits upon the cherubim (Psalm 99.1) is set before us as a babe on earth. He upon whom the six-winged seraphim cannot look, being unable to gaze intently not only at His nature but even at the radiance of His glory, and therefore covering their eyes with their wings (Isaiah 6.2), having become flesh, appears to our senses and can be seen by bodily eyes. He who defines all things and is limited by none is contained in a small, makeshift manger. He who holds the universe and grasps it in the hollow of His hand, is wrapped in narrow swaddling bands and fastened into ordinary clothes. He who possesses the riches of inexhaustible treasures submits Himself voluntarily to such great poverty that He does not even have a place at the inn; and so He enters into a cave at the time of His birth, who was brought forth by God timelessly and impassibly and without beginning. And–how great a wonder!–not only does He who shares the nature of the Father on high put on our fallen nature through His birth, nor is He subject merely to the utter poverty of being born in a wretched cave, but right from the very start, while still in the womb, He accepts the final condemnation of our nature. He who is by nature Lord of all is now ranked with the servants and enrolled with them (Luke 2.1-6), clearly making humble service to others no less honourable than the exercise of lordship, or rather, showing the servants as having greater honour than the earthly ruler at that time, provided of course they understood and obeyed the magnificence of grace. For the man who then seemed to rule the world was not counted with the King of heaven, though all his subjectes were, nor was this earthly ruler reckoned then as one of them, but the heavenly Lord was.
David, who is a forefather of God on account of Him who has now been born of his line, hymns God somewhere, “Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments” (Psalm 119.73). What does this mean? That only the Creator can grant true understanding. Anyone who has been vouchsafed understanding and grasped the honour which our nature received from God through being formed by His hands in His own image, will run towards Him, having come to a realization of His love for mankind, and will obey Him and learn His commandments. But how much more so if he comprehends, as far as is possible, this great mystery of our re-creation and restoration. God formed human nature out of the earth with His own hand and breathed His own life into man (Genesis 2.7; 1 Thessalonians 5.23), whereas everything else He brought into being by His word alone. He then allowed man to be governed by his own thoughts and follow his own initiative, because he was a rational creature with a sovereign will. Left alone, deceived by the evil one’s counsel and unable to withstand his assault, man did not keep to what was in accordance with his nature, but slid towards what was unnatural to it. So now God not only forms human nature anew by His own hand in a mysterious way, but also keeps it near Him. Not only does He assume this nature and raise it up from the fall, but He inexpressibly clothes Himself in it and unites Himself inseparably with it and was born as both God and man: from a woman, in the first instance, that He might take upon Himself the same nature which He formed in our forefathers; and from a woman who was a virgin, in the second, so that He might make man new.
If He had been born from seed, He would not have been a new man and, being part of the old stock, and inheriting that fall, He would not have been able to receive the fullness of the incorruptible Godhead in Himself and become an inexhaustible source of hallowing. And so, not only would He not have been able to cleanse, with abundance of power, our forefathers’ defilement caused by sin, but neither would He have been sufficient to sanctify those who came later. Just as water stored in a tank would not be sufficient to provide a large city with enough to drink continuously, but would require its own spring, so that it is never surrendered to the enemy on account of thirst, in the same way, neither a man nor a holy angel who, by sharing in grace, had the ability to make things holy, would suffice to sanctify everyone at all times. But creation needed a well containing its own spring, that those who drew near it and drank their full might remain undefeated by the attacks of weaknesses and deprivations inherent in the created world. So neither an angel nor a man, but the Lord Himself came and saved us, being made a man like us for our sake, and continuing unchanged as God. Building now the new Jerusalem, raising up a temple for Himself with living stones (Ephesians 2.20-21; 1 Peter 2.5), and gathering us into a holy and worldwide Church, He sets in its foundation, which is Christ (1 Corinthians 3.11), the ever-flowing fount of grace. For the Lord’s eternal fullness of life, the all-wise and omnipotent divine nature, is made one with human nature, which was led astray through lack of counsel, enslaved to the evil one out of weakness, and laid in the deepest caverns of Hades for want of divine life, that the Lord might intil into it wisdom and power and freedom and unfailing life.
And look forthwith at the symbols of this ineffable union and the resulting benefit poured out even upon those far away. A star accompanies the magi (Matthew 2.2-10): coming to a halt when they do, and travelling with them when they move on, or rather, drawing them and inviting them on the road, as their leader escorting them on their journey. It offers itself as their guide when they are on the move, and when they rest awhile it permits them to do so, and itself stays in its place, lest deserting them it should grive them by its absence, seeming to abandon its role as guide before journey’s end. For it caused them considerable distress by concealing itself from them when they approached Jerusalem.
Why did it hide from them while they were there? To make them, through their enquiries, unsuspecting heralds of Christ who was born at that time according to the flesh. Because they presumed they would learn from the Jews where Christ was to be born according to the sacred prophecies, the divine star left them, teaching us that we should no longer seek to find out about the law and the prophets from the Jews, but rather to seek after the teaching that comes from heaven, lest we be deprived of grace and the outpouring of light from above. When they left Jerusalem, the star appeared again to their delight, and when before them to lead the way, “till it came and stood over where the young child was” (Matthew 2.9), obviously worshipping with them this earthly and heavenly infant. This star first brings the magi as a birthday gift to God, born upon earth, and through them to the whole Assyrian nation, according to the saying of Isaiah: “In those days the Assyrians shall be the first nation for God, and after them the Egyptians, and Israel shall be the third” (Isaiah 19.23-24), as is now seen coming to pass. For the veneration of the magi was immediately followed by the flight into Egypt (Matthew 2.13), during which He delivered the Egyptians from idols (Isaiah 19.1), and after His return from there, a nation worthy of God’s possession was chosen from among Israel.
