St. Cyprian of Carthage On The Invalidity of the Sacraments of Heretics - San Cipriano de Cartago Sobre La Invalidez de los Sacramentos de los Herejes

 

ENGLISH:

Are the Sacraments of Schismatics Valid? What do the Church Fathers Say? 

ECUMENISM AND ECCLESIOLOGY OF SAN CIPRIANO DE CARTAGO 

Fr. Daniel Degyansky 

 

Saint Cyprian of Carthage developed with intrepid coherence the doctrine of the total absence of Grace in each sect that separated from the True Church. His teaching is one of the main building blocks of orthodox ecclesiology and is in direct opposition to the premises of the ecumenical movement. Furthermore, his warnings about the enemies of the Church have traditionally guided the Orthodox in their reaction to those outside of His fold: We must be careful not only what is revealed and manifested, but also what is deceitful by the art of subtle fraud. And what could be more cunning or more sophisticated than for this the enemy invents a new deception and, under the very name of the Christian name, deceives the unwary. St. Cyprian's warnings about enemies of the Church calling themselves "Christians" to destroy the Faith can be applied to many who support unity through the modern ecumenical movement. The fact that such a statement is rarely made shows us to what extent modern ecumenism has led some Orthodox away from the criterion of truth, which is their faith.

The essence of St. Cyprian's reasoning was "the conviction that the sacraments are established in the Church." That is, they are carried out and can only be carried out in the Church, in communion and in community. Consequently, any violation of the community and of the unity itself leads immediately beyond the last barrier to some decisive exterior. For St. Cyprian, each schism was a departure from the Church, from that consecrated and holy land, "from which only the source of baptism, the water of salvation, originates." St. Cyprian stood firm in his position regarding the Church's rejection of the reality of the heretical sacrament: For this is not a small and insignificant matter that heretics are acknowledged when we acknowledge their baptism; since from this comes the entire origin of faith and saving access to the hope of eternal life. And divine condescension for the purification and revival of the servants of God. Because if someone could be baptized among the heretics, then, of course, they could also receive absolution. If he achieved absolution, he would also be sanctified. St.Cyprian felt that if the True Church recognizes the sacraments of those outside of His realm, it gives authority to heretics and schismatics: "Because if they see that this is determined and decreed by our court and sentence, that the baptism with which they are baptized there is considered just and legally belonging also to the Church and other gifts of the Church; and there will be no reason for them to come to us when, since they have baptism, they seem to have everything else there. But also, when they know that there is no baptism outside the Church and that remission of sins cannot be given outside the Church, they rush to us with great zeal and promptness and advocate for the gifts and benefits of the Church, our Mother, confident that in no way can they achieve the true promise of divine grace if at first, the Churches will not arrive at the Truth." Saint Basil the Great

St. Cyprian's teaching on the gracelessness of those outside the True Church is directly related to his teaching on unity and community: "Therefore we must consider their faith, who believe outside, whether they can receive grace in relation to the same faith, because if we and the heretics have a faith, we can also have a grace". Strictly speaking, the theological premises of St. Cyprian's teaching have never been rejected. At the same time, the Orthodox Church has never explicitly applied the conclusions of Saint Cyprian. In fact, St. Basil's First Canon, if carefully analyzed, suggests that the problem of schism and heresy is more complicated in practical terms than St. Cyprian's theory would suggest. Therefore, the canonical norms of the Orthodox Church do not state that schismatics are DEPRIVED from Grace under any circumstances. BUT THAT ITS SACRAMENTS, WHEN THEY EXIST, ARE NOT VALID AND THEREFORE THE GRACE OF GOD DOES NOT FULLY OPERATE IN THEM AND THAT THIS IS SO, BECAUSE THE SPIRIT DOES NOT DWELL IN THEM; BUT IT OPERATES IN THEM NOT FROM THE INSIDE, BUT FROM THE OUTSIDE. 

Ecumenists sometimes use St. Basil's position to defend their activities (although, it should be noted that in the course of deviation from correct Orthodox teaching, many ecumenists even within Orthodoxy have come to believe that "schism" and "heresy" are meaningless terms, except when they can be used to abuse the Orthodox, who oppose the ecumenical movement). In fact, it is false that the teachings of St. Cyrprian do not agree with those of St. Basil, on the contrary, the ecclesiological teachings of St. Cyrprian complement the teachings of St. Basil and are next to them, since they are united by the function of " economy", thanks to which the theoretical precision of the teachings of St. Cyprian has been strengthened. Cyprian becomes effective in the economy of practical application.

