Behold a new and wondrous mystery.
My ears
resound to the Shepherd’s song, piping no soft melody, but chanting full forth
a heavenly hymn. The Angels sing. The Archangels blend their voice in harmony.
The Cherubim hymn their joyful praise. The Seraphim exalt His glory. All join
to praise this holy feast, beholding the Godhead here on earth, and man in
heaven. He Who is above, now for our redemption dwells here below; and he that
was lowly is by divine mercy raised.
Bethlehem
this day resembles heaven; hearing from the stars the singing of angelic voices;
and in place of the sun, enfolds within itself on every side, the Sun of
justice. And ask not how: for where God wills, the order of nature yields.
For He willed; He had the power; He descended; He redeemed; all things yielded
in obedience to God. This day He Who is, is Born; and He Who is, becomes what
He was not. For when He was God, He became man; yet not departing from the
Godhead that is His. Nor yet by any loss of divinity became He man, nor through
increase became He God from man; but being the Word He became flesh, His
nature, because of impassability, remaining unchanged.
And so
the kings have come, and they have seen the heavenly King that has come upon
the earth, not bringing with Him Angels, nor Archangels, nor Thrones, nor
Dominations, nor Powers, nor Principalities, but, treading a new and solitary
path, He has come forth from a spotless womb.
Since
this heavenly birth cannot be described, neither does His coming amongst us in
these days permit of too curious scrutiny. Though I know that a Virgin this day
gave birth, and I believe that God was begotten before all time, yet the manner
of this generation I have learned to venerate in silence and I accept that this
is not to be probed too curiously with wordy speech.
For
with God we look not for the order of nature, but rest our faith in the power
of Him who works.
What
shall I say to you; what shall I tell you? I behold a Mother who has brought
forth; I see a Child come to this light by birth. The manner of His conception
I cannot comprehend.
Nature
here rested, while the Will of God labored. O ineffable grace! The Only
Begotten, Who is before all ages, Who cannot be touched or be perceived, Who is
simple, without body, has now put on my body, that is visible and liable to
corruption. For what reason? That coming amongst us he may teach us, and
teaching, lead us by the hand to the things that men cannot see. For since men
believe that the eyes are more trustworthy than the ears, they doubt of that
which they do not see, and so He has deigned to show Himself in bodily
presence, that He may remove all doubt.
Christ,
finding the holy body and soul of the Virgin, builds for Himself a living
temple, and as He had willed, formed there a man from the Virgin; and, putting
Him on, this day came forth; unashamed of the lowliness of our nature.
For it
was to Him no lowering to put on what He Himself had made. Let that handiwork
be forever glorified, which became the cloak of its own Creator. For as in the
first creation of flesh, man could not be made before the clay had come into
His hand, so neither could this corruptible body be glorified, until it had
first become the garment of its Maker.
What
shall I say! And how shall I describe this Birth to you? For this wonder fills
me with astonishment. The Ancient of days has become an infant. He Who sits
upon the sublime and heavenly Throne, now lies in a manger. And He Who cannot
be touched, Who is simple, without complexity, and incorporeal, now lies
subject to the hands of men. He Who has broken the bonds of sinners, is now
bound by an infant’s bands. But He has decreed that ignominy shall become
honor, infamy be clothed with glory, and total humiliation the measure of His
Goodness.
For
this He assumed my body, that I may become capable of His Word; taking my flesh,
He gives me His spirit; and so He bestowing and I receiving, He prepares for me
the treasure of Life. He takes my flesh, to sanctify me; He gives me His Spirit
that He may save me.
Come,
then, let us observe the Feast. Truly wondrous is the whole chronicle of the
Nativity. For this day the ancient slavery is ended, the devil confounded, the
demons take to flight, the power of death is broken, paradise is unlocked, the
curse is taken away, sin is removed from us, error driven out, truth has been
brought back, the speech of kindliness diffused, and spreads on every side, a
heavenly way of life has been ¡in planted on the earth, angels communicate with
men without fear, and men now hold speech with angels.
Why is
this? Because God is now on earth, and man in heaven; on every side all things
commingle. He became Flesh. He did not become God. He was God. Wherefore He
became flesh, so that He Whom heaven did not contain, a manger would this day
receive. He was placed in a manger, so that He, by whom all things are
nourished, may receive an infant’s food from His Virgin Mother. So, the Father
of all ages, as an infant at the breast, nestles in the virginal arms, that the
Magi may more easily see Him. Since this day the Magi too have come, and made a
beginning of withstanding tyranny; and the heavens give glory, as the Lord is
revealed by a star.
To Him, then, Who out of
confusion has wrought a clear path, to Christ, to the Father, and to the Holy
Spirit, we offer all praise, now and forever. Amen.
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Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor
Topinabee Community Church
Topinabee Michigan
https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html
You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book
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