And while Isaiah openly foretold these events, the magi worshipped Him in person, bringing gold and frankincense and myrrh (Matthew 2.11; Isaiah 60.6) to Him who, through death, symbolized by myrrh, grants us divinely inspired life, of which frankincense is an image, and His divine radiance and kingdom, represented by the gold offered to the giver of eternal glory. On account of Him who is born today, shepherds stand in the same choir as angels, sing the same hymn, and strike up a melody together. The angels do not take the shepherds’ pipes into their hands, but the shepherds, surrounded by the radiance of the angels’ light, find themselves in the midst of the heavenly host and are taught a heavenly song of praise by the angels, or rather a hymn both heavenly and earthly, saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace” (Luke 2.14). Now He who dwells on high and reigns over the celestial heights has the earth as His throne, and is glorified on earth as much as there (Isaiah 66.1; Acts 7.49), by His saints and His angels alike.
But what is the cause of this praise from men and angels together and this much-extolled good news which so gladdens the shepherds and all men? “Behold,” it says, “good will toward men” (Luke 2.14). For God, who was angry with the human race and subjected it to terrible curses, has come in the flesh, granting His peace and reconciling them to the heavenly Father. Behold, says the hymn, He has not been born for us angels, though now that we see Him on earth we extol Him as we do in heaven, but for you men, that is to say, for your sake and in accordance with your nature a Saviour is born, Christ the Lord, in the city of David.
What is meant by linking God’s good will with peace? “Peace,” it says, “good will toward men.” There were times before when He gave signs of peace to men. To Moses “the Lord spake, as a man speaketh unto his friend” (Exodus 33.11); and He found David a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13.14; Acts 13.22); and He granted tokens of peace to the whole Jewish nation when He came down upon the mountain for their sake and spoke to them through fire and the thick dark cloud (Exodus 19.9, 16-18; Deuteronomy 4.10-11), but not according to His good pleasure. For good will refers to that which is in and of itself well-pleasing, the original and perfect will of God. It was not the original and perfect will of God that He granted benefits, and not even perfect ones, to certain men or to one nation only. That is why, just as God called many people His sons, but there is only on in whom He was well-pleased (Matthew 3.17; 17.5), so He gave His peace on many occasions, but only once accompanied by His good pleasure, which He grants, perfect and unchanging, through the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ to every race and to as many as desire it.
Brethren, let us preserve this peace in ourselves, as far as we can, for we have received it as an inheritance from our Saviour who has now been born, who gives us the Spirit of adoption, through which we have become heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8.15, 17). Let us be at peace with God, doing those things which are well-pleasing to Him, living chastely, telling the truth, behaving righteously, “continuing in prayer and supplication” (Acts 1.14), “singing and making melody in our heart” (Ephesians 5.19), not just with our lips. Let us be at peace with ourselves, by subjecting our flesh to our spirit, choosing to conduct ourselves according to our conscience, and having the inner world of our thoughts motivated by good order and purity. THus we shall put an end to the civil conflict in our own midst. Let us be at peace with one another, “forebearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you” (Colossians 3.13), and showing mercy to each other out of mutual love, just as Christ, solely for love of us, had mercy on us and for our sake came down to us. Then, recalled from the sinful fall through His help and grace, and lifted high above this world by virtues, we may have our citizenship in heavenly places (Philippians 3.20), when also we wait for our hope (Romans 8.23), redemption from corruption and enjoyment of celestial and eternal blessings as children of the heavenly Father.
May we all attain to this, at the future glorious advent and epiphany of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom belongs glory unto the ages. Amen.
St Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessaloniki: Homily 58, on the Holy Nativity of the Lord. From Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies (Mount Thabor Publishing, 2009)
source: https://dormitioninconcord.wordpress.com/2016/01/06/st-gregory-palamas-homily-on-the-holy-nativity/
It is true, Christ promised peace to his followers, amongst themselves but, certainly no peace from others. To the rest of the world He said He came to bring a sword and discord. As for Jerusalem, it would be like a millstone hung around the neck of the nations; Nutty Yahoo and, anyone else, thinking that Jerusalem belongs to them, get badly burned.
навсегда и всегда!
A Blessed Holy Nativity to my brothers and sisters of the Orthodox faith.
May your prayers be answered, amen.
On this day I, a Muslim American-Arab, would like to commemorate a Chapter /Surah from the Holy Quran.
It’s titled ‘ Mary / Maryam ‘ Chapter 19 . Its a little long but do read it.
