A Sermon by St John of Kronstadt on the Nativity of Christ
The
Word became flesh; that is, the Son of God, co-eternal with God the
Father and with the Holy Spirit, became human – having become incarnate
of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary. O, wondrous, awesome and
salvific mystery! The One Who had no beginning took on a beginning
according to humanity; the One without flesh assumed flesh. God became
man – without ceasing to be God. The Unapproachable One became
approachable to all, in the aspect of an humble servant. Why, and for
what reason, was there such condescension [shown] on the part of the
Creator toward His transgressing creatures – toward humanity which,
through an act of its own will had fallen away from God, its Creator?
It
was by reason of a supreme, inexpressible mercy toward His creation on
the part of the Master, Who could not bear to see the entire race of
mankind – which, He, in creating, had endowed with wondrous gifts –
enslaved by the devil and thus destined for eternal suffering and
torment.
And
the Word became flesh!...in order to make us earthly beings into
heavenly ones, in order to make sinners into saints; in order to raise
us up from corruption into incorruption, from earth to heaven; from
enslavement to sin and the devil – into the glorious freedom of children
of God; from death – into immortality, in order to make us sons of God
and to seat us together with Him upon the Throne as His royal children.
O,
boundless compassion of God! O, inexpressible wisdom of God! O, great
wonder, astounding not only the human mind, but the angelic [mind] as
well!
Let
us glorify God! With the coming of the Son of God in the flesh upon the
earth, with His offering Himself up as a sacrifice for the sinful human
race, there is given to those who believe the blessing of the Heavenly
Father, replacing that curse which had been uttered by God in the
beginning; they are adopted and receive the promise of an eternal
inheritance of life. To a humanity orphaned by reason of sin, the
Heavenly Father returns anew through the mystery of re-birth, that is,
through baptism and repentance. People are freed of the tormenting,
death-bearing authority of the devil, of the afflictions of sin and of
various passions.
Human
nature is deified for the sake of the boundless compassion of the Son
of God; and its sins are purified; the defiled are sanctified. The
ailing are healed. Upon those in dishonour are boundless honour and
glory bestowed.
Those in darkness are enlightened by the Divine light of grace and reason.
The human mind is given the rational power of God – we have the mind of Christ (Cor. 2, 16),
says the Holy apostle Paul. To the human heart, the heart of Christ is
given. The perishable is made immortal. Those naked and wounded by sin
and by passions are adorned in Divine glory. Those who hunger and thirst
are sated and assuaged by the nourishing and soul-strengthening Word of
God and by the most pure Body and Divine Blood of Christ. The
inconsolable are consoled. Those ravaged by the devil have been – and
continue to be – delivered.
What,
then, O, brethren, is required of us in order that we might avail
ourselves of all the grace brought unto us from on high by the coming to
earth of the Son of God? What is necessary, first of all, is faith in
the Son of God, in the Gospel as the salvation-bestowing heavenly
teaching; a true repentance of sins and the correction of life and of
heart; communion in prayer and in the mysteries [sacraments]; the
knowledge and fulfillment of Christ’s commandments. Also necessary are
the virtues: Christian humility, alms-giving, continence, purity and
chastity, simplicity and goodness of heart.
Let
us, then, O brothers and sisters, bring these virtues as a gift to the
One Who was born for the sake of our salvation – let us bring them in
place of the gold, frankincense and myrrh which the Magi brought Him, as
to One Who is King, God, and Man, come to die for us. This, from us,
shall be the most-pleasing form of sacrifice to God and to the Infant
Jesus Christ.
Amen.
(Translated
into English by G. Spruksts, from the Russian text appearing in Chapter
2 of "Solntse Pravdy: O Zhizni i Uchenii Gospoda Nashego, Iisusa
Khrista" ["The Sun of Righteousness: On the Life and Teaching of Our
Lord, Jesus Christ"], by Protopriest [Saint] Ioann [John] (Sergiev) of
Kronstadt, pp. 4-6. English-language translation copyright © 1983, 1996
by The Saint Stefan of Perm' Guild, The Russian Cultural Heritage
Society, and the Translator. All rights reserved. Reprinted by
permission from "KITEZH: The Journal of the Russian Cultural Heritage
Society," Vol. 12, No. 4 (48). http://www.orthodox.net/nativity/nativity-sjok-2.html)