Therefore, there are those who mistakenly think that the Church in some cases recognized the validity of the sacraments of sectarians and even heretics. They mistakenly assume that the Church admits that the sacraments can be performed outside of the strict canonical framework of the Church, a dangerous assumption indeed. The Church, for example, can, in extraordinary circumstances, receive adherents of sects and even heresies not by baptism, but by chrismation or even by a simple confession of our Orthodox faith. But, at the same time, it does not recognize, as some theologians erroneously claim, what is beyond its competence; rather, through the "economy", the Church, being 'All Secret', as Archimandrite Justin says, manifests Grace where it did not exist, filling a form empty of mystery, schismatic and heretical (sacrament) unknown to Her with the Grace that flows abundantly in it. At the same time, before the appearance of entire groups of Christians who broke away from the historical Orthodox Church, there were times when those who had deviated from their faith, even for a generation, were accepted back into the Church without baptism. But even here the Church took the form correctly externally, of its empty sacraments, and not the reality of its sacraments, because these, being outside the Church, are invalid. Thus, with the help of the "economy", and as an expression of total tolerance and compassion, the primacy of the Church extended beyond itself to create Grace in what was done outside of it. But at the same time, she in no way accepted what was beyond Her. He acted outside the canons, but only out of mercy, he did not violate them:

As a mystical organism, as the sacramental Body of Christ, the Church cannot be adequately described in canonical terms or categories alone. It is impossible to establish or distinguish the true boundaries of the Church simply by canonical signs or marks. In its sacramental and mysterious existence, the Church transcends canonical dimensions. For this reason, the canonical schism does not immediately mean impoverishment and mystical desolation, this 'mystical desolation' only comes if the schism and heresy are maintained without repentance for a long time. Everything that Saint Cyprian said about the unity of the Church and the sacraments can and must be accepted. But there is no need, as he did, to draw the final boundary around the body of the Church by canonical points alone.

St. Augustine of Hippo, adhering to opinions that clearly go beyond the consensus of the Church fathers, and therefore lack patristic authority, wrote that within the sects and divisions of Christianity, the "union of the world" was broken. and it tore, but in its mysteries the "unity of the Spirit" was not finished. This shows, as Father Florovsky points out, "The error and the unique paradox of sectarian existence: That is, believing that the sect remains united to the Church in the grace of the sacraments, when in reality it is separated from the Mystical Body of Christ and this in case of Schisms by excommunication Therefore the sectarians and the schismatics in their error convert their false sacraments; in a self-condemnation, as soon as love, communion and social reciprocity with the Mystical Body fades in them of Christ which is His only and true Church" St. Augustine erred when he stated explicitly: "That in the sacraments of the sectarians, the Church is active; it generates some from itself, others from outside, from its servant, and baptism schismatic is valid precisely for the reason that it is carried out by the Church." Simply because the schismed and/or heretical group is not within the Mystical Body of Christ, nor is it the Church, really. Therefore, when Saint Augustine affirms that: "The Holy and sanctifying Spirit still breathes in the sects, but due to the stubbornness and impotence of the schism, the healing is not complete" St. Augustine That is to say that, in this case, the Blessed Augustine errs and is outside the Consensum Patrium, which is what the Church recognizes as normative and inspired.

Ecumenists use the thought of Augustine to confirm that there are valid sacraments outside the Orthodox Church. Similarly, those of us who oppose this false form of ecumenism have come to the conclusion, based on the same idea, that the rites of schismatics are not sacraments, but a blasphemous caricature of them. Some Orthodox conservatives have gone further and erred in claiming that they claim that salvation can only be found within the Orthodox Church, thus claiming that all schismatics are doomed. The conclusions of the ecumenists are absolutely wrong. The Orthodox Church does not accept any sacraments outside Its borders, except, again, in the form of empty forms. But as for the personal slavcaion of individuals outside the Church, the Orthodox Consensus is that only God knows the hearts and thoughts of people, and only He knows who is truly sincere in their profession of faith and only He knows What is the degree of doctrinal perfection that He wants. On the other hand, St.Augustine writes of the undivided Christianity of an age that knew nothing of the hundreds of sects that make up the Christian world today, many of which are so far removed from the historic Church and its rich doctrines that because of their faith in Christ they can be identified as Christians. It is an act of intellectual dishonesty to use the words of the Blessed Augustine, to apply those words that are about sects and heresies in the ancient Church as if they clearly applied to modern times. Where the number of different "churches" grows daily and goes back thousands. In addition, as we have pointed out, St.Augustine's reflections on the validity of the sacraments of heretics and sectarians are not in accordance with the patristic consensus, nor are they internally consistent.

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ESPAÑOL:

Son los Sacramentos de los Cismáticos Válidos? Que Dicen los Padres?
 

ECUMENISMO Y ECLESIOLOGÍA DE SAN CIPRIANO DE CARTAGO
 

Fr. Daniel Degyansky
 

San Cipriano de Cartago desarrolló con intrépida coherencia la doctrina de la ausencia total de Gracia en cada secta que se separaba de la Verdadera Iglesia. Su enseñanza es uno de los principales bloques fundamentales de la eclesiología ortodoxa y está en oposición directa a las premisas del movimiento ecuménico. Además, sus advertencias sobre los enemigos de la Iglesia han guiado tradicionalmente a los ortodoxos en su reacción a los que están fuera de Su rebaño:
Debemos tener cuidado no solo de lo que se revela y manifiesta, sino también de lo que es engañoso por el arte del fraude sutil. Y qué podría ser más astuto o más sofisticado que para esto el enemogo se inventr un nuevo engaño y, bajo el nombre mismo del nombre cristiano, engañe a los incautos.
Las advertencias de San Cipriano sobre los enemigos de la Iglesia que se hacen llamar "cristianos" para destruir la Fe se pueden aplicar a muchos de los que apoyan la unidad a través del movimiento ecuménico moderno. El hecho de que rara vez se haga una declaración de este tipo nos muestra hasta qué punto el ecumenismo moderno ha alejado a algunos ortodoxos del criterio de la verdad, que es su fe.
 

