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Christ is born! Let's glorify Him!
I congratulate you on the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ!
God loves us and blesses us that we do good things and everuthing which worth to be lived, worked and served for.
Today you have come with your children and you can say to them: "Look, it was made by your parents' hands, we have built this temple." And the child answers: "Wow!? Your child says it with great amazement and admiration that we have built it by ourselves. Yes? It is clear that a lot of people will come here and will flow like the rivers of living water (John 7:38). Everybody will look for God's Word, for salvation, for the transfiguration of their soul.
It is clear that here in our temple we still have enough work, but with God's help we will do this work quickly and with inspiration to have an opportunity to glorify God in top floor temple. Yes or no?
Today's birth of Jesus Christ gives us the first mass in the refectory of the Transfiguration of Lord Temple. The birth of Jesus Christ is the great event, because the Savior was born, who came to teach people how to live, how to redeem, how to build happy life in their state, to build economy, politics and other things. But people do not pay attention to it. Everybody thinks that He taught something inapprehensible, some castles in the air, something that is unreal to understand in modern life.
God was born for the sake of our salvation. If Lord had not been born, the humanity would have reached the last boundary of spiritual degradation and would not exist anymore. And now we feel it, because people in Ukraine are reaching the last boundary of their spiritual degradation. As if the tap was opened: dissoluteness, evil, shameless politics and wars. And we hope again for Our newborn Lord - little Jesus, who should be born in our hearts through our prayers, through our good doings. And we ask: "Oh Lord, bear today in our hearts, that we feel Your birth, calmness, grace, happiness, which come in this world together with Your birth."
And let's also thank Mary, the mother of Jesus, who did a heroic deed to become a worthy person to give birth to a child from God. The child, which was put down in the cattleshed and there were only a donkey, a horse, some cows. He was born not in the rich apartments. Yes? The King of the world was born and it seemed that all world should bow before Him. No. His birth happened so quietly and the archangel came only to the shepherds and said: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased! Because the Savior of the world was born for you." And they saw that star and heard the instructions of archangel and went to welcome newborn Lord Jesus Christ.
And also three Magi, three kings from different countries, who were waiting for the birth of the Great Person and studying the stars, followed one star. They all met in one place and continued their trip together with the aim to give the gifts to newborn King. They brought Him not much, but enough. They brought Him exactly those things, which He needed. Mary and Joseph needed some gold to get to Jerusalem, to live there, because Herod wanted to kill newborn Jesus. They brought Him consecrated oil, which was very useful for body, and frankincense for smoking, that Holy Spirit come and heal the soul. (Matthew II:1-11)
The Magi brought the main gifts that they could pray and feel the presence of God in their lives.
Today we also have got the Nativity Play and we can come like that Magi, pray and give gifts to the newborn Lord; that God bless us through the gifts so we can feel the unity and participation in the birth of the Savior of the world. Do you understand? It was a great gladness for the Magi when they saw a newborn child, which was looking at them with very clever eyes and blessed them.
It is clear that now they are on the heavens and they are happy that they took part in such unusual event. In Germany they do not celebrate Christmas Eve, because they celebrate Christmas on December24-25, and today they celebrate the Day of three Kings, who came and brought the gifts. What gifts? Their work, their service, their love to this place, to the temple of God.
It is very important to teach children: if you have something dear for you, give it to newborn Jesus. The children will have the connection with invisible, mystical body of our Lord Jesus Christ for them to feel His warmth, His love the same as we feel the grace now, which grows every minute more and more.
It is clear that a lot of angels are here now. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. We feel it now.
Let the Lord bless us all. And let's sing the Christmas carols and welcome the birth of Our Jesus Christ.
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
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Apostle (Hebrews, 1, 1:12):
1
1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our
fathers by the prophets,
2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom
he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact
imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his
power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of
the Majesty on high,
4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has
inherited is more excellent than theirs.
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,
"You are my Son,
today I have begotten you?"
Or again,
"I will be to him a father,
and he shall be to me a son?"
6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he
says,
"Let all God's angels worship him."
7 Of the angels he says,
"He makes his angels winds,
and his ministers a flame of fire."
8But of the Son he says,
"Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the scepter of uprightness
is the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions."
10 And,
"You, Lord, laid the foundation
of the earth in the beginning,
and the heavens are the work of your hands;
11 they will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment,
12 like a robe you will roll them up,
like a garment they will be changed.
But you are the same,
and your years will have no end."
Gospel (Luke, 2:1-20):
2
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that
all the world should be registered.
2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor
of Syria
3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of
Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem,
because he was of the house and lineage of David,
5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with
child.
6And while they were there, the time came for her to give
birth.
7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in
swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for
them in the inn.
8And in the same region there were shepherds out in the
field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of
the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.
10And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring
you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a
Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby
wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the
heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 "Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"
15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the
shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this
thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us."
16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and
the baby lying in a manger.
17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had
been told them concerning this child.
18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told
them.
19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in
her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
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