Έλεγε ο μακαριστός Επιφάνιος ότι με πάρα πολύ μικρό αντάλλαγμα πουλάει ο Θεός τα αγαθά του σ΄ εκείνους πού σπεύδουν να τα αγοράσουν, για ένα κομματάκι ψωμί, ένα τιποτένιο ρούχο, ένα ποτήρι κρύο νερό, έναν οβολό.
Πρόσθετε και τούτο: Όταν ο άνθρωπος δανείζεται από άλλον άνθρωπο, είτε γιατί είναι πολύ φτωχός είτε για να βελτιώσει κάπως τη ζωή του, την ώρα που επιστρέφει το δάνειο εκφράζει βέβαια την μεγάλη του ευγνωμοσύνη, αλλά το εξοφλεί κρυφά, επειδή ντρέπεται. Ενώ ο δεσπότης Θεός ενεργεί αντίστροφα.
Δανείζεται κρυφά αλλά τα επιστρέφει ενώπιον αγγέλων, αρχαγγέλων και δικαίων ψυχών.
ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟ ΙΓ΄
ΑΠΟΣΠΑΣΜΑΤΑ ΑΠΟ ΤΟ
ΜΕΓΑΛΟ ΓΕΡΟΝΤΙΚΟ
Όπως θα ξέρεις, πλησιάζουμε ξανά στην ημερομηνία των γενεθλίων μου. Κάθε χρόνο γίνεται γιορτή προς τιμή μου, έτσι και φέτος.
Αυτές τις μέρες ο κόσμος κάνει πολλά ψώνια, γίνονται διαφημίσεις μέχρι και στο ράδιο, την τηλεόραση και παντού κανείς δεν μιλά για κάτι άλλο εκτός από το τι λείπει μέχρι να έρθει εκείνη η μέρα...
Είναι ευχάριστο να ξέρω ότι τουλάχιστον μία μέρα τον χρόνο κάποιοι με σκέφτονται.
Όπως θα γνωρίζεις πριν από πολλά χρόνια ξεκίνησαν να γιορτάζουν τα γενέθλιά μου. Στην αρχή φαινόντουσαν να καταλαβαίνουν και με ευχαριστούσαν γι' αυτό που έκανα για εκείνους. Όμως σήμερα κανείς δεν γνωρίζει τι γιορτάζουν.
Οι άνθρωποι συναντώνται και περνούν πολύ καλά όμως κανείς δεν ξέρει περί τίνος πρόκειται....
Θυμάμαι πέρυσι, την ημέρα των γενεθλίων που έκαναν μια μεγάλη γιορτή προς τιμή μου. Στο τραπέζι υπήρχαν τα πάντα, όλα ήταν διακοσμημένα όμορφα και υπήρχαν πολλά δώρα, αλλά ...; Ξέρεις τι;...
Ούτε που με κάλεσαν, ενώ ήμουν ο επίτιμος καλεσμένος κανείς δεν θυμήθηκε να με καλέσει. Και η γιορτή γινόταν για μένα...
Και όταν έφτασε η μεγάλη μέρα... με άφησαν απ' έξω, μου έκλεισαν την πόρτα... εγώ ήθελα να βρεθώ στο τραπέζι μαζί τους...
Η αλήθεια είναι ότι δεν εξεπλάγην γιατί τα τελευταία χρόνια όλοι μου κλείνουν την πόρτα. Μιας και δεν με κάλεσαν, σκέφτηκα να παραβρεθώ χωρίς να κάνω θόρυβο κι έτσι μπήκα και στάθηκα σε μια γωνίτσα.
Διασκέδαζαν όλοι, κάποιοι έλεγαν ιστορίες, γελούσαν, πέρναγαν πολύ καλά, μέχρι που έφτασε ένας....
Γέρος χοντρός, ντυμένος στα κόκκινα με άσπρα γένια... Και φώναζε... χο, χο, χο!, λες και είχε πιει λίγο παραπάνω...κάθισε βαριά βαριά σε μια πολυθρόνα και... Όλοι έτρεξαν καταπάνω του λέγοντας...Άγιε Βασίλη! ...λες και η γιορτή ήταν γι' αυτόν...
Ήρθαν τα μεσάνυχτα και όλοι άρχισαν να αγκαλιάζονται, άπλωσα κι εγώ τα χέρια μου ελπίζοντας πως κάποιος θα με αγκαλιάσει... Και ξέρεις; Κανείς δεν με αγκάλιασε.