La esencia del razonamiento de san Cipriano era "la convicción de que los sacramentos están establecidos en la Iglesia."Es decir, se llevan a cabo y solo se pueden llevar a cabo en la Iglesia, en comunión y en comunidad. En consecuencia, toda violación de la comunidad y de la unidad en sí misma conduce inmediatamente más allá de la última barrera a algún exterior decisivo. Para san Cipriano, cada cisma era una salida de la Iglesia, de esa tierra consagrada y santa, "de la que solo se origina la fuente del bautismo, el agua de la salvación." San Cipriano se mantuvo firme en su posición con respecto al rechazo de la Iglesia de la realidad del sacramento herético.:
 

Porque esto no es un asunto pequeño e insignificante que se reconozca a los herejes cuando reconocemos su bautismo; ya que de esto viene todo el origen de la fe y el acceso salvador a la esperanza de la vida eterna. Y la condescendencia divina para la purificación y el avivamiento de los siervos de Dios. Porque si alguno podía ser bautizado entre los herejes, entonces, por supuesto, también podía recibir la absolución. Si lograba la absolución, también seria santificado.
San Cipriano sentía que si la Verdadera Iglesia reconoce los sacramentos de los que están fuera de Su reino, da autoridad a los herejes y cismáticos:
"Porque si ven que esto está determinado y decretado por nuestro tribunal y sentencia, que el bautismo con el que son bautizados allí se considera justo y legalmente perteneciente también a la Iglesia y otros dones de la Iglesia; y no habrá razón para que vengan a nosotros cuando, como tienen el bautismo, parecen tener allí todo lo demás. Pero además, cuando saben que no hay bautismo fuera de la Iglesia y que no se puede dar la remisión de los pecados fuera de la Iglesia, se apresuran a nosotros con gran celo y prontitud y abogan por los dones y beneficios de la Iglesia, nuestra Madre, confiados en que de ninguna manera pueden lograr la verdadera promesa de la gracia divina si al principio, las Iglesias no llegarán a la Verdad."
San Basilio el Grande
 

La enseñanza de san Cipriano sobre la falta de gracia de los que están fuera de la Verdadera Iglesia está directamente relacionada con su enseñanza sobre la unidad y la comunidad: "Por lo tanto, debemos considerar su fe, que creen fuera, si pueden recibir gracia en relación con la misma fe, porque si nosotros y los herejes tenemos una fe, también podemos tener una gracia". Estrictamente hablando, las premisas teológicas de la enseñanza de san Cipriano nunca han sido rechazadas. Al mismo tiempo, la Iglesia Ortodoxa nunca ha aplicado explícitamente las conclusiones de San Cipriano. De hecho, el Primer Canon de St. Basilio, si se analiza cuidadosamente, sugiere que el problema del cisma y la herejía es más complicado en términos prácticos de lo que sugeriría la teoría de San Cipriano. Por lo tanto, las normas canónicas de la Iglesia Ortodoxa no establecen que los cismáticos estén PRIVADOS de la Gracia bajo ninguna circunstancia. SINO QUE SUS SACRAMENTOS, CUANDO ESTOS EXISTEN, NO SON VALIDOS Y POR TANTO LA GRACIA DE DIOS NO OPERA TOTALMENTE EN ELLOS Y QUE ESTO ES ASI, PORQUE EL ESPIRITU NO MORA EN ELLOS; SINO QUE OPERA EN ELLOS NO DESDE SU INTERIOR, SINO DESDE AFUERA. 

Los ecumenistas a veces usan la posición de San Basilio para defender sus actividades (aunque, debe tenerse en cuenta que en el curso de la desviación de la enseñanza ortodoxa correcta, muchos ecumenistas aun dentro de la Ortodoxia han llegado a creer que "cisma" y "herejía" son términos que no tienen sentido, excepto cuando pueden usarse para abusar de los ortodoxos, que se oponen al movimiento ecuménico). De hecho, es falso que las ensenanzas de San Cipriano no concuerden con las de San Basilio,al contrario, las enseñanzas eclesiológicas de San Cipriano complementan las enseñanzas de San Basilio y están al lado de ellas, ya que están unidas por la función de "economía", gracias a la cual la precisión teórica de las enseñanzas de San Cipriano se ha fortalecido. Cipriano se vuelve efectivo en la economía de la aplicación práctica.
 

