Sermon on the Nativity of our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ - St. Amphilochi of Iconium
Amphilocius of Iconium
This spiritual and luminous meadow, adorned with the beauty of heavenly flowers and fragrant with the pure apostolic aromas, represents the image of the Divine Paradise. Just as the sensual and unfading garden was filled with incorruptible trees, immortal fruits, and other superior and countless beauties, so too does this God-illuminated assembly of the sacred and magnificent Church shine with spiritual and inexpressible mysteries. From these, the current holy feast of the Nativity of our true God Christ is for us an impregnable fortress, an unshakable foundation, the beginning of salvation, and a most glorious crown. For this, the ancient was foretold; through it, the new has been clearly proclaimed to the whole universe. By it, the power of decay is destroyed, and the deadly worship of demons ceased. By it, human passions are slain, and the life of the Angelic dominion restored. By it, heaven is opened, and the earth has received Divine majesty. By it, paradise is returned to humans, and the dominion of death abolished. By it, demonic deception is dispersed, and the wisdom of God and the pure advent of God on earth are proclaimed. For "not an Intercessor, nor an Angel, but the Lord Himself will come and save them," says the Prophet (Isaiah 63:9). Oh, the immeasurable wealth of divine announcements! The inexplicable knowledge of wise mysteries! The inexhaustible treasure of God's unspoken gifts! The ever-abounding grace of providential philanthropy! "The Lord Himself will come and save them."
How then, O Prophet of God, according to your prophecy, will the Lord come to us? In this matter, I boldly turn to you, assuming the persona of those ancient men who praised the all-laudable celebration of the Lord's coming, but who in reality did not see the new and most pure birth of His from the Most Pure Virgin, did not see the rejoicing of the Angels, did not hear their divine voices, with which they joyfully announced to the blessed shepherds about the birth of the Savior, did not see either the gifts brought by the Magi, or their divine worship; assuming, I say, the persona of those ancient men, I wish to inquire of you about the manner of the coming you have foretold. For your prophecy must have greatly astonished them and brought their minds to complete bewilderment with its extraordinary mystery: for they could not even imagine that the immortal God would come to mortal humans, the Intangible to the sensible, the Invisible to the corporeal. How then did they think of the coming of God, and of His manifestation? - Some thought He would appear as He did before to Abraham in the form of Angels; others, as He appeared to Moses in the flame of the bush; or as He appeared to Isaiah and Ezekiel, surrounded by Seraphim and Cherubim: for all these testified that they saw God in these various forms. So, which of these forms is more worthy for God to appear in? - Obviously, none. How can this be confirmed? - By other prophetic words: "after this He appeared on earth, and conversed with men" (Baruch 3:38). Those were testimonies of His manifestation, not of conversing with people; but here is proclaimed His interaction with people, not just a mere appearance. "The Lord Himself will come and save them." Oh, if only you, Blessed One, had revealed to us how the Immutable, taking no part in form, clothes Himself in form, how the Unchangeable descends from the heavenly heights to earth?
To this, the divine man responds: you must understand the manner of His coming from other prophecies. Why do you test this prophecy more than is fitting? Or do you not know what was said, "Behold, a virgin shall conceive in the womb, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us" (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23)? Or have you not read and heard what is written: "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6)? From these words, know the manner of His coming. The incorruptible Virgin shall physically bear the incorruptible light. For the all-sovereign Word of God needed to descend to us, humbling Himself even to flesh, so that those who were created by the bodiless Divinity, but weakened by sin, might be renewed through His incarnation, and made incorruptible through the assumption of the corruptible.
These words of the Prophet, spoken to those who questioned him, we too shall repeat. O Child, older than the heavens! O most blessed Son, who came to us, bearing authority on His shoulders, not seeking to receive power from another! For the Word, as the Son, naturally has authority over everything, and it is not conferred upon Him as a creature. Hence it is said: the government shall be upon His shoulder. O glorious Offspring! For He is called "the Angel of great counsel and mighty God." O sovereign Omnipotence! For He is "Wonderful, Counselor, and Prince of Peace."