Ξαφνικά άρχισαν όλοι να ανταλλάσσουν δώρα, ένας ένας τα άνοιγαν μέχρι που τελείωσαν όλα... Πλησίασα να δω μήπως παρ' ελπίδα υπήρχε κάποιο για μένα, αλλά δεν υπήρχε τίποτα...
Πώς θα αισθανόσουν αν την ημέρα των γενεθλίων σου αντάλλασσαν δώρα όλοι μεταξύ τους κι εσένα δεν σου δώριζαν τίποτα;
Τότε κατάλαβα ότι εγώ περίσσευα σε εκείνη τη γιορτή, βγήκα χωρίς να κάνω θόρυβο, έκλεισα την πόρτα κι αποσύρθηκα...
Κάθε χρόνος που περνάει είναι χειρότερα, ο κόσμος θυμάται μόνο το δείπνο, τα δώρα και τις γιορτές. Κανείς δεν θυμάται εμένα...
Θα ήθελα αυτά τα Χριστούγεννα να μου επιτρέψεις να έρθω στη ζωή σου, να αναγνωρίσεις ότι πριν από δύο χιλιάδες χρόνια ήρθα σε αυτόν τον κόσμο για να δώσω τη ζωή μου για σένα, στον σταυρό, και να σε σώσω.
Το μόνο που θέλω σήμερα είναι να το πιστέψεις με όλη σου την καρδιά ...
Θα σου πω κάτι: σκέφτηκα, μιας και πολλοί δεν με προσκαλούν στη γιορτή που κάνουν, θα κάνω τη δική μου γιορτή και θα είναι σπουδαία, όπως κανένας δεν την έχει φανταστεί, μια γιορτή πολύ μεγάλη. Ακόμη κάνω τις τελευταίες προετοιμασίες, στέλνω πολλές προσκλήσεις και σήμερα υπάρχει μία ειδικά για εσένα.
Θέλω μόνο να μου πεις αν θέλεις να βοηθήσεις, θα σου κρατήσω μια θέση και θα γράψω το όνομά σου, στη μεγάλη λίστα μου με τους καλεσμένους με κράτηση και... Θα πρέπει να μείνουν απ' έξω εκείνοι που δεν θα απαντήσουν στην πρόσκλησή μου... Ετοιμάσου γιατί όταν όλα θα είναι έτοιμα, μια μέρα που δεν θα το περιμένει κανείς, θα κάνω μια μεγάλη γιορτή...
ΧΡΙΣΤΕ,
Σ' ΕΥΧΑΡΙΣΤΟΥΜΕ ΠΟΥ ΓΕΝΝΗΘΗΚΕΣ
http://agapienxristou.blogspot.ca/2012/12/blog-post_24.html
Next to Pascha, the Nativity of Christ is the most joyous festival, and may justly be called the "Winter Pascha." The celebration of the Nativity of Christ was established very early, possibly already in the first century. But until the end of the fourth century, the Nativity of Christ was celebrated with His Baptism on the 6th of January (the 19th according to the New Style) and was called Theophany. Beginning in the fourth century, the Nativity of Christ began to be celebrated on the 25th of December (on the day of the pagan festival in honor of the "Invincible Sun"). At present, this takes place on the 7th of January according to the Gregorian Calendar. The Church prepares the faithful for a worthy celebration of the Nativity of Christ by a forty-day fast, which begins on the 15 th/28th of November, on the day after the commemoration of the Apostle Philip (hence "Philip's Fast"). Orthodox Christians spend the Eve of the Nativity of Christ in strict fasting. According to the Typicon, on this day one may only eat sochivo (boiled wheat with honey), so this day is called Sochel'nik.
On the Eve of the Nativity of Christ, the "Royal Hours" are performed. This divine service differs from the usual "Hours" by the reading of special "paremias" (readings from the Bible, primarily from the Old Testament) corresponding to the feast. Furthermore, the Apostol and Gospel are read.
The Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is then performed with Vespers. At this Vespers, the stichera on "Lord, I have cried," depict both the inner significance and the outward picture of the Nativity of Christ. Thus, we hear how, with the Incarnation of the Son of God, the strife between God and men ceases, the fiery sword of the angel (blocking the entry to paradise) is turned back, and we receive access to paradise. We also hear of the doxology of the angels, of Herod's confusion, and of the unification of all men under the authority of the Roman emperor Augustus.