Por lo tanto, hay quienes piensan erróneamente que la Iglesia en algunos casos reconoció la validez de los sacramentos de los sectarios e incluso de los herejes. Asumen erróneamente que la Iglesia admite que los sacramentos se pueden realizar fuera del estricto marco canónico de la Iglesia, de hecho, una suposición peligrosa. La Iglesia, por ejemplo, puede, en circunstancias extraordinarias, recibir adherentes de sectas e incluso herejías no por bautismo, sino por crismación o incluso por una simple confesión de nuestra fe ortodoxa. Pero, al mismo tiempo, no reconoce, como algunos teólogos afirman erróneamente, lo que está más allá de su competencia; más bien, a través de la "economía", la Iglesia, siendo 'Todo Secreta', como dice el Archimandrita Justino, manifiesta la Gracia donde no existía, llenando una forma vacía de misterio, (sacramento) cismatico y heretico desconocido para Ella con la Gracia que en ella flue con abundancia. Al mismo tiempo, antes de la aparición de grupos enteros de cristianos que se separaron de la Iglesia Ortodoxa histórica, hubo momentos en que aquellos que se habían desviado de su fe, incluso durante una generación, fueron aceptados de nuevo en la Iglesia sin bautismo. Pero incluso aquí la Iglesia tomó la forma correctam externamente, de sus sacramentos vacíos, y no la realidad de sus sacramentos, porque estos al estar fuera de la Iglesia son invalidos . Así, con la ayuda de la" economía", y comop una expresion de amot tolerancia y compasion, el primado de la Iglesia se extendió más allá de sí misma para crear Gracia en lo que se hacía fuera de ella. Pero al mismo tiempo, de ninguna manera aceptó lo que estaba más allá de Ella. Actuó fuera de los cánones, pero solo por misericordia, no los violó:

Como organismo místico, como Cuerpo sacramental de Cristo, la Iglesia no puede describirse adecuadamente solo en términos o categorías canónicas. Es imposible establecer o distinguir los verdaderos límites de la Iglesia simplemente por signos o marcas canónicas. En su existencia sacramental y misteriosa, la Iglesia trasciende las dimensiones canónicas. Por esta razón, el cisma canónico no significa inmediatamente empobrecimiento y desolación mística, esta 'desolacion mistica' solo viene si se mantiene el cisma y la herejia sin arrepentirse por un largo tiempo. Todo lo que san Cipriano dijo sobre la unidad de la Iglesia y los sacramentos puede y debe ser aceptado. Pero no hay necesidad, como él lo hizo, de trazar el límite final alrededor del cuerpo de la Iglesia solo por puntos canónicos.

San Agustín de Hipona, adhiriéndose a opiniones que claramente van más allá del consenso de los padres de la Iglesia, y que por tanto carecen de autoridad patristica, escribió que dentro de las sectas y divisiones del cristianismo, la "unión del mundo" se rompió y desgarró, pero en sus misterios la "unidad del Espíritu" no se terminó. Esto muestra, como señala el padre Florovsky, " El error y la paradoja única de la existencia sectaria: O sea el; creer que la secta permanece unida a la Iglesia en la gracia de los sacramentos, caundo en realidad esta separada del Cuerpo Mistico de Cristo y esto en caso de Cismas por excomunion Por tanto los sectarios y los cismaticos en su error convierten sus falsos sacramentos; en una auto condena, tan pronto como se desvanece en ellos,el amor, la comunion y la reciprocidad social con el Cuerpo Mistico de Cristo el cual es Su unica y verdadera Iglesia" St. Agustín erro cuando afirmó explícitamente: "Que en los sacramentos de los sectarios, la Iglesia es activa; genera algunos de sí misma, otros de fuera, de su siervo, y el bautismo cismático es válido precisamente por la razón de que es realizado por la Iglesia." Simplemente por que la agrupcvion Cismada y/o herteica ni esta dentro del Cuerpo Mistico de Cristo, ni es Iglesia, en veradad. Por lo tanto, cuando san Agustín, afirma que: "El Espíritu Santo y santificador todavía respira en las sectas, pero debido a la terquedad y la impotencia del cisma, la curación no es completa" San Agustín
Es decir que, en este caso, el Bendecido San Agustin, erra y esta fuera del Consensum Patrium que es el cual la Iglesia reconoce como normativo e inspirado.
 

Los ecumenistas utilizan el pensamiento de San Agustín para confirmar que hay sacramentos válidos fuera de la Iglesia Ortodoxa. Del mismo modo, los que nos oponenmos a esta falsa forma de ecumenismo hemos llegado a la conclusión, basándose en la misma idea, de que los ritos de los cismáticos no son sacramentos, sino una caricatura blasfema de ellos. Algunos conservadores ortodoxos han ido mas alla y caido en el error de afirmar que afirman que la salvación solo se puede encontrar dentro de la Iglesia Ortodoxa, afirmando así que todos los cismáticos están condenados a la condenación. Las conclusiones de los ecumenistas son absolutamente erróneas. La Iglesia Ortodoxa no acepta ningún sacramento fuera de Sus fronteras, excepto, de nuevo, en forma de formularios vacíos. Pero en cuanto a la slavcaion persaonla de individuis fuera de la Iglesia, el Consenso Ortodoxo, es que solo Dios conoce los corazones, y pensamientos de la gente,y solo El sabe quien en verdad es sincero en su profesion de fe y so el sabe cual es el grado de perfeccion doctrinal que El quiere. Por otra parte, San Agustín escribe sobre el cristianismo indiviso de una época que no sabía nada acerca de los cientos de sectas que componen el mundo cristiano de nuestros días, muchos de los cuales están tan lejos de la Iglesia histórica y sus ricas doctrinas que solo por su fe en Cristo pueden ser identificados como cristianos. Es un acto de deshonestidad intelectual usar las palabras del Bendecido San Agustin, para aplicar esas palabras que son sobre sectas y herejías en la Iglesia antigua como si se aplicaran claramente a los tiempos modernos. Donde el numero de "iglesias" diferentes, crece a diario y se remonta miles .Además, como hemos señalado, las reflexiones de san Agustín sobre la validez de los sacramentos de los herejes y sectarios no están de acuerdo con el consenso patrístico, ni son internamente consistentes.

