Transcript Matins and Divine Liturgy of Christmas

Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church
8306 NC HWY 751,
Durham NC 27713
919-484-1600
[email protected],
www.stbarbarachurchnc.org
News & Announcements
December 24, 2016
Matins and Divine Liturgy of Christmas


The Nativity of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
The Adoration of the Magi: Melchior, Gaspar, & Balthasar
The Commemoration of the Shepherds in Bethlehem who were watching their flocks and came to see the
Lord
NEWCOMERS AND VISITORS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME !
Sunday Worship Schedule: Matins 9:00 am & Divine Liturgy 10:00 am
To Our Visitors and Guests
We welcome you to worship with us today, whether you are an Orthodox Christian or this is your first visit to an Orthodox Church, we are
pleased to have you with us. Although Holy Communion and other Sacraments are offered only to baptized and chrismated (confirmed)
Orthodox Christians in good standing with the Church, all are invited to receive the Antidoron (blessed bread) from the priest at the
conclusion of the Divine Liturgy. The Antidoron is not a sacrament, but it is reminiscent of the agape feast that followed worship in the
ancient Christian Church. After the Divine Liturgy this morning please join us in the Church hall for fellowship and refreshments. Please
complete a Visitor's Card before you leave today and drop it in the offering tray, or give it to one of the parishioners after the service, or
mail it to the church Office.
1
Today's Readings:
Epistle Reading
Let all the earth worship you, and sing praises to you.
Verse: Shout with joy to God, all the earth.
The reading is from Saint Paul's Letter to the Galatians (4:4-7)
BRETHREN, when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you
are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no
longer a slave but a son, and if a son then also an heir of God through Christ.
Πᾶσα ἡ γῆ προσκυνησάτωσάν σοι καὶ ψαλάτωσάν σοι.
Στίχ. Ἀλαλάξατε τῷ Κυρίῳ πᾶσα ἡ γῆ.

Ἀδελφοί, ὅτε δὲ ἦλθεν τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ χρόνου, ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ, γενόμενον ἐκ γυναικός,
γενόμενον ὑπὸ νόμον, ἵνα τοὺς ὑπὸ νόμον ἐξαγοράσῃ, ἵνα τὴν υἱοθεσίαν ἀπολάβωμεν. Ὅτι δέ ἐστε υἱοί, ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ
θεὸς τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν, κρᾶζον, Ἀββᾶ, ὁ πατήρ. Ὥστε οὐκέτι εἶ δοῦλος, ἀλλʼ υἱός· εἰ δὲ
υἱός, καὶ κληρονόμος θεοῦ διὰ Χριστοῦ.
The Gospel according to Matthew 2:1-12
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men
from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we
have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him." When Herod the king heard this, he
was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the
people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea;
for so it is written by the prophet: 'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least
among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.'"
Κατὰ Ματθαῖον 2:1-12
Τοῦ δὲ ᾿Ιησοῦ γεννηθέντος ἐν Βηθλεὲμ τῆς ᾿Ιουδαίας ἐν ἡμέραις ῾Ηρῴδου τοῦ βασιλέως, ἰδοὺ μάγοι ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν
παρεγένοντο εἰς ῾Ιεροσόλυμαλέγοντες· ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ τεχθεὶς βασιλεὺς τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων; εἴδομεν γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀστέρα ἐν τῇ
ἀνατολῇ καὶ ἤλθομεν προσκυνῆσαι αὐτῷ. ᾿Ακούσας δὲ ῾Ηρῴδης ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐταράχθη καὶ πᾶσα ῾Ιεροσόλυμα μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ,
καὶ συναγαγὼν πάντας τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ γραμματεῖς τοῦ λαοῦ ἐπυνθάνετο παρ᾿ αὐτῶν ποῦ ὁ Χριστὸς γεννᾶται. οἱ δὲ
εἶπον αὐτῷ· ἐν Βηθλεὲμ τῆς ᾿Ιουδαίας· οὕτω γὰρ γέγραπται διὰ τοῦ προφήτου· καὶ σὺ Βηθλεέμ, γῆ ᾿Ιούδα, οὐδαμῶς
ἐλαχίστη εἶ ἐν τοῖς ἡγεμόσιν ᾿Ιούδα· ἐκ σοῦ γὰρ ἐξελεύσεται ἡγούμενος, ὅστις ποιμανεῖ τὸν λαόν μου τὸν ᾿Ισραήλ. Τότε
῾Ηρῴδης λάθρα καλέσας τοὺς μάγους ἠκρίβωσε παρ᾿ αὐτῶν τὸν χρόνον τοῦ φαινομένου ἀστέρος, καὶ πέμψας αὐτοὺς εἰς
Βηθλεὲμ εἶπε· πορευθέντες ἀκριβῶς ἐξετάσατε περὶ τοῦ παιδίου, ἐπὰν δὲ εὕρητε, ἀπαγγείλατέ μοι, ὅπως κἀγὼ ἐλθὼν
προσκυνήσω αὐτῷ. οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπορεύθησαν· καὶ ἰδοὺ ὁ ἀστὴρ ὃν εἶδον ἐν τῇ ἀνατολῇ προῆγεν
αὐτούς, ἕως ἐλθὼν ἔστη ἐπάνω οὗ ἦν τὸ παιδίον· ἰδόντες δὲ τὸν ἀστέρα ἐχάρησαν χαρὰν μεγάλην σφόδρα, καὶ ἐλθόντες
εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν εἶδον τὸ παιδίον μετὰ Μαρίας τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ πεσόντες προσεκύνησαν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀνοίξαντες τοὺς
θησαυροὺς αὐτῶν προσήνεγκαν αὐτῷ δῶρα, χρυσὸν καὶ λίβανον καὶ σμύρναν· καὶ χρηματισθέντες κατ᾿ ὄναρ μὴ
ἀνακάμψαι πρὸς ῾Ηρῴδην, δι᾿ ἄλλης ὁδοῦ ἀνεχώρησαν εἰς τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν.
2
The Text of the Christmas Carols for the Evening Service
