Eve of Nativity

Title

The Mystery of the Nativity

Outline

We say “Merry” or “Happy” Christmas because of good news

What is the good news? Hebrews has it in 3 verses

“In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the ages. 3 He reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature, upholding the universe by his word of power. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high”

We got a taste of the prophets in the Vesperal readings

We learned about creation in the first Vesperal reading, which takes place “in the beginning” and is structured around tohu and bohu.

In the prophets we anticipate the Son, the true King.

But we also learn that he existed before creation and so under or beyond creation

In Luke we get the narrative of his entering creation:

We are now not “in the beginning” with Genesis or “in those days” with Isaiah, but in particular days when particular rulers ruled, in the time of the pax romana or pax augusta when Romans brought relative peace by force.

That force required an itinerant laborer, Joseph, to return to his home town, Bethlehem, probably because he had some type of property there - otherwise travel was not required. Walking along with him was his pregnant wife - only Luke, who has explained earlier how she became pregnant, calls her “engaged” to indicate she was legally his wife but that he had not had relations with her.

We do not know when they arrived in Bethlehem and probably were put up in a lean-to on the roof of one of Joesph’s relatives. But wherever they were staying, when Mary went into labor there was not enough room, so they end up in a peasant house where animals were brought in for the night. We do not know if the animals were inside, but when the baby was born, they wrapped him properly and placed him in the manger, the one protected place. That was how the Creator of the universe entered the human race - no pomp and circumstance there.

On the hills surrounding Bethlehem there were some hired shepherds, despised men thought to be thieves - they had no halos in Jewish eyes. Suddenly a divine messenger appears and a great light lights up the area - the divine messenger wants to give good news that is for all peoples and it is not that Caesar won another great battle. No, there is a Messianic King the Lord, not Caesar the Lord, in David’s city. He is a newborn, and he is in the house the poor live in. These insignificant men then get a celestial concert of praise.

They rush off to Bethlehem and soon locate where the baby is and went off rejoicing and telling everyone in earshot - in the middle of the night. Probably most who heard thought they were drunk, but Mary knew enough to ponder their strange tale for years.

Brothers and sisters, the one beyond creation entered creation - that is the mystery and the good news

He did not come to societal leaders, but to a poor couple in a hovel and was announced to some disrespected shepherds.

What was called for was commitment to him a King and God, Christ and Lord.

That good news is greater than any of the battles of Caesar or the pax augusta or anything else in that age.

That is why we cry out, “Glory to you Lord God.”

Readings

Vespers

Gen 1:1-13 Is 11:1-10 Is  7:10-16, 8:1-4, 9-10

Genesis 1:1–13 RSV2CE

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. 6 And God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the firmament and separated the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. And it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. 9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11 And God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, upon the earth.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.

Isaiah 11:1–10 RSV2CE

1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; 4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. 6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall feed; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The sucking child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. 9 They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. 10 In that day the root of Jesse shall stand as an ensign to the peoples; him shall the nations seek, and his dwellings shall be glorious.

Isaiah 8:9–10 RSV2CE

9 Be broken, you peoples, and be dismayed; give ear, all you far countries; gird yourselves and be dismayed; gird yourselves and be dismayed. 10 Take counsel together, but it will come to nought; speak a word, but it will not stand, for God is with us.

Divine Liturgy

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 12-24-2021: Eve of Nativity

EPISTLE

Hebrews 1:1–12

1 In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the ages. 3 He reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature, upholding the universe by his word of power. When he had made 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 obtained is more excellent than theirs.

5  For to what angel 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 first-born into the

world, he says,

“Let all God’s angels worship him.”

7  Of the angels he says,

“Who makes his angels winds,

and his servants flames of fire.”

8  But of the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever,

the righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom.

9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;

therefore God, your God, has anointed you

with the oil of gladness beyond your comrades.”

10  And,

“You, Lord, founded the earth in the beginning,

and the heavens are the work of your hands;

11 they will perish, but you remain;

they will all grow old like a garment,

12 like a cloak you will roll them up,

and they will be changed.

But you are the same,

and your years will never end.”

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 12-24-2021: Eve of Nativity

GOSPEL

Luke 2:1–20

2  In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. 2 This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. 4  And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city 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 enrolled with Mary his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. 7 And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

8 And in that 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 fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; 11  for to 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 men 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 which had been told them concerning this child; 18 and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19  But Mary kept 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.

Notes

Friday, December 24, 2021 Holy Cross Catholic Church Vespers with the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil for The Nativity of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ Bright vestments are worn. Bring the brown liturgikon. I will prepare a vespers book. Vespers paramia: Gen 1:1-13 Is 11:1-10 Is  7:10-16, 8:1-4, 9-10 Epistle: Heb. 1:1-12 Gospel:   Lk. 2:1-20 Dismissal (brown liturgikon p.111): May Christ our true God, who for our salvation was born in a cave in Bethlehem of Judea and lay in a manger, have mercy on us and save us through the prayers of his most pure Mother; and of our holy father Basil the Great, archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia; and through the prayers of all the saints, for Christ is good and loves us all.