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Holy Water - Agua Bendita

 

ENGLISH:

Holy water is water that has been blessed by a bishop or priest for use in the rites of the Orthodox Church including baptism, blessing persons, places, and objects or as a means of repelling evil. 

After the schism of 1054 there are several instnaces where, God manifested through various signs that Orthodoxy is the right faith and Church.

In the Pedalion St. Nikidemos mentions a miracle in Ukraine which pointed out that the Papist "holy" water was not efficacious.

As you know the Orthodox water is incorupt by the Uncreated Grace. Latins, (i.e. Roman Catholics or Papists), on the other hand, have no grace, and their "holy" water gets corrupt, that's why their priests add salt to preserve it. The only real Holy Water is found ONLY in the Orthodox Church.

 

Usage 

 A quantity of holy water is typically kept in a font placed near the entrance of the church where it is available for anyone who needs it. Holy water is sometimes sprinkled on items or people when they are blessed, as part of the prayers of blessing. For instance, in Alaska, the fishing boats are sprinkled with holy water at the start of the fishing season as the priest prays for the crews' safety and success. Orthodox Christians most often bless themselves with holy water by drinking it. It is traditional to keep a quantity of it at home, and many Orthodox Christians will drink a small amount daily with their morning prayers. It may also be used for informal blessings when no clergy are present. For example, parents might bless their children with holy water before they leave the house for school or play. 

 

 

Holy Water Font

 

The use of holy water is based on the story of Jesus' baptism by Saint John the Baptist in the River Jordan and the Orthodox interpretation of this event. In this view, John's baptism was a baptism of repentance, and the people came to have their sins washed away by the water. Since Jesus had no sin, but was God himself, his baptism had the effect of Jesus blessing the water, making it holy, that is used fully for its original created purpose to be an instrument of life.

 

 

Theophany 

 

The Great Blessing of Water is held on the eve of the feast of the Theophany (January 5) and/or the feast of Theophany itself (January 6), following the Divine Liturgy. The blessing remembers the event of the Lord's baptism, the revelation of the Holy Trinity, and also expresses Orthodoxy's belief that creation is sanctified through Christ.

Jesus' baptism is commemorated in the Orthodox Church at the Feast of Theophany (literally "God shining forth"). At the Vespers of this feast, a font of holy water is typically blessed in the church, to provide holy water for the parish's use in the coming year. The next morning in some parishes, the prayers often include a trip to a nearby river, lake or other public source of drinking water, to bless that water as well. This represents the redemption of all creation as part of humanity's salvation. In the following weeks, the priest typically visits the homes of the parish's members and prays prayers of blessing for their families, homes and pets, sprinkling them with holy water. Again, this practice is meant to visibly represent God's sanctifying work in all parts of the people's lives.

Holy water can also be blessed at any other time of the year if there is a need, and this is usually done on the first day of a month. The holy water used for a baptism is blessed as part of the baptism service.

 

Great Blessing of Water

On the feast of Holy Theophany holy water is blessed twice, at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgies both on the eve and on the feast itself. After processing to the place where the vessel of water is prepared to the singing of appropriate troparia there are a group of Scripture readings culminating in the baptism account from the Gospel of Saint Mark (1:9-11) followed by the Great Litany. This is sung just as for the Liturgy, but with the following additional petitions which make clear what is being asked of God and what the use, purpose, and blessing of the water is believed to entail.

That these waters may be sanctified by the power, and effectual operation, and descent of the 

Holy Spirit:

That there may descend upon these waters the cleansing operation of the super-substantial 

Trinity:

That he will endue them with the grace of redemption, the blessing of Jordan, the might, and operation, and descent of the Holy Spirit:

That Satan may speedily be crushed under our feet, and that every evil counsel directed against us may be brought to naught:

That the Lord our God will free us from every attack and temptation of the enemy, and make us worthy of the good things which he hath promised:

That he will illumine us with the light of understanding and of piety, and with the descent of the Holy Spirit:

That the Lord our God will send down the blessing of Jordan and sanctify these waters:

That this water may be unto the bestowing of sanctification; unto the remission of sins; unto the healing of soul and body; and unto every expedient service:

That this water may be a fountain welling forth unto life eternal:

That it may manifest itself effectual unto the averting of every machination of our foes, whether visible or invisible:

For those who shall draw of it and take of it unto the sanctification of their homes:

That it may be for the purification of the souls and bodies of all those who, with faith, shall draw and partake of it:

That he will graciously enable us to perfect sanctification by participation in these waters, through the invisible manifestation of the Holy Spirit:

Then, following a lengthy set of didactic prayers that expound on the nature of the feast and summarize salvation history, praising God's creation of and mastery over the elements, the priest makes the Sign of the Cross over the water with his hand and prays specifically for the blessing to be invoked upon it. At the climax of the service, he immerses the hand cross into the water three times in imitation of Christ's baptism to the singing of the festal troparion and then blesses the entire church and congregation with the newly consecrated water.