Surah Maryam :
In the name of Allah (God in Arabic), the Beneficent, the Merciful
Kaf. Ha. Ya. A’in. Sad. (1) A mention of the mercy of thy Lord unto His servant Zachariah. (2) When he cried unto his Lord a cry in secret, (3) Saying: My Lord! Lo! the bones of me wax feeble and my head is shining with grey hair, and I have never been unblest in prayer to Thee, my Lord. (4) Lo! I fear my kinsfolk after me, since my wife is barren. Oh, give me from Thy presence a successor (5) Who shall inherit of me and inherit (also) of the house of Jacob. And make him, my Lord, acceptable (unto Thee). (6) (It was said unto him): O Zachariah! Lo! We bring thee tidings of a son whose name is John; we have given the same name to none before (him). (7) He said: My Lord! How can I have a son when my wife is barren and I have reached infirm old age? (8) He said: So (it will be). Thy Lord saith: It is easy for Me, even as I created thee before, when thou wast naught. (9) He said: My Lord! Appoint for me some token. He said: Thy token is that thou, with no bodily defect, shalt not speak unto mankind three nights. (10) Then he came forth unto his people from the sanctuary, and signified to them: Glorify your Lord at break of day and fall of night. (11) (And it was said unto his son): O John! Hold fast the Scripture. And we gave him wisdom when a child, (12) And compassion from Our presence, and purity; and he was devout, (13) And dutiful toward his parents. And he was not arrogant, rebellious. (14) Peace on him the day he was born, and the day he dieth and the day he shall be raised alive! (15) And make mention of Mary in the Scripture, when she had withdrawn from her people to a chamber looking East, (16) And had chosen seclusion from them. Then We sent unto her Our Spirit and it assumed for her the likeness of a perfect man. (17) She said: Lo! I seek refuge in the Beneficent One from thee, if thou art God-fearing. (18) He said: I am only a messenger of thy Lord, that I may bestow on thee a faultless son. (19) She said: How can I have a son when no mortal hath touched me, neither have I been unchaste? (20) He said: So (it will be). Thy Lord saith: It is easy for Me. And (it will be) that We may make of him a Revelation for mankind and a mercy from Us, and it is a thing ordained. (21) And she conceived him, and she withdrew with him to a far place. (22) And the pangs of childbirth drove her unto the trunk of the palm-tree. She said: Oh, would that I had died ere this and had become a thing of naught, forgotten! (23) Then (one) cried unto her from below her, saying: Grieve not! Thy Lord hath placed a rivulet beneath thee, (24) And shake the trunk of the palm-tree toward thee, thou wilt cause ripe dates to fall upon thee. (25) So eat and drink and be consoled. And if thou meetest any mortal, say: Lo! I have vowed a fast unto the Beneficent, and may not speak this day to any mortal. (26) Then she brought him to her own folk, carrying him. They said: O Mary! Thou hast come with an amazing thing. (27) O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a wicked man nor was thy mother a harlot. (28) Then she pointed to him. They said: How can we talk to one who is in the cradle, a young boy? (29) He spake: Lo! I am the slave of Allah. He hath given me the Scripture and hath appointed me a Prophet, (30) And hath made me blessed wheresoever I may be, and hath enjoined upon me prayer and almsgiving so long as I remain alive, (31) And (hath made me) dutiful toward her who bore me, and hath not made me arrogant, unblest. (32) Peace on me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive! (33) Such was Jesus, son of Mary: (this is) a statement of the truth concerning which they doubt. (34) It befitteth not (the Majesty of) Allah that He should take unto Himself a son. Glory be to Him! When He decreeth a thing, He saith unto it only: Be! and it is. (35) And lo! Allah is my Lord and your Lord. So serve Him. That is the right path. (36) The sects among them differ: but woe unto the disbelievers from the meeting of an awful Day. (37) How well they hear and see and hear them on the Day they come unto Us! yet the evil-doers are to-day in error manifest. (38) And warn them of the Day of anguish when the case hath been decided. Now they are in a state of carelessness, and they believe not. (39) Lo! We Only, We inherit the earth and all who are thereon, and unto Us they are returned. (40) And make mention (O Muhammad) in the Scripture of Abraham. Lo! he was a saint, a prophet. (41) When he said unto his father: O my father! Why worshippest thou that which heareth not nor seeth, nor can in aught avail thee? (42) O my father! Lo! there hath come unto me of knowledge that which came not unto thee. So follow me, and I will lead thee on a right path. (43) O my father! Serve not the devil. Lo! the devil is a rebel unto the Beneficent. (44) O my father! Lo! I fear lest a punishment from the Beneficent overtake thee so that thou become a comrade of the devil. (45) He said: Rejectest thou my gods, O Abraham? If thou cease not, I shall surely stone thee. Depart from me a long while! (46) He said: Peace be unto thee! I shall ask forgiveness of my Lord for thee. Lo! He was ever gracious unto me. (47) I shall withdraw from you and that unto which ye pray beside Allah, and I shall pray unto my Lord. It may be that, in prayer unto my Lord, I shall not be unblest. (48) So, when he had withdrawn from them and that which they were worshipping beside Allah, We gave him Isaac and Jacob. Each of them We made a prophet. (49) And we gave them of Our mercy, and assigned to them a high and true renown. (50) And make mention in the Scripture of Moses. Lo! he was chosen, and he was a messenger (of Allah), a prophet. (51) We called him from the right slope of the Mount, and brought him nigh in communion. (52) And We bestowed upon him of Our mercy his brother Aaron, a prophet (likewise). (53) And make mention in the Scripture of Ishmael. Lo! he was a keeper of his promise, and he was a messenger (of Allah), a prophet. (54) He enjoined upon his people worship and almsgiving, and was acceptable in the sight of his Lord. (55) And make mention in the Scripture of Idris. Lo! he was a saint, a prophet; (56) And We raised him to high station. (57) These are they unto whom Allah showed favour from among the prophets, of the seed of Adam and of those whom We carried (in the ship) with Noah, and of the seed of Abraham and Israel, and from among those whom We guided and chose. When the revelations of the Beneficent were recited unto them, they fell down, adoring and weeping. (58) Now there hath succeeded them a later generation whom have ruined worship and have followed lusts. But they will meet deception. (59) Save him who shall repent and believe and do right. Such will enter the Garden, and they will not be wronged in aught – (60) Gardens of Eden, which the Beneficent hath promised to His slaves in the unseen. Lo! His promise is ever sure of fulfilment – (61) They hear