Now in the flesh appearing,
Silent Night
Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Christ the Savior is born!
Christ the Savior is born
Joy to the World
Joy to The world! the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King
Let ev'ry heart prepare him room
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing
Silent night, holy night!
Son of God love's pure light.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
Joy to the world! the Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove The glories of His
righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonder wonders of His love
O Come All Ye Faithful
O come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels!
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!"
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th' angelic host proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem."
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!"
Sing, alleluia,
All ye choirs of angels;
O sing, all ye blissful ones of heav'n above.
Glory to God
In the highest glory!
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
Christ, by highest heav'n adored:
Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of the favored one.
Veil'd in flesh, the Godhead see;
Hail, th'incarnate Deity:
Pleased, as man, with men to dwell,
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be the glory giv'n;
Word of the Father,
3
Jesus, our Emmanuel!
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!"
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love song which they bring:
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing.
Hail! the heav'n born Prince of peace!
Hail! the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Risen with healing in his wings
Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die:
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!"
For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophet bards foretold,
When, with the ever-circling years,
Shall come the Age of Gold;
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And all the world give back the song
Which now the angels sing.
Angels We Have Heard On High
Away in a Manger
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep in the hay.
Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o're the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Gloria in excelsis Deo
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle til morning is nigh.
Shepherds why this Jubilee
Why your joyous strains prolong
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And take us to heaven, to live with Thee there.
Come to Bethlehem to see
him whose birth the angels sing
Come adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord the newborn King
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold!
Peace on the earth, good will to men,
From heaven's all gracious King!
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Gloria in excelsis Deo
See him in a manger laid
Whom the choirs of angels praise
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid
While our hearts in love we raise
Still through the cloven skies they come
With peaceful wings unfurled
And still their heavenly music floats
O'er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hovering wing.
And ever o'er its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Yet with te woes of sin and strife
The world hath suffered long;
4
No ear may hear His coming
But in this world of sin
Where meek souls will receive him still
The dear Christ enters in
O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born to us today
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel
O come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel
O Little Town of Bethlehem
O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight
For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love
O morning stars together
Proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God the King
And Peace to men on earth
How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven
Songwriters: JEREMY MICHAEL LUBBOCK, PIERRE MARCHAND,
SARAH MCLACHLAN
© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing
Group
For non-commercial use only.
Hello everyone!
I want to thank you all for your help in facilitating a wonderful Christmas Pageant yesterday! Thank you Summer
for writing and directing a beautiful play. Thank you Costa for directing the music. Thank you to all of the Sunday
School teachers and parents that helped the kids get dressed and get them where they needed to be:) Thank you
again to Johnny Mariakakis and Chris Claypoole for volunteering their time as wisemen in our play! Thank you
Donna and the choir for singing along during the pageant! Thank you Nick for setting up the sound system and
microphones for our children. We had a full church yesterday for our telling of the night Jesus was born, and the
kids were fantastic!