 

 

Blessing the Water 

 

The blessing the water begins with the chanting of special hymns, with the censing of the water, and concludes with Bible readings, petitions and prayers.

The water is in a large container in the middle of the nave, or the service may be held at a freely flowing natural source. If celebrated indoors, the container of water may be decorated with candles and flowers as the symbol of the beauty of God's original creation through his Word and Spirit. During the service, a cross is dipped three times into the water.

After the blessing service, the faithful fill their containers to take some holy water home with them. This water is also used to bless homes during the Theophany season.

Water is seen by the Church as the prime element of creation. In blessing water, it is asked that the original purpose of water, as a source of life, blessing and holiness be revealed as one drinks it. In the Book of Genesis, creation began when the Spirit of God moved over the face of the waters.

In the blessing of water it is seen that the world and everything in it is "very good" (Gen. 1:31) and when it becomes corrupted, God saves it once more by effecting the new creation in Christ, his divine Son and our Lord by the grace of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 6:15).

The celebration of the Great Blessing of Water is an affirmation that through Christ's own baptism, he has lifted the curse of Adam's sin, and given the creative goodness of God's creation back to mankind once again. Thus when Christians are baptized, they are baptized into Christ, part of the creation that is sanctified in Christ. 

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ESPAÑOL: 

El agua bendita es agua que ha sido bendecida por un obispo o sacerdote para su uso en los ritos de la Iglesia Ortodoxa, incluido el bautismo, la bendición de personas, lugares y objetos o como medio para repeler el mal. 

 

Uso 

Por lo general, se guarda una cantidad de agua bendita en una fuente ubicada cerca de la entrada de la iglesia, donde está disponible para cualquiera que la necesite. El agua bendita a veces se rocía sobre artículos o personas cuando son bendecidos, como parte de las oraciones de bendición. Por ejemplo, en Alaska, los barcos de pesca se rocían con agua bendita al comienzo de la temporada de pesca mientras el sacerdote ora por la seguridad y el éxito de las tripulaciones. Los cristianos ortodoxos suelen bendecirse con agua bendita bebiéndola. Es tradicional mantener una cantidad en casa, y muchos cristianos ortodoxos beben una pequeña cantidad diariamente con sus oraciones matutinas. También se puede usar para bendiciones informales cuando no hay clérigos presentes. Por ejemplo, los padres pueden bendecir a sus hijos con agua bendita antes de que salgan de casa para ir a la escuela o jugar.

Después del cisma de 1054, hay varios casos en los que Dios manifestó a través de varios signos que la Ortodoxia es la fe y la Iglesia correcta. 

En el Pedalion San Nikidemos menciona un milagro en Ucrania que señaló que el agua "bendita" papista no era eficaz. 

Como sabéis el agua ortodoxa está incorrupta por la Gracia Increada. Los latinos (es decir, católicos romanos o papistas), por otro lado, no tienen gracia, y su agua "bendita" se corrompe, por eso sus sacerdotes agregan sal para preservarla. La única Agua Bendita real se encuentra SOLAMENTE en la Iglesia Ortodoxa.

 

Fuente de Agua Bendita

 

El uso del agua bendita se basa en la historia del bautismo de Jesús por San Juan Bautista en el río Jordán y la interpretación ortodoxa de este evento. Desde este punto de vista, el bautismo de Juan fue un bautismo de arrepentimiento, y la gente vino a que sus pecados fueran lavados por el agua. Dado que Jesús no tenía pecado, sino que era Dios mismo, su bautismo tuvo el efecto de que Jesús bendijo el agua, haciéndola santa, que se usa plenamente para su propósito original creado para ser un instrumento de vida.

 

Teofanía 

 La Gran Bendición del Agua se realiza en vísperas de la fiesta de la Teofanía (5 de enero) y/o de la fiesta de la Teofanía misma (6 de enero), siguiendo la Divina Liturgia. La bendición recuerda el evento del bautismo del Señor, la revelación de la Santísima Trinidad, y también expresa la creencia ortodoxa de que la creación es santificada a través de Cristo. 

El bautismo de Jesús se conmemora en la Iglesia Ortodoxa en la Fiesta de la Teofanía (literalmente "Dios brillando"). En las Vísperas de esta fiesta, normalmente se bendice una fuente de agua bendita en la iglesia, para proporcionar agua bendita para el uso de la parroquia en el próximo año. A la mañana siguiente, en algunas parroquias, las oraciones a menudo incluyen un viaje a un río, lago u otra fuente pública cercana de agua potable, para bendecir esa agua también. Esto representa la redención de toda la creación como parte de la salvación de la humanidad. En las siguientes semanas, el sacerdote suele visitar los hogares de los miembros de la parroquia y rezar oraciones de bendición para sus familias, hogares y mascotas, rociándolos con agua bendita. Una vez más, esta práctica pretende representar visiblemente la obra santificadora de Dios en todos los aspectos de la vida de las personas. 