therein no idle talk, but only Peace; and therein they have food for morn and evening. (62) Such is the Garden which We cause the devout among Our bondmen to inherit. (63) We (angels) come not down save by commandment of thy Lord. Unto Him belongeth all that is before us and all that is behind us and all that is between those two, and thy Lord was never forgetful – (64) Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them! Therefor, worship thou Him and be thou steadfast in His service. Knowest thou one that can be named along with Him? (65) And man saith: When I am dead, shall I forsooth be brought forth alive? (66) Doth not man remember that We created him before, when he was naught? (67) And, by thy Lord, verily We shall assemble them and the devils, then We shall bring them, crouching, around hell. (68) Then We shall pluck out from every sect whichever of them was most stubborn in rebellion to the Beneficent. (69) And surely We are best aware of those most worthy to be burned therein. (70) There is not one of you but shall approach it. That is a fixed ordinance of thy Lord. (71) Then We shall rescue those who kept from evil, and leave the evil-doers crouching there. (72) And when Our clear revelations are recited unto them, those who disbelieve say unto those who believe: Which of the two parties (yours or ours) is better in position, and more imposing as an army? (73) How many a generation have We destroyed before them, who were more imposing in respect of gear and outward seeming! (74) Say: As for him who is in error, the Beneficent will verily prolong his span of life until, when they behold that which they were promised, whether it be punishment (in the world), or the Hour (of doom), they will know who is worse in position and who is weaker as an army. (75) Allah increaseth in right guidance those who walk aright, and the good deeds which endure are better in thy Lord’s sight for reward, and better for resort. (76) Hast thou seen him who disbelieveth in Our revelations and saith: Assuredly I shall be given wealth and children? (77) Hath he perused the Unseen, or hath he made a pact with the Beneficent? (78) Nay, but We shall record that which he saith and prolong for him a span of torment. (79) And We shall inherit from him that whereof he spake, and he will come unto Us, alone (without his wealth and children). (80) And they have chosen (other) gods beside Allah that they may be a power for them. (81) Nay, but they will deny their worship of them, and become opponents unto them. (82) Seest thou not that We have set the devils on the disbelievers to confound them with confusion? (83) So make no haste against them (O Muhammad). We do but count out unto them a number (of days). (84) On the day when We shall gather the righteous unto the Beneficent, a goodly company. (85) And drive the guilty unto Hell, a weary herd, (86) They will have no power of intercession, save him who hath made a covenant with his Lord. (87) And they say: The Beneficent hath taken unto Himself a son. (88) Assuredly ye utter a disastrous thing (89) Whereby almost the heavens are torn, and the earth is split asunder and the mountains fall in ruins, (90) That ye ascribe unto the Beneficent a son, (91) When it is not meet for (the Majesty of) the Beneficent that He should choose a son. (92) There is none in the heavens and the earth but cometh unto the Beneficent as a slave. (93) Verily He knoweth them and numbereth them with (right) numbering. (94) And each one of them will come unto Him on the Day of Resurrection, alone. (95) Lo! those who believe and do good works, the Beneficent will appoint for them love. (96) And We make (this Scripture) easy in thy tongue, (O Muhammad) only that thou mayst bear good tidings therewith unto those who ward off (evil), and warn therewith the froward folk. (97) And how many a generation before them have We destroyed! Canst thou (Muhammad) see a single man of them, or hear from them the slightest sound? (98)
Thank you so much for this beautiful text and Merry Christmas!!!
4 quick questions: 1. why is Orthodox Christmas referred to “Nativity” and not simply “Christmas”?
2. A Catholic once told me that we Orthodox don’t believe in the Virgin Mary. We don’t believe in her Immaculate Conception, but she is still a saint and a virgin in our church. She does seem to be much more important in the Catholic church than in the Orthodox church? Why is that?
3. In many religious texts, including this one, the jews are referred to as those people amongst whom the Messiah is born. Jews then converted to Christianity. Only two tribes didn’t convert: saduccees and pharisees. They went on to create their own Talmudic religion. But why do they have exclusivity over the term “Jews”?
4. Is Jesus the same person as Issa in the Koran??
I’ll try to answer your questions 2 and 4.
If you will read through the services of the Orthodox Church, we commemorate the Theotokos many times, as a prayer to her (Theotokion) is frequently sung. And her ikons are always present in our churches and homes. She is literally ‘unforgettable’!
And yes, Issa and Jesus are the same but Muslims don’t believe that he died on the cross for our sins. They regard him as greatest of the prophets but not hardly the ‘Son of God’ as we believe. They have a much different
understanding of salvation.
Rdr James Morgan
Regarding number 3 please see Benjamin Freedman’s comments:
http://www.sweetliberty.org/issues/israel/freedman.htm
Essentially, the word jew is a fabrication. There were no jews during Jesus’ time.
Languages have been turned upside down to serve a nefarious purpose.
Jim (James), T1,
Thank you very much!
@There were no jews during Jesus’ time.
There actually were.
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of JUDAEA in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the JEWS? (Matthew 2:1-2).
“19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. 21 Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. 22 Pilate answered, What I have written I have written” (John 19:19-22).
“Christmas” is a relatively recent English invention (a shortened form of “Christ’s mass”. It is derived from the Middle English Cristemasse, which is from Old English Crīstesmæsse, a phrase first recorded in 1038 followed by the word Cristes-messe in 1131).
The name of the Feast was Christougena or Christougenna in Greek, literally meaning “Christ’s birth, Nativitas in Latin,French Noël, Italian Natale, Spanish Navidad, and Portuguese Natal. Celtic languages also borrowed it: Gaelic Nollaig, Welsh Nadolig, and Breton Nedeleg. Russian and Bulgarian are clear about whose birth it is: their name is Рождество Христово (Rozhdestvo Khristovo), meaning “birth of Christ. In Polish it’s Boże Narodzenie, “birth of God.” The Anglo-Saxons referred to the feast as as Nātiuiteð (from Latin nātīvitās).
In fact ‘Christmas’ is the only appellation which does not refer to the Birth of the Christ (opening the door for all the ‘solsticial’ interpretations).