Additional paremias are read at Vespers. The first paremia (Gen. 1:1-13) speaks of the creation of man by God. The second (Num. 24:2-9, 17-18) speaks of the prophetic significance of the star out of Jacob and the birth of the Messiah, to whom all men will submit. The third (Micah 4:6-7, 5:2-4) speaks of the birth of Christ in Bethlehem. The fourth (Isaiah 11:1-10) speaks of the Rod (i.e., the Messiah) that would come forth from the root of Jesse and of the fact that the Spirit of God would rest upon Him. The fifth (Baruch 3:36-38; 4:1-4) speaks of the appearance of God on earth and of His life among men. The sixth (Dan. 2:31-36, 44-45) prophecies the restoration of the Heavenly Kingdom by God. After the conclusion of the Liturgy, the priests stand before the icon of the feast in the middle of the Church, and glorify Christ with the singing of the troparion and the kontakion of the feast.
In the evening, on the Eve of the Nativity of Christ, a solemn All-night Vigil is served. This begins with Great Compline and the triumphant singing of the verses: God is with us, containing a prophecy of the birth of the Messiah (see Isaiah 7:14, 8:8-15 and 9:6-7). The stichera at the Litia express the triumph of heaven and earth, of angels and men, who rejoice over the descent of God to the earth and the spiritual and moral change in men that followed. The stichera for the Aposticha proclaim that a most glorious miracle has been performed: the Word is born incorruptibly from a Virgin and is not separated from the Father. After "Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart," the following troparion is sung.
Troparion
Thy Nativity, O Christ our God, shined the light of knowledge upon the world: for therein they that adored the stars were taught by a star to worship Thee, the Sun of righteousness, and to know Thee, the Dayspring from on high: O Lord, glory be to Thee.
Before the reading of the Six Psalms at the beginning of Matins, the church choir joins with the heavenly choir to sing: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will among men.
In the Canon, the thought is expressed that He Who was born of the Virgin is not a simple man, but God, Who has appeared in the flesh on earth for the salvation of men, as was foretold concerning Him in the Old Testament. In the Canon, Jesus Christ is called the Benefactor Who has reconciled us with God, and the Father Who has freed us from the authority of the devil and saved us from sin, the curse and death (see the Canon of Matins below). After the sixth ode of the Canon and the Small Litany is sung the following kontakion.
Kontakion
Today the Virgin giveth birth to Him Who is beyond being, and the earth offereth a cave to Him Who is unapproachable; angels doxologize with shepherds, and Magi journey with a star; for a young Child, the pre-eternal God, is born for our sake.
On the very feast of the Nativity, at the beginning of the Liturgy, instead of the psalms "Bless the Lord, O my soul" and "Praise the Lord, O my soul," special antiphons are sung. The prokeimenon before the Apostol expresses the worship of Jesus Christ by all creation: Let all the earth worship Thee and chant unto Thee; let them chant unto Thy name, O Most High. The reading from the Apostol explains how, through the incarnation of Jesus Christ, we have become children of the Heavenly Father: But when the fullness of the 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. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ (Gal. 4:4-7). The Gospel reading tells of the adoration by the Magi of the Lord Who had been born.
The parable of the lost sheep speaks graphically and vividly of the purpose of the coming of the Son of God into the world. The good shepherd leaves the ninety-nine sheep, by which is meant the angelic world, and sets out for the mountains in order to seek out his lost sheep - the human race perishing in sins. The shepherd's great love for the perishing sheep is evident not only in the fact that he solicitously seeks it, but especially in the fact that after finding it, he takes it upon his shoulders and carries it back. In other words, God, by His power, returns to man the innocence, holiness and blessedness lost by him; having united Himself with our human nature, the Son of God, according to the word of the Prophet, hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows (Isaiah, Ch. 53).
Christ became man not only to teach us the true way and to show us a good example. He became man in order to unite us with Himself, to join our feeble, diseased human nature to His divinity. The Nativity of Christ testifies to the fact that we attain the ultimate aim of our life not only by faith and by striving for good, but chiefly by the regenerating power of the incarnate Son of God, with Whom we are united.
Delving deeply into the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God, we see that it is closely bound up with the mystery of Holy Communion and with the Church, which, according to apostolic teaching, is the mystical Body of Christ. In the Holy Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, a man is joined to the divine-human nature of Christ; he unites with Him and in this union is wholly transfigured. At the same time, in Holy Communion, a Christian unites also with other members of the Church - and thus the mystical Body of Christ grows.
Heterodox Christians who do not believe in Holy Communion understand union with Christ in an allegorical, metaphorical sense, or in the sense of only a spiritual communion with Him. But for spiritual communion, the incarnation of the Son of God is superfluous. After all, even before the Nativity of Christ, the prophets and the righteous were counted worthy of grace-filled communion with God.