El agua bendita también se puede bendecir en cualquier otro momento del año si es necesario, y esto generalmente se hace el primer día de un mes. El agua bendita utilizada para un bautismo se bendice como parte del servicio de bautismo.

 

Gran Bendición del Agua 

En la fiesta de la Santa Teofanía, el agua bendita se bendice dos veces, al final de las Divinas Liturgias, tanto en la víspera como en la fiesta misma. Después de la procesión al lugar donde se prepara la vasija de agua con el canto de la troparia apropiada, hay un grupo de lecturas bíblicas que culminan en el relato del bautismo del Evangelio de San Marcos (1: 9-11) seguido de la Gran Letanía. Se canta igual que para la liturgia, pero con las siguientes peticiones adicionales que aclaran lo que se le pide a Dios y lo que se cree que implica el uso, el propósito y la bendición del agua.

Para que estas aguas puedan ser santificadas por el poder, y la operación eficaz, y el descenso del Espíritu Santo: Para que descienda sobre estas aguas la operación de limpieza de lo supersustancial Trinidad: Que los dotará de la gracia de la redención, la bendición del Jordán, el poder, la operación y la venida del Espíritu Santo: para que Satanás sea aplastado rápidamente bajo nuestros pies, y que todo mal consejo dirigido contra nosotros sea anulado: Que el Señor nuestro Dios nos librará de todo ataque y tentación del enemigo, y nos hará dignos de los bienes que ha prometido: Que nos ilumine con la luz del entendimiento y de la piedad, y con la venida del Espíritu Santo: Que el Señor nuestro Dios haga descender la bendición del Jordán y santifique estas aguas: Que esta agua sea para otorgar santificación; para la remisión de los pecados; a la curación del alma y del cuerpo; y a todo servicio oportuno: Para que esta agua sea una fuente que brote para vida eterna: Que pueda manifestarse eficaz para evitar toda maquinación de nuestros enemigos, ya sean visibles o invisibles: Para los que sacarán de él y tomarán de él para la santificación de sus hogares: Que sea para la purificación de las almas y los cuerpos de todos aquellos que, con fe, beban y participen de él: Que en su gracia nos capacite para perfeccionar la santificación por la participación en estas aguas, a través de la manifestación invisible del Espíritu Santo:

Luego, después de un largo conjunto de oraciones didácticas que exponen la naturaleza de la fiesta y resumen la historia de la salvación, alabando la creación y el dominio de Dios sobre los elementos, el sacerdote hace la Señal de la Cruz sobre el agua con su mano y ora específicamente por la bendición que se invocará sobre él. En el clímax del servicio, sumerge la cruz de la mano en el agua tres veces imitando el bautismo de Cristo con el canto del tropario festivo y luego bendice a toda la iglesia y la congregación con el agua recién consagrada.

 

La Bendición del Agua

La bendición del agua comienza con el canto de himnos especiales, con la incensación del agua y concluye con lecturas bíblicas, peticiones y oraciones. 

El agua está en un recipiente grande en el medio de la nave, o el servicio puede realizarse en una fuente natural que fluye libremente. Si se celebra en el interior, el recipiente de agua se puede decorar con velas y flores como símbolo de la belleza de la creación original de Dios a través de su Palabra y Espíritu. Durante el servicio, se sumerge una cruz tres veces en el agua. 

Después del servicio de bendición, los fieles llenan sus recipientes para llevarse un poco de agua bendita a casa. Esta agua también se usa para bendecir los hogares durante la temporada de Teofanía. 

El agua es vista por la Iglesia como el elemento primordial de la creación. Al bendecir el agua, se pide que el propósito original del agua, como fuente de vida, bendición y santidad, se revele cuando uno la bebe. En el Libro del Génesis, la creación comenzó cuando el Espíritu de Dios se movió sobre la faz de las aguas. 

En la bendición del agua se ve que el mundo y todo lo que hay en él es "bueno en gran manera" (Gn 1,31) y cuando se corrompe, Dios lo salva de nuevo efectuando la nueva creación en Cristo, su divino Hijo y nuestro Señor por la gracia del Espíritu Santo (Gálatas 6:15). 

La celebración de la Gran Bendición del Agua es una afirmación de que a través del propio bautismo de Cristo, él ha levantado la maldición del pecado de Adán y ha devuelto a la humanidad la bondad creativa de la creación de Dios una vez más. Así, cuando los cristianos son bautizados, son bautizados en Cristo, parte de la creación que es santificada en Cristo.


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Prosphora - Prósfora

 

ENGLISH:

Holy Bread

“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

" I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread he will live forever; an the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh"


"Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me"

Bread is used not only to represent Jesus Who is the Bread of Life, of which, if any man eat, he shall never hunger, but also to express the offering of our life to God. The Greek word for altar bread is prosphora which means an offering to God. Bread is used as an offering because it represents life. Once consumed, it becomes part of us, i.e., our flesh and bones.

For us in the twentieth century, bread is just bread. (Except if we are refugees in the Balkans or elsewhere. When we see bread being unloaded from trucks, we only begin to understand its importance!) We can live without it. After all, we have bagels, English muffins, and anything else we want to make, or, more often, buy. Bread is bread! Or is it?