The Orthodox put the accent on the “Mother of God” more than on the “Virgin Mary”. Muslims also believe that Mary was a virgin, but not that she was the Mother of God (therefore the prophet Isa was not Jesus). Their ‘congratulations’ for Nativity sound very strange indeed: “And they say: The Beneficent hath taken unto Himself a son. (88) Assuredly ye utter a disastrous thing (89) Whereby almost the heavens are torn, and the earth is split asunder and the mountains fall in ruins, (90) That ye ascribe unto the Beneficent a son”
King of the Judeans
@King of the Judeans
Jew and Juif are the English and French renditions of the name of the people who called themselves Y’hūdāi, corresponding to Hebrew: יְהוּדִי, Yehudi (sg.); יְהוּדִים, Yehudim (pl.), in origin the term for a member of the tribe of Judah or the people of the kingdom of Judah.
“The English word Jew continues Middle English Gyw, Iewe. These terms derive from Old French giu, earlier juieu, which had elided (dropped) the letter “d” from the Medieval Latin Iudaeus, which, like the New Testament Greek term Ioudaios, meant both Jews and Judeans / “of Judea””.
Absolutely all other peoples call this people as they call themselves: Judaei (“Jude” in German, “judeu” in Portuguese, “jøde” in Danish and Norwegian, “judío” in Spanish, “jood” in Dutch, “żyd” in Polish and Russian, ‘jidan’ in Romanian.
Jew-Juif is the result of a certain linguistic laziness characteristic to languages of Celto-Germanic background, but the name designate the same people: Judaei.
‘Judaism’ is the ‘heresy’ of the Jews who rejected Christ and made a God of themselves.
Serbian girl, the answer to last question whether Jesus the same person as Issa in the Koran is here:
Whole chapter in the holy quran named after Jesus/Issa mother Mary/Mariam:
Chapter /Surah from the Holy Quran.
It’s titled ‘ Mary / Maryam ‘ Chapter 19 . Its a little long but do read it.
Surah Maryam :
In the name of Allah (God in Arabic), the Beneficent, the Merciful
Kaf. Ha. Ya. A’in. Sad. (1) A mention of the mercy of thy Lord unto His servant Zachariah. (2) When he cried unto his Lord a cry in secret, (3) Saying: My Lord! Lo! the bones of me wax feeble and my head is shining with grey hair, and I have never been unblest in prayer to Thee, my Lord. (4) Lo! I fear my kinsfolk after me, since my wife is barren. Oh, give me from Thy presence a successor (5) Who shall inherit of me and inherit (also) of the house of Jacob. And make him, my Lord, acceptable (unto Thee). (6) (It was said unto him): O Zachariah! Lo! We bring thee tidings of a son whose name is John; we have given the same name to none before (him). (7) He said: My Lord! How can I have a son when my wife is barren and I have reached infirm old age? (8) He said: So (it will be). Thy Lord saith: It is easy for Me, even as I created thee before, when thou wast naught. (9) He said: My Lord! Appoint for me some token. He said: Thy token is that thou, with no bodily defect, shalt not speak unto mankind three nights. (10) Then he came forth unto his people from the sanctuary, and signified to them: Glorify your Lord at break of day and fall of night. (11) (And it was said unto his son): O John! Hold fast the Scripture. And we gave him wisdom when a child, (12) And compassion from Our presence, and purity; and he was devout, (13) And dutiful toward his parents. And he was not arrogant, rebellious. (14) Peace on him the day he was born, and the day he dieth and the day he shall be raised alive! (15) And make mention of Mary in the Scripture, when she had withdrawn from her people to a chamber looking East, (16) And had chosen seclusion from them. Then We sent unto her Our Spirit and it assumed for her the likeness of a perfect man. (17) She said: Lo! I seek refuge in the Beneficent One from thee, if thou art God-fearing. (18) He said: I am only a messenger of thy Lord, that I may bestow on thee a faultless son. (19) She said: How can I have a son when no mortal hath touched me, neither have I been unchaste? (20) He said: So (it will be). Thy Lord saith: It is easy for Me. And (it will be) that We may make of him a Revelation for mankind and a mercy from Us, and it is a thing ordained. (21) And she conceived him, and she withdrew with him to a far place. (22) And the pangs of childbirth drove her unto the trunk of the palm-tree. She said: Oh, would that I had died ere this and had become a thing of naught, forgotten! (23) Then (one) cried unto her from below her, saying: Grieve not! Thy Lord hath placed a rivulet beneath thee, (24) And shake the trunk of the palm-tree toward thee, thou wilt cause ripe dates to fall upon thee. (25) So eat and drink and be consoled. And if thou meetest any mortal, say: Lo! I have vowed a fast unto the Beneficent, and may not speak this day to any mortal. (26) Then she brought him to her own folk, carrying him. They said: O Mary! Thou hast come with an amazing thing. (27) O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a wicked man nor was thy mother a harlot. (28) Then she pointed to him. They said: How can we talk to one who is in the cradle, a young boy? (29) He spake: Lo! I am the slave of Allah. He hath given me the Scripture and hath appointed me a Prophet, (30) And hath made me blessed wheresoever I may be, and hath enjoined upon me prayer and almsgiving so long as I remain alive, (31) And (hath made me) dutiful toward her who bore me, and hath not made me arrogant, unblest. (32) Peace on me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive! (33) Such was Jesus, son of Mary: (this is) a statement of the truth concerning which they doubt. (34) It befitteth not (the Majesty of) Allah that He should take unto Himself a son. Glory be to Him! When He decreeth a thing, He saith unto it only: Be! and it is. (35) And lo! Allah is my Lord and your Lord. So serve Him. That is the right path. (36) The sects among them differ: but woe unto the disbelievers from the meeting of an awful Day. (37) How well they hear and see and hear them on the Day they come unto Us! yet the evil-doers are to-day in error manifest. (38) And warn them of the Day of anguish when the case hath been decided. Now they are in a state of carelessness, and they believe not. (39) Lo! We Only, We inherit the earth and all who are thereon, and unto Us they are returned. (40) And make mention (O Muhammad) in the Scripture of Abraham. Lo! he was a saint, a prophet. (41) When he said unto his father: O my father! Why worshippest thou that which heareth not nor seeth, nor can in aught avail thee? (42) O my