May I say, what a wonderful reason it was for us all to be together yesterday, to celebrate and glorify the birth of
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. God certainly blessed the endeavor in its entirety, and drew people closer to
Jesus, His Son, through the power of His Holy Spirit. God continues to bring many people to Christ through the
telling of His love in the Christmas story.
The children of St. Barbara's Greek Orthodox Church absolutely did their part and touched all of our hearts
throughout the rehearsals and especially, final performance!
Thank you all again for sharing your children with us and for all of your help.
Michelle Claypoole
5
The Saint Barbara Community
Wishes You A Merry Christmas
& Happy New Year

WE NEED YOU as a STEWARD !
Our Saint Barbara Church needs each and every family
to join our Stewardship Program.
Our goal is to have 150 Pledged Families
in the Stewardship Program.
As of Sept. 30th we have 103 Pledged Families in our
Stewardship Program.
Please help us Reach our Goal.
6
PROJECTS TO DATE:
2015
February 7
June 6-7
July 18
September 12
September 26
October 3
November 6
November 20-21
December 6
December 12
Gyro Day
Greek Festival
Gyro Feast
Yard Sale
Fashion Show
Chicken Dinners To-go
Evening of Music
Joint Philoptochos/PC Fundraiser
Saint Barbara Celebration Banquet
Holiday Greek Pastries
2016
January 16
January 30
February 20
June 4-5
July 23
September 24
October 1
November 18-19
December 2
December 10
Evening of Music
Spaghetti Event
Gyro Event
Greek Festival
Gyro Event
Evening of Jazz
Greek Style Chicken Dinner & Pastry
Athenian Grill and Pastry
Christmas Concert
Holiday Greek Pastries
_____________________________________________________________________________________
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CHRISTMAS
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CHRISTMAS By FATHER MICHAEL BAROUDY Archpriest, St.
George Orthodox Church, Vicksburg, MississippiTHE SIGNIFICANCE OF CHRISTMAS
By FATHER MICHAEL BAROUDY Archpriest, St. George Orthodox Church, Vicksburg,
Mississippi
The Christian world is about to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord, a
celebration in which we all indulge every year. People celebrate this memorable day in
various ways, depending upon their own concept of the significance of the day. We have to
admit that even here in Christian America, many celebrate the day in a manner that is
foreign and even contradictory to the spirit of Christmas. It is becoming increasingly
horrifying to any person who does any thinking at all that we are commercializing and
paganizing the great Holy Day and have changed it to a holiday. Read, if you will, the paper
the “day after Christmas and discover the number of drunkards and those who were hailed
to court because the occasion was to them a period for dissipation and indulgence.
I want us to meditate upon the Christmas spirit and the significance of the day. Were we to
reflect seriously upon the underlying purpose of Christmas, we would be awed to know that
it involves some tremendous facts of world shaking significance. Let us concern ourselves
with the facts surrounding the birth of the Savior so that we might become more
appreciative and reverent.
7
Reverting to the Bible to discover the basis for the proper approach to a right
understanding of the day’s significance, we find this statement in St. Paul’s letter to the
Galatians 4: 4-6 with which the Epistle for this day begins, “When the fullness of time was
come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that
were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons.”
When we analyze this statement, we discover that it sets forth three basic truths dealing
with this most significant subject. Incarnation, Redemption, Adoption. Taking them in their
respective order, we have first of all the birth of the Savior from the blessed Virgin Mary,
which is called the “Incarnation”, that is, Jesus taking upon Him our form. This is one of
the most staggering mysteries of all time—Jesus, the Son of God, assuming our form and
our nature. “When the fullness of time was come, God sent His Son, make of a woman.” Is
not that a pauser for all of us to reflect upon? Have you ever actually tried to think how
great, deep, and immeasurable God’s love must have been, to consent to dwell in human
flesh?
God, in time past, before the coming of Christ, revealed Himself to holy men by inspiring
their thoughts to record something of this greatness. Righteousness, mercy, justice and
redemption were some of the beautiful attributes of God. Some of the prophets had a
foregleam of the birth of the Savior. Micah, the Prophet, predicted the place — Bethlehem.
Isaiah predicted that a Virgin would be the recipient of the high honor, bearing this
wonderful Child. Inspired men throughout history had foregleams of some great revelations
of God relative to His advent to humanity in a way we would understand, a way which we
could not misunderstand. So “when the fullness of time was come,” when God’s clock
struck the hour, He reached down to man, by being born as the rest of us, having human
nature and flesh. As St. John the Divine aptly put it, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt
among us and we saw His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth.”
