Dearly Beloved,

In his beautiful and rich homily on the Feast of the Nativity of the Lord, Saint Gregory the Theologian advises us: “Run after the star, and bring gifts with magi, gold, and frankincense and myrrh, as to a king and a God . . . . With the shepherds give glory, with the angels sing hymns, with the archangels dance. Let there be a common celebration of the heavenly and earthly powers.” (Oration 18). In this one statement we can find guidance from the past that is still meaningful for our celebration of the Birth of Christ today.

In this season, amid all the preparations, we run after many things, searching for the right decorations, searching for that “perfect gift” in store after store. The “perfect gift” has already been delivered: Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of the Virgin Mary. The catalogs promise happiness in things but ultimately the “things” we will open will be put away and eventually be replaced by newer “things” in our lives. The gifts that bring happiness are the gifts of faith and family. The advertisements urge us to consume as a means to show our joy. The Church urges us to askesis, through fasting and abstaining from superfluous past-times and things, as the way to prepare ourselves to receive that “perfect gift” – Christ in the season and in the Holy Eucharist. This is a time for joy, filled with light and celebrations, but search for the proper measure in all these. Let us be like the Magi, who ran after the star and found the King, the Messiah, the Savior of us all.

The shepherds, at the urging and hymns of angels, found a child and worshiped Him, lying in a manger. In our celebrations of the Feast, we must dedicate time for prayer and worship by participating in the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church, but also in our daily lives. Sing the hymns of the Church, the hymns of the angels and the hymns of the season. When you attend the Divine Services of this season, lift your voices with the angels and praise God, “for to us there has been born, a little child, God before all ages.” (Kontakion of Christmas, Saint Romanos the Melodist)

This praise is offered most fully in the congregations, in the shared celebration of the Body of Christ which is the Church. Be sure this year to join with others in your celebration, as the Church, as a family, and as a community. Welcome all to your celebrations; in this season there can be no strangers. There must always be “room at the inn”. In this Nativity season, reach out to the lonely and outcast, and in this act of brotherhood, you will see Christ Himself. As Saint Paul wrote about Jesus He “emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:7)

For the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord is more than a celebration, more than a festival. It is a profound statement of our faith in the Most High God Who was and continues to be at work in our world.  In the Christmas Gospels, we hear how Christ is to be called “Emmanuel” meaning “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). In all times and places, in all eras of history, the Good News of the Incarnation is to hear that God is with us, that He has not abandoned us, especially today, and that He continually loves and cares for us all.

For all these reasons, my beloved, we must be like the Magi and Shepherds who sought out the newborn Christ, and offer our gifts and glory to God in the highest. Praying that your Christmas be a time of many blessings from above to everyone, I remain,

With Love in the Incarnate Logos,
+ G E R A S I M O S
Metropolitan of San Francisco