 

Prosphora

Prosphora is a Greek word meaning “offering.” In one sense, all that we offer for the use of the Church is prosphora: wine, incense, charcoal, oil (for oil lamps), candles, flowers, and bread. Our offerings are never raw materials. In all these cases we take something and make it into something else. Grapes to wine, olives to olive oil, wheat to bread, etc. Generally speaking, prosphora refers to the bread offering. In addition, the bread was not only a gift for use in the Liturgy, but it was also a gift to the Church to feed the priest and the poor.

While its use has remained the same as in the early Church, its form and markings have evolved. Bread with markings and in various shapes was common in ancient times among pagans as well as Christians. People decorated or impressed symbols on bread that was baked, bought, and eaten every day, as well as on bread offered in religious rites.

Details concerning the first Eucharistic loaves are not found in the writings of the early Fathers. “Probably the texts are silent because the forms and symbols were known to all and interpreted correctly. The use of bread in worship was delivered to the Christian communities by practice itself, before any formulation had found a place in the written documents. This is better understood if one remembers that the celebration of the Eucharist predates any written source. The Sacrament was celebrated as soon as a Christian group was formed. In Jerusalem, for example, the Eucharist was performed immediately after Pentecost, that is, twenty years or more before the writing of the Synoptics.” [the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke] (Galavaris, Bread and the Liturgy, p.22)

During the time of Christian persecution, Christian symbols became cryptic, hiding, for example, the cross in simple decorative motifs. Although the symbol used on the bread may have varied during the early years, St. John Chrysostom (4th century) refers to the bread being “sealed,” probably with the IC-XC NIKA.

Prosphora is the name given to the loaves of bread offered during Divine Liturgy in the Orthodox Church. Each individual loaf is referred to as a prosphoron or – in everyday Russian – a prosforka.

In the Russian Orthodox tradition, the loaves are customarily small – around 60mm in diameter – and made in two parts. These represent the two natures of Jesus Christ, divine and human. Before baking, the top of each loaf is stamped with a seal that includes a cross and the letters IC-XC NIKA, meaning “Jesus Christ conquers”. In other Orthodox traditions, the loaves are generally larger with a more elaborate seal.

 

How are prosphora used?

Before Divine Liturgy begins the priest carefully selects and prepares five prosphora. He then begins a special service of preparation called the prothesis (“setting forth”) or proskomedia (“offering”). This service is done quietly by the priest inside the altar. One of the prosphora prepared is called the “Lamb” and is offered on the Holy Table during Divine Liturgy. When consecrated, it becomes the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ and, when mixed with the consecrated wine that becomes His Blood, a part of Holy Communion. The other four prosphora are used to commemorate the Mother of God, the ranks of saints, and the living and departed. In addition, the people can offer prosphora for themselves and on behalf of their living and departed Orthodox Christian family members and friends. In the Russian tradition the prosphora are purchased at the candle-desk near the entrance to the church. The names of those to be commemorated are written on slips of paper – red for the living and black for the departed – or in a special commemoration book (a “помянник”, in Russian). These names are read out in the altar during the service of preparation and the Divine Liturgy.

What happens to these particles of bread?

At the end of the Divine Liturgy, these particles are placed by the priest or deacon into the chalice holding the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. As this is done, the priest or deacon prays: “Wash away by Thy precious Blood, O Lord, the sins of those commemorated here, through the prayers of Thy Saints”. Are any other pieces taken from the prosphora? In addition to the small particles, the priest takes one large wedge-shaped piece from each prosphoron. These pieces of blessed bread are called Antidoron (meaning “instead of the gifts”) and are given to the faithful after Holy Communion. In ancient times the antidoron were given to those who did not receive Holy Communion, but now they are given to all present.

 

How should prosphora be eaten?

Prosphora is blessed bread and should be handled and eaten with due reverence. Those eating it should take care not to drop crumbs on the floor, and the paper in which it was wrapped should be burned rather than thrown in the rubbish. Any crumbs that fall should be collected and either eaten or burned with the paper. Children eating prosphora should be carefully supervised. From ancient times it has been the custom to eat prosphora on an empty stomach, often with Holy Water or, if appropriate, a little sweet red wine.

 

Who may take the wrapped prosphora at the end of the service?

The wrapped prosphora may be taken by those who offered them. When this has been done, any prosphora left over may be taken by those who wish to have them.

One of the most concrete and wonderful ways children can participate in the life of the Church is to bake the communion bread.

Bread-making takes a little while, and it calls for patience, but while our hands are busy, we can teach our children about offering (“Prosphora”) and transformation, and the ways in which God will change this bread, and will change us, for the better.

Experienced prosphora bakers will tell you that the baker is transformed by the prosphora, that the effort opens us to God and invites Him to transform us. Indeed, the whole idea of transformation is quite central to bread baking. Prosphora always begins with just four ingredients: wheat flour, water, salt and yeast. Nothing else. Just looking at those ingredients, you know that a transformation must be coming, because this doesn’t look anything like bread.

These four simple ingredients all come to us already dripping with meaning from the Scriptures.

First, the wheat — Christ has taught