Looking back upon what transpired at Christ’s birth, how many of the people living then
knew the great significance of the Babe’s birth? How many knew that history will be divided
in two, changed from before Christ to after Christ? How many knew that millions of people
around the world would chant music and sing joyous hymns to commemorate the great
event?
Usually people don’t take stock in realizing the potentialities invested in a child. Whoever
thought that the events transpiring on that “Holy Night” would be enshrined in music and
art, and that millions of cards would be used by people as a means to wish one another a
“Merry Christmas” on His birth and that ministers, the world over, would preach and reach
the story of the Holy birth, and choirs would sing his praises?
What is the purpose of His coming into the world? Well, the purpose is two-fold:
Redemption and Adoption. Christ’s coming into the world was not accidental but rather
purposeful. To the Blessed Virgin Mary, the angel said. “Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for
He shall save His people from their sins.” He Himself said of His own mission upon one
occasion, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.” God’s redeeming
love was at the very heart, and the main reason for His coming. “God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son for its redemption.” This is the reason we call the story
of Christ’s life the gospel, that is, good news. God’s tenderest love revealed itself in such a
8
marvelous way to save humanity. Before Christ’s coming to human life, the world of human
beings knew God as a terrible Judge, One on the receiving end to be appeased with gifts, a
just God, who would exact from men the very last debit owed Him. They had then some
foregleams of Him as a Redeemer, one who would show pity on men, but never as a God
whose love knew no limitations to redeem fallen humanity.
Then, there was another reason—Adoption, to adopt believers into the family of God,
making them sons and daughters of His. All human beings who would be willing to
appropriate and appreciate the gift of God, and by faith receive Him into their lives, would
become, by virtue of that fact, members of God’s family, having special attachments and
privileges, inducted into the society of the Blessed, belonging to one Eternal Father,
becoming one with the Elder Brother, and one with all believers of all colors, races and
nationalities the world over.
“To as many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become the sons of God,” was
the way the Evangelist put it. As redeemed sons and daughters of God, who are empowered
to live as becomes God’s children, may we seriously reflect upon God’s matchless gift to us,
and be concerned to declare by our lives, no less than by our lips, the redeeming love of
God to all men, of all colors and creeds. May this hour be one of new vision and dedication
to a life of service and newness, of hope, faith and love.
Christmas is unique among all the holidays, holy days, and birthdays that we observe. The
story of the first Christmas is so simple that a little three-year-old caught its spirit when
she said, “I know what Baby Jesus wants for his birthday—a cradle.” In love, she wanted to
give him what he did not have when he was born. Yet the Christmas story is so profound
that it can be fully expressed only in the deep thoughts of the prologue of John’s Gospel.
The unique truth of Christmas is that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. The
unique outcome was that this marked the beginning of a new creation, a possible rebirth of
humanity. God, through His Son, entered into our human life that we, believing in Him,
might receive power to become “sons of God.” The Baby who had no cradle but a manger
became the one Lord and Savior of mankind! Christianity is not a creed to be recited but a
new life to be lived in Christ.
“Thy Nativity, O Christ our God, hath given rise to the light of knowledge in the world: for
they that worshipped the stars did learn therefrom to worship thee, O Sun of justice, and to
know that from the east of the Highest thou didst come O Lord, glory to thee.”
Τo νόημα των Χριστουγέννων
-
Ήδη έχει αρχίσει η περίοδος των Χριστουγέννων που όλοι με λαχτάρα περιμέναμε. Άραγε πώς θέλουμε να
τα εορτάσουμε; Κοσμικά ή πνευματικά; Αλλ’ ας πάρουμε τα πράγματα με τη σειρά τους…
Ασφαλώς τα Χριστούγεννα έχουν νόημα βαθύτατα πνευματικό, άγιο και σωτήριο. Γιατί μ’ αυτά δεν εορτάζουμε ένα
οποιοδήποτε γεγονός, αλλά την ίδια την εμφάνιση, με σάρκα και οστά του Θεού στη γη κι ανάμεσά μας. Μας τίμησε
9
ιδιαίτερα με την επίσκεψή Του αυτή, υπέροχα, ανυπέρβλητα, μοναδικά, καθώς ένωσε την δική μας ανθρώπινη φύση με
τη δική Του τη Θεϊκή.
Έτσι έχουμε την εμφάνιση του Θεανθρώπου στην ιστορία . Την ένωση του κτιστού πλάσματος, με τον ίδιο τον Άκτιστο
Πλάστη και Θεό. Σκοπός δε αυτής της Θείας παρέμβασης, είναι η Θέωση του ανθρώπου.