How then shall we celebrate this present feast? How shall we proclaim this most mysterious celebration? Who can enumerate the imperishable riches of this day? With what sonorous and exalted words shall we confess this all-praiseworthy and triumphant mystery of incorruptibility? O day, worthy of countless hymns! The day when the star from Jacob shone upon us, the heavenly man rose from Israel, the mighty God came to us, the Sun of righteousness illuminated us, the treasury of Divine virtues was opened, the tree of eternal life blossomed for mankind, the East shone from on high, the Master of heaven and earth emerged from the virginal chamber into the corrupt world, for the redemption of the world: "For unto you is born this day a Savior, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11) – light for the Gentiles, and salvation for the house of Israel! O wonder! He who could not be contained by the heavens, as an Infant, rested in a manger; He who created all with a single word was warmed by maternal embraces; He who bestowed existence on all the heavenly Powers, fed on the pure breasts of the Holy Virgin! "And it came to pass, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered: and she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him, and laid him in a manger: because there was no room for them in the inn" (Luke 2:6–7). What a new and marvelous mystery! What an immense and intimately human benevolence of the Divine Providence! What a powerful and effective armor against the devil! The world, formerly subjected to sin through a virgin, is freed from sin by a Virgin. The legions of invisible demons, so many and so mighty, are cast down to hell by the One born of the Virgin. The Lord took the form of servants and became like them, to make the servants again like God. O Bethlehem, – holy and ancestral city of all mankind! O manger, manger, equal in glory to the Cherubim and equally honorable to the Seraphim! For He who from eternity sits upon the Cherubim and Seraphim – God, now lies among you as a man. O Mary, Mary, who bore the Firstborn – the Creator of all! O humanity, that imparted corporeality to the Word of God, and in this respect, even preferred over the heavenly and intelligent Powers! For Christ did not deign to clothe Himself in the unchangeable form of Archangels, or Principalities, or Powers, or Authorities, but took upon Himself the form of man, who had fallen from the height of his dignity and became like the irrational. The healthy have no need of a physician; but to a man afflicted with a severe illness came such a wonderful Doctor that, having driven out the illness from him, granted him salvation, greater and higher than health. And where now is that hostile and irresistible, malicious, and malevolent serpent, who promised to set his throne on high (Isaiah 14:13)?
Brethren, partakers of the blessed call of the heavenly, summoned to adoption by God and to brotherhood! We must give thanks to Him who called us, and show ourselves worthy of Him who accepts us into brotherhood and adoption. Let us serve Him willingly and with love, being ready to fulfill every act of righteousness. Let us adorn ourselves with purity, gird ourselves with humility, cling to the word of God, abide in holy prayers and sacred hymns to the glory of God. Let us not conform to this age, but let us forget earthly and corrupt desires, “overcoming evil with good, not repaying evil for evil to anyone” (Romans 12:21, 17). Let us cease to consider ourselves permanent residents of the earth, hoping to be citizens of heaven, to commune with Angels, and to stand before the throne of the heavenly kingdom. Such are the commands of the Holy Apostles! In them, Christ laid down for us a blessed and eternal covenant. May the world marvel at the virtue of Christians! May the Jews be ashamed, seeing a new and chosen people adorned with such great spiritual beauty, illuminating the world with such light! God has left them to dwell among the pagans, so that we may shine as lights in the world, to be “the seed” of salvation (Romans 9:29), serving as an example for conversion to all who live among us. Be careful that none of the pagans blaspheme God because of your deeds, but let Him who called, sanctified, and saved us be glorified through us. Let the harsh and bold be amazed at our meekness and humility; let the slanderers, hearing that we bless them in response to slander, be ashamed; let the greedy and bribe-takers find us uninvolved in greed, and let them know that we have no earthly possessions, but our treasure is in heaven. Those who come to us with friendly invitations to worldly pleasures should see us as strict, unshakable, loving chastity, not seduced by pleasure, and mortifying our flesh. Let all understand what the indwelling of the Holy Spirit can accomplish in us! Let those quick to swear know that we not only do not swear, but even fear to utter the name of God when speaking of low and earthly matters. Then in every case, we will be teachers to all who associate with us.
Living in this manner, we will become a holy leaven; the world will be leavened by us unto salvation, preparing through us a great fruit for the Lord, and God will be glorified in us, according to the Savior's word: “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples” (John 15:8). The Lord, glorified by us, will eternally glorify us with eternal glory in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
“Christian Reading, published at the Saint Petersburg Theological Academy.” - 1836 - Part IV. - p. 227–237.