father! Lo! there hath come unto me of knowledge that which came not unto thee. So follow me, and I will lead thee on a right path. (43) O my father! Serve not the devil. Lo! the devil is a rebel unto the Beneficent. (44) O my father! Lo! I fear lest a punishment from the Beneficent overtake thee so that thou become a comrade of the devil. (45) He said: Rejectest thou my gods, O Abraham? If thou cease not, I shall surely stone thee. Depart from me a long while! (46) He said: Peace be unto thee! I shall ask forgiveness of my Lord for thee. Lo! He was ever gracious unto me. (47) I shall withdraw from you and that unto which ye pray beside Allah, and I shall pray unto my Lord. It may be that, in prayer unto my Lord, I shall not be unblest. (48) So, when he had withdrawn from them and that which they were worshipping beside Allah, We gave him Isaac and Jacob. Each of them We made a prophet. (49) And we gave them of Our mercy, and assigned to them a high and true renown. (50) And make mention in the Scripture of Moses. Lo! he was chosen, and he was a messenger (of Allah), a prophet. (51) We called him from the right slope of the Mount, and brought him nigh in communion. (52) And We bestowed upon him of Our mercy his brother Aaron, a prophet (likewise). (53) And make mention in the Scripture of Ishmael. Lo! he was a keeper of his promise, and he was a messenger (of Allah), a prophet. (54) He enjoined upon his people worship and almsgiving, and was acceptable in the sight of his Lord. (55) And make mention in the Scripture of Idris. Lo! he was a saint, a prophet; (56) And We raised him to high station. (57) These are they unto whom Allah showed favour from among the prophets, of the seed of Adam and of those whom We carried (in the ship) with Noah, and of the seed of Abraham and Israel, and from among those whom We guided and chose. When the revelations of the Beneficent were recited unto them, they fell down, adoring and weeping. (58) Now there hath succeeded them a later generation whom have ruined worship and have followed lusts. But they will meet deception. (59) Save him who shall repent and believe and do right. Such will enter the Garden, and they will not be wronged in aught – (60) Gardens of Eden, which the Beneficent hath promised to His slaves in the unseen. Lo! His promise is ever sure of fulfilment – (61) They hear therein no idle talk, but only Peace; and therein they have food for morn and evening. (62) Such is the Garden which We cause the devout among Our bondmen to inherit. (63) We (angels) come not down save by commandment of thy Lord. Unto Him belongeth all that is before us and all that is behind us and all that is between those two, and thy Lord was never forgetful – (64) Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them! Therefor, worship thou Him and be thou steadfast in His service. Knowest thou one that can be named along with Him? (65) And man saith: When I am dead, shall I forsooth be brought forth alive? (66) Doth not man remember that We created him before, when he was naught? (67) And, by thy Lord, verily We shall assemble them and the devils, then We shall bring them, crouching, around hell. (68) Then We shall pluck out from every sect whichever of them was most stubborn in rebellion to the Beneficent. (69) And surely We are best aware of those most worthy to be burned therein. (70) There is not one of you but shall approach it. That is a fixed ordinance of thy Lord. (71) Then We shall rescue those who kept from evil, and leave the evil-doers crouching there. (72) And when Our clear revelations are recited unto them, those who disbelieve say unto those who believe: Which of the two parties (yours or ours) is better in position, and more imposing as an army? (73) How many a generation have We destroyed before them, who were more imposing in respect of gear and outward seeming! (74) Say: As for him who is in error, the Beneficent will verily prolong his span of life until, when they behold that which they were promised, whether it be punishment (in the world), or the Hour (of doom), they will know who is worse in position and who is weaker as an army. (75) Allah increaseth in right guidance those who walk aright, and the good deeds which endure are better in thy Lord’s sight for reward, and better for resort. (76) Hast thou seen him who disbelieveth in Our revelations and saith: Assuredly I shall be given wealth and children? (77) Hath he perused the Unseen, or hath he made a pact with the Beneficent? (78) Nay, but We shall record that which he saith and prolong for him a span of torment. (79) And We shall inherit from him that whereof he spake, and he will come unto Us, alone (without his wealth and children). (80) And they have chosen (other) gods beside Allah that they may be a power for them. (81) Nay, but they will deny their worship of them, and become opponents unto them. (82) Seest thou not that We have set the devils on the disbelievers to confound them with confusion? (83) So make no haste against them (O Muhammad). We do but count out unto them a number (of days). (84) On the day when We shall gather the righteous unto the Beneficent, a goodly company. (85) And drive the guilty unto Hell, a weary herd, (86) They will have no power of intercession, save him who hath made a covenant with his Lord. (87) And they say: The Beneficent hath taken unto Himself a son. (88) Assuredly ye utter a disastrous thing (89) Whereby almost the heavens are torn, and the earth is split asunder and the mountains fall in ruins, (90) That ye ascribe unto the Beneficent a son, (91) When it is not meet for (the Majesty of) the Beneficent that He should choose a son. (92) There is none in the heavens and the earth but cometh unto the Beneficent as a slave. (93) Verily He knoweth them and numbereth them with (right) numbering. (94) And each one of them will come unto Him on the Day of Resurrection, alone. (95) Lo! those who believe and do good works, the Beneficent will appoint for them love. (96) And We make (this Scripture) easy in thy tongue, (O Muhammad) only that thou mayst bear good tidings therewith unto those who ward off (evil), and warn therewith the froward folk. (97) And how many a generation before them have We destroyed! Canst thou (Muhammad) see a single man of them, or hear from them the slightest sound? (98)
Repeating more loudly a false statement does not make it more credible. Surah Maryam does not talk about Mary the ‘Mother of (Jesus) God’, but of the daughter of Imran and ‘sister of Aaron and Musa (Moses)’. Period.