One must understand that man is ill not only spiritually, but also physically: all of human nature has been harmed by sin. It is essential, therefore, to heal the whole man, not only his spiritual part. To remove any doubt in the necessity for total communion with Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, in His discourse on the Bread of Life, speaks thus: Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day... He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him (John 6:53-54, 56). Later, Christ uses the metaphor of the grapevine to explain to His disciples that it is precisely in close union with Him that man receives the strength essential for spiritual development and perfection: As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing (John 15:4-5).
Some holy Fathers have justly likened Holy Communion to the mystical tree of life, from which our primogenitors ate in Eden, and which afterwards St. John the Theologian saw in paradise (Gen. 2:9, Rev. 2:7, 22:2). In Holy Communion, a Christian is joined to the immortal life of the God-Man.
Thus, the purpose of the incarnation of the Son of God lies in the spiritual and physical regeneration of man. Spiritual renewal is accomplished throughout the course of a Christian's whole life. But the renewal of his physical nature is completed on the day of the general resurrection of the dead, when the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father (Matt. 13:43).
Preceding the Nativity of Jesus Christ, there was a general expectation of the Saviour. The Jews expected His coming on the basis of prophecies, and all the prophecies relating to the coming of the Son of God had been fulfilled. For example, the Patriarch Jacob had foretold that the Saviour would come when the scepter would depart from Judah (Gen 49:10). The prophet Daniel had foretold that the Kingdom of the Messiah would begin at the seventieth week (490 years) after the issuance of a command concerning the restoration of Jerusalem, during the era of a powerful pagan kingdom, which would be as strong as iron (Dan 9:24-27). And, indeed, at the end of Daniel's seventy weeks, Judæa fell under the dominion of the mighty Roman Empire, while the scepter passed from Judah to Herod, an Idumæan by birth.
The pagans also, in misery from unbelief and a general dissipation of morals, expected a Deliverer with impatience. Men, having fallen away from God, began to deify earthly good things, wealth and worldly glory. The Son of God rejected these worthless idols as the fruit of sin and human passions and was pleased to come into the world under the most modest conditions.
Two Evangelists describe the events of the Nativity: Apostles Matthew (of the twelve) and Luke (of the seventy disciples). Since the Evangelist Matthew wrote his Gospel for the Hebrews, he set himself the aim of proving that the Messiah descended from the forefathers Abraham and King David, as had been foretold by the prophets. Therefore, the Evangelist Matthew begins his narrative of the Nativity of Christ with a genealogy (Matt. 1:1-17).
Knowing that Jesus was not the son of Joseph, the Evangelist does not say that Joseph begat Jesus, but says that Jacob begat Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, Who is called Christ. But why, then, does he adduce Joseph's genealogy and not Mary's? The Hebrews did not have the custom of reckoning genealogies according to the female line, but their Law commanded a man to take a wife without fail from the tribe to which he belonged. Therefore, the Evangelist, not deviating from custom, adduces Joseph's genealogy, to show that Mary, Joseph's wife, and consequently also Jesus, descend from the same tribe of Judah and clan of David.
The most holy Virgin, informed by the Archangel Gabriel that she had been chosen to become the mother of the Messiah, set out for a meeting with Elizabeth, being only the espoused bride of Joseph. Almost three months had already passed since the good tidings of the angel. Joseph, who had not been initiated into this mystery, noticed her condition; her outward appearance gave him cause to consider unfaithfulness. He could have publicly denounced her and subjected her to the severe punishment established by the Law of Moses, but, in accordance with his goodness, he did not want to resort to such a drastic measure. After long vacillations, he decided to put his bride away secretly, without making any publicity, having delivered to her a bill of divorcement.
But an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and declared that the bride espoused to him would give birth from the Holy Spirit; therefore he advised Joseph, 'fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife.' And he was further instructed to name the Son born of her Jesus (Ieshua), that is, Saviour, since He would save His people from their sins. Joseph recognized this dream as inspiration from on high and obeyed it, taking Mary as his wife, but knew her not, that is, he lived with her not as a husband with a wife, but as a brother with a sister (or, judging from the enormous difference in years, rather as a father with a daughter). In narrating this, the Evangelist adds for himself: Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel (Isaiah 7:14). The name "Emmanuel" means "God with us." Here, Isaiah is not calling the One born of the Virgin Emmanuel: he is saying that men will call him such. Thus, this is not the proper name of the One born of the Virgin, but only a prophetic indication that God will be in His person.