Οπότε με τα Χριστούγεννα δεν κάνουμε τίποτ’ άλλο τελικά, απ’ το να ζούμε την αναδημιουργία μας, την ανά-πλασή μας
απ’ το κατάντημα στο οποίο μας οδήγησε η αμαρτία, ώστε να επανέλθουμε πάλι στην προτέρα μας κατάσταση.
Να γιατί το μήνυμα των Χριστουγέννων, είναι το πλέον χαρμόσυνο και τόσο ελπιδοφόρο άγγελμα της ιστορίας.
Συνεπώς, όταν αποδίδουμε στα Χριστούγεννα το πραγματικό τους νόημα, κι όταν τα
εορτάζουμε όπως πρέπει, δηλαδή πνευματικά, τότε επιτυγχάνεται και ο μέγας σκοπός
της ενανθρωπήσεως του Θεού, δηλαδή η ένωση μας με Αυτόν, η Θέωσή μας, και
καταργείται το έργο του διαβόλου, ακυρώνονται τα σκοτεινά σχέδιά του, απομονώνεται,
χάνεται απ’ τη ζωή μας!
Είναι επόμενο, λοιπόν, όπως ο διάβολος πολέμησε του Χριστού τη γέννηση, ως γεγονός, (απ’ το
να μη βρίσκεται πανάρετη γυναίκα για να αξιωθεί να γίνει μητέρα Του πράγμα που έγινε τελικά
με την Παναγία, ως τους διωγμούς με τη σφαγή των νηπίων απ’ τον Ηρώδη), έτσι την πολεμά έκτοτε, ως εορτή.
Πάρα πολλά έγιναν στο πέρασμα των αιώνων, που δεν είναι δυνατό να εξιστορήσουμε. Θα αναφέρουμε μόνο ένα από
αυτά∙ την χειρότερη πολεμική όλων, την εκκοσμίκευση των Χριστουγέννων!
Πρόκειται για εορτασμό όχι πνευματικό, όπως τον αναφέραμε, αλλά εντελώς κοσμικό… Έναν τρόπο που μεταβάλλει το
μέγα υπερκόσμιο γεγονός, σε εγκόσμιο και καθαρά υλιστικό!
Ούτε λόγος να γίνεται για πνευματική προετοιμασία, δηλαδή νηστεία, μετάνοια, Θεία Λειτουργία, αλλά και έμπρακτη
αγάπη, καλοσύνη, ελεημοσύνη και στοργή στον συνάνθρωπο, για σκέψεις και αποφάσεις πνευματικές.
Λόγος να γίνεται μονάχα για τα ρεβεγιόν, τα φαγητά, τα γλέντια, τους χορούς, τα ξενύχτια, τα ταξίδια και μάλιστα τα
εξωτικά, τα δώρα, τις χαρτοπαιξίες, τα πάσης μορφής θεάματα και διασκεδάσεις, τις κάθε είδους απολαύσεις και ηδονές!
Όλα τους τόσο κοσμικά, όλα τους αντιπνευματικά, όλα τους πτυχές της ωραίας ζωής, και όχι της Ουράνιας Ζωής που
ζητά από μας ο Χριστός. Καμμιά σχέση με τον Θεοπρεπή εορτασμό, όπως τον ορίζει η Εκκλησία.
Φτάσαμε να κατανοούμε πως έρχονται Χριστούγεννα, από τις στολισμένες βιτρίνες των εμπόρων, από τα φωτάκια που
αναβοσβήνουν στο μπαλκόνι του διπλανού μας, απ’ τα έλατα που πωλούνται στους δρόμους, από κάποιες προσκλήσεις
σε γεύματα και τα λεγόμενα «εορταστικά» προγράμματα της τηλεόρασης, δηλαδή από τις εκδηλώσεις του κόσμου…
Οπότε μιλάμε για απολυτοποίηση της ύλης, για την άκρατη κοσμικότητα, για την απόρριψη κάθε
πνευματικής πλευράς των πραγμάτων. Μιλάμε για Χριστούγεννα χωρίς Χριστό!
Τα υλικά αγαθά, με λογική και μέτρο και στο βαθμό που μας είναι απαραίτητα, δεν τα απορρίπτουμε βέβαια.
Όπως είχε δηλώσει σε συνέντευξή του ο μητροπολίτης Μεσογαίας και Λαυρεωτικής κ.κ.Νικόλαος «και τα
λαμπάκια και το δέντρο καλά είναι, μη μένουμε όμως μόνο σ’ αυτά»!
10

11