Issa is not Jesus. The ‘Jibril’ who gave this deceptive statement to Mahomed was not the Archangel Gabriel who told Mary, daughter of Joachim and Anna, that she would give birth “to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his Kingdom will never end.” Full stop. You may shout the Surah Maryam to your heart content, and repeat the threats of Mahomed against those who ‘utter a disastrous thing’ (that Jesus is the Son of God!), it wont make it true. On the contrary.
Read and educate yourself. Its plain as it can possibly be, here
Btw, Issa Jesus is mentioned in the Quran more times than he is mentioned in the Bible,
https://www.islamicity.org/6405/jesus-in-the-quran/
Don’t spam by reposting the chapter posted earlier. Plus the translation won’t be understood by non-muslims correctly. You could have posted a simplified tafsir which would give the answer to the question asked.
1. Why is Orthodox Christmas referred to “Nativity” and not simply “Christmas”?
Nativity – birth – is the simpler term, and it’s familiar to all Christian denomination. Check the etymology for Christmas, and you’ll find it to be less “simple”.
2. The statement under “2” is false. Any basic Orthodox catechism will show you why your Catholic friends are wrong. See Our Lady’s role and interventions in the history of Russia and Serbia. Begin with the history of the major icons and Marian shrines. See also “Jim of Olym” answer.
As for the “Immaculate Conception” dogma, google and see its history (introduced in 1854.)
3. “In many religious texts, including this one, the jews are referred to as those people amongst whom the Messiah is born.”
– Google “Messiah” and you’ll know what these references mean.
– Sadducees and Pharisees were not tribes, but religious parties, with different views on issues of doctrine and religious law. Google these terms to learn more.
– Not all Jews converted to Christianity – by any means. And Sadducees and Pharisees were definitely not rushing to embrace the new teachings. You’ll understand why when you’ve read up on them.
“They went on to create their own Talmudic religion.”
– Incorrect: the Talmud is just a collection of writings. Google “Talmud” and you’ll see why.The Sadducees and Pharisees – there are other sects and currents – all belong to Judaism.
“But why do they have exclusivity over the term ‘Jews’”?
– They don’t. Or your question is not clear.
4. Is Jesus the same person as Issa in the Koran?
– Issa (ʿĪsā) is just the Arabic form of Jesus. However, Islam and Christianity have very different views on his person, role and significance. See “Jim of Olym” answer – Google “Jesus in Islam”.
@Christmas vs Nativity
In the Orthodox Church what is called ‘Christmas’ is the period of 12 days which starts on the 25 Dec (Christougenna, Nativity of Christ) and ends on 7January (Synaxis of the Holy Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John).
The central point of this festal period (celebrated with the greatest pomp) is the Theophany (θεοφάνεια, theophaneia), Bogoyavlenia, the appearance of God, on the 6th of January, the Baptism of the Lord, because on that occasion Jesus Christ is proclaimed publicly as the Son (“And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” – Matthew 3:16-17). He was again proclaimed at the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor (“While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him” – Matthew 17:5).
No mention of Baptism in the Quran, therefore Issa refer to other person than Jesus.
In answer to the question about the mother of Christ, Mary, I would refer questioners to the Creed, as well as to Scripture itself.
For Orthodox Christians, the Creed is paramount and is recited at every Liturgy, commencing with “I believe…. The line concerning her is: “…and [Christ] was incarnate of tbe Virgin Mary, and became man.”
Considerable confusion can arise as to what Orthodox spirituality consists of, because in Othodoxy much more interplay between mind and heart allows for a flexibility in interpretation that is evident in the sermon of Saint Gregory Saker has provided us.
I have noticed that Saint Gregory supposes that the virgin birth was painless. I say that he supposes -he may well be correct – because I, also an Orthodox Chrisian, tend to1 disagree as do others of my faith. I think that the very human qualities we reverence in calling the Theotokos “Birthgiver” embrace the human aspects of giving birth, just as Jesus tells us in his use of birthgiving labors to exemplify his own sufferings and the joy that comes after.
It is important to know what are things that stand as the bedrock of faith and what reflects the interpretations the various fathers give. They, like us, are human, even the saints. Even the Theotokos, though she was the most pure of any of us and was a virgin. In her pure humanity we rejoice that she was chosen and gave her assent, “Be it unto me according to your word..” She is humanities crowning possibility of unification with the divine, and that is not to be sneezed at.
I am not saying tbat Saint Gregory sneezes; he just doesn’t seem to see it.
We are required to take our minds with us on this journey. So, that’s why I have commented, and I truly hope have not offended anyone.
Dear Saker,
Счастливого Рождества – to you and your family.
http://p2.la-img.com/241/28959/11165910_1_l.jpg
http://dialogues.stjohndfw.info/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/jan_morsink_ikonen_russian_icon__the_nativity.jpg
Poetry.
Inspirational.
Only of value of the ineffable beauty of life is understood to lie not in its exceptionality but in its commonality.
What a beautiful text, so appropriate for Epiphany, as it is today in México! Amen unto that, brothers!
Don’t know if what I grew up with is true……..How old was Mary when giving birth? 12 to 13 years old, today that would be child abuse, pedophilia in other realms
No sexual intercourse. Thats what the virgin birth means. I seem to recall her age was 14.
