Christmas, close and understandable to everyone, because we all faced the mystery of birth. But at the same time, it is connected with events that are beyond human understanding.
Christians see the birth of Christ as a symbol of the sacrificial love of God the Father. Reverence for this show of love, this sacrifice. Christ is like us in everything except that He is sinless. Only incarnating in human flesh, knowing the temptations, pain and bitterness that people experience and still not stain yourself with sin is the only way to save humanity.
Christmas is a joyous occasion. But it is preceded by a Christmas fast — a time for prayer, reflection and expressing gratitude to the Lord for His gift. It is time to repent of your sins and rethink your life.
And now, after a long fast, after days of humility, prayer and repentance, comes the great «twelfth» holiday.
On this day, worship is solemn and festive. The morning and evening services merge into an all-night vigil. The parish and the priesthood are united in one prayer “To the King of Heaven”, welcoming the coming of our Lord. The anthem “God is with us” takes us back to the time of the prophet Isaiah, who predicted a miraculous birth 700 years before. A little later, in the song of Simeon the God-Receiver, remembers the church about how on the fortieth day they brought the baby to the temple. As Simeon saw the Lord and went to heaven, knowing that the prophecy was fulfilled.
On the night of Christmas, the choir sings the Angelic Song, proclaiming to the peoples that “on earth there is peace, but in men there is goodwill.”
We come to the service with a pure heart, washed with repentance soul, with a bright feeling of gratitude to the Lord for His priceless gift.
Celebration
January 7
Charity FondHoly Land
Investment in the Soul!