The holy Evangelist Luke notes that the time of the Nativity of Christ coincided with a census of the inhabitants of the Roman Empire. This census was carried out in accordance with the command of Cæsar Augustus, that is, the Roman emperor Octavian, who had received the title Augustus ("sacred") from the Roman Senate. The edict on the census came out in the 746th year from the founding of Rome, but in Judæa the census began approximately in the 750th year, during the final years of the reign of Herod, who was surnamed the Great.
The Hebrews reckoned their genealogies according to tribes and clans. This custom was so strong that, having learned of the command of Augustus, they went to be registered each to the town of his clan. Joseph and the Virgin Mary descended, as is well known, from the clan of David. Therefore, they went to set out for Bethlehem, called the city of David because David was born there. Thus, by God's Providence, the ancient prophesy of the Prophet Micah was fulfilled, that Christ would be born precisely in Bethlehem: But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall come forth unto me that is to be a ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting (Micah 5:2, Matt. 2:6).
According to Roman laws, women were subject to the universal census equally with men. Therefore, Joseph went to Bethlehem not alone, but with the Most Holy Virgin. An unexpected journey to his native Bethlehem, a journey so close to the delivery of the Infant, must have convinced Joseph that Cæsar's decree was providential, directing events for the Son of Mary to be born precisely where the Messiah-Saviour ought to be born.
After an exhausting journey, the elderly Joseph and the Virgin Mary arrived in Bethlehem. There was no room in the inn for the mother of the Saviour of the world, and she, with her companion, was forced to lodge in a cave, where livestock were driven from pasture during bad weather. Here, during a winter night, under the most wretched conditions, the Saviour of the world - Christ - was born.
Having borne a Son, the Most Holy Virgin herself swaddled Him and laid Him in a manger. In these brief words, the Evangelist informs us that the Mother of God gave birth painlessly. The Evangelist's expression, brought forth her firstborn son, causes unbelievers to say that, after Jesus the first-born, the Most Holy Virgin had other children, since the Evangelists mention the "brethren" of Christ (Simon, Joses, Judas and James). However, according to the Law of Moses (Ex. 13:2), every infant of the male sex that openeth the womb was called the first-born, even if he were the last. The so-called "brethren" of Jesus in the Gospels are not His own brothers, but only relatives, the children of the aged Joseph by his first wife, Salome, and also the children of Mary the wife of Cleophas (whom the Evangelist John calls his mother's sister). In any case, they all were much older than Christ and therefore could not in any way be the children of the Virgin Mary.
Jesus Christ was born at night, when everyone in Bethlehem and its environs was sleeping. Only the shepherds, who were watching over the flock entrusted to them, were not sleeping. Unto these modest men, who labored and were heavy laden, an angel appeared with the joyous tidings of the birth of the Saviour of the world. The resplendent light surrounding the angel amidst the nocturnal darkness frightened the shepherds. But the angel at once calmed them, saying: Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. By these words, the angel gave them to understand the true purpose of the Messiah, Who had come not for the Jews alone, but for all people, for joy would be to all people who would accept Him as the Saviour. The angel explained to the shepherds that they would find Christ, the Lord Who had been born, in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
Why did an angel not announce the birth of Christ to the Jewish elders, to the scribes and the Pharisees, calling them also to worship the Divine Infant? Because these blind leaders of the blind had ceased to understand the true meaning of the prophecies concerning the Messiah and, on account of their exclusiveness and haughtiness, they imagined that the Deliverer would appear in the full splendor of a majestic conqueror-king, to subjugate the whole world. The modest preacher of peace and love toward one's enemies was unacceptable to them.
The shepherds did not doubt that the angel had been sent to them from God, and therefore they were counted worthy to hear the triumphant heavenly hymn: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men. The angels glorify God, Who had sent the Saviour to men, for from that time, the peace of the conscience has been restored and the enmity between heaven and earth, which arose as a consequence of sin, has been eliminated.
The angels withdrew, while the shepherds hastily set out for Bethlehem; they found the Infant lying in a manger and were the first to worship Him. They told Mary and Joseph about the event that had brought them to the cradle of Christ; they told the same to others also, and all that heard their story were astonished. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart, i.e., she remembered all that she had heard. The Evangelist Luke, who describes many events in the life of the Virgin, such as the Annunciation and the details of the birth of Christ (Luke, Ch. 2), evidently wrote from her words. On the eighth day after his birth, the Infant was circumscribed as prescribed by the Law of Moses.