To my Orthodox brethren. I have come to appreciate more and more over the last few years your steadfast fealty to the spirit of Jesus. What an awakening it has been
https://fullspectrumdominoes.wordpress.com/2017/09/25/the-devils-still-here-and-hes-bringing-brimstone-back/
Well I see how I got tricked at the least. I don’t understand how any of this theology came about but I see how it indirectly has influenced my past belief.
Keep yourself away from superstition and lies!
Today, what the media shows about Islam is not a lie! It is worse than lies!
For example, the US and Israeli government created the ISIS and then gave them one (name)? Islamic state?
Nothing ISIS is like Islam and Muslims!
Why did ISIS troops have US and Israeli guns and bombs?
Did you know which country killed most ISIS bastard soldiers? just Iran
Yes, they continue to say that the Iranian people are terrorists and support the terrorists!
lie
lie
lie……
You will read the Qur’an without prejudice (real Quran) then you will know Islam (real Islam)!
(We know that ISIS has been created to keep our thinking away from the Zionist attack on Palestine)
Zionists have been part of a Palestinian state, and thousands of Palestinian women and children have been killed and created an ugly and scary country called Israel ?
As an Iranian I say (these Zionists (the people of Israel) have no difference with ISIS)
خودتان را از خرافات و دروغ دور نگه دارد
امروز آن چیزی که در رسانه ها در مورد اسلام نشان میدهند دروغ نیست ! آن بددتر از دروغ است
هیچ چیز داعش شبیه اسلام و مسلمانان نیست !
شما میدانستید چه کشوری بیشترین سربازان حرامزاده داعش را کشت ؟ ایران
بله همچنان میگویند مردم ایران تروریست هستند و از تروریست حمایت میکنند
شما بدون تعصب قران بخوانید (قران واقعی) آنوقت شما اسلام (اسلام واقعی) را خواهید شناخت
(ما میدانیم داعش را بوجود آوردند تا فکرهایمان را از مسئله حمله صهیونها به فلسطین دور نگه دارند)
صهیونها قسمتی از کشور فلسطین رااشغال کردن و هزاران زن و کودک فلسطینی را کشته اند و کشوری زشت و ترسناک به نام اسرائیل بوجود آوردند ؟
allah just allah
God is another lie
But how did they find so many exclusively Muslim volunteers to fill the ranks of ISIS?
You must be commenting from Tel Aviv, been watching your comments closely, your mission is to divide christians and muslims. Why don’t you find somewhere else to comment? this place is for unity of christians and muslims against common enemy (zionism)
Him being Hasbara troll or not, the question ask by him is valid. Except for some hired mercenaries and military personnel of the Empire embedded in the ISIS ranks, rest all were muslims (In addition to some ‘Islamic’ countries which are allies of the west). These Muslims obviously had no shame in accepting arms from the Empire and resorting to bloodshed of innocents to create a ‘khilafah’ state on robbed lands.
But it should also be clear that the majority of people that the ISIS killed were Muslims (this also does not mean that the religious minorities like Christians, Yazidis or the ethnic minorities like Kurds were not the victims). These Muslims no doubts had little knowledge of their scripture (most of the foreign fighters were indoctrinated via social media platforms and prior to that, they had little knowledge of their religion).
This place is for all like minded individuals who share the saker’s values irrespective of them being Christians or Muslims.
محسن, your comment is clearly not relevant to the subject. You could have posted it in the movable feast cafe. Bored Muslim also posted the whole surah Maryam which was of the same size as the article itself unnecessarily. He could have provided a link to the surah. Some might see it as hijacking the original article though his intentions were clearly not that. Anonymous also copy pasted the same whole surah instead of answering the question.
So I request Muslims not to engage in behavior that might displease Christians. Otherwise it defeats the purpose of developing a bond of friendship and mutual respect between the Muslims and Christians.
Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas around the World
https://www.rt.com/news/415201-orthodox-christmas-celebrations-worldwide/
Thanks Saker, for sharing this beautiful and inspirational text.
In German Christmas is called ‘Weihnachten’, which about means ‘Sanctious Night’. But I like the concept to call it ‘Birth’ with capitol B, for many reasons as St. Gregory Palamas pointed out.
@محسن
Are you sure you are commenting on the right subject? This is somewhat misplaced imho.
Peace be upon you all.
Cheers, Rob
I wish all a blessed and wonderful holiday and celebration of the Nativity. May God guide us all towards justice and peace and brotherhood.
Andrei my Orthodox brother Mery Christmas to you and your family.
Christ is Born! Glorify Him!
Well Rob, to me it seems that محسن is just as confused as the rest. The following documentary tries to get into where much of that worldwide confusion comes from:
https://youtube.com/watch?feature=plcp&v=OrHeg77LF4Y
Here’s the website where the documentary and addenda can be found: http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/
Enjoy!
I am literally moved of Saker having posted the Speech (Homily) of Gregorios Palamas, my fellow Thessalonikian.
And Thessaloniki celebrating him by naming its cathedral after him.
An interesting fact about Saint Gregory Palamas is that when the Turks kidnap him, Serbs payed the ransom to free him.
More interesting would be the debates the Saint had with Muslims, which were far from the “amicably disputing with the son of Emir Orkhan” who supposedly shown an “extremely tolerant attitude of the Turks towards Christians,” that the ecumenist John Meyendorff tried to push down our throats in his far from accurate studies “A Study of Gregory Palamas” (1959) and “St. Gregory Palamas and Orthodox Spirituality” (1974).
In actual fact they show the steadfastness of the Saint in upholding the Christian faith in face of the threats (and his mistreatment at their hands) of the Muslims boasting that “their victory over the Rom was due to their love of God”. He was not afraid to flatly reject all the Quranic ‘teachings’ on Jesus Christ (the same ones that Muslims invoke nowadays believing that by that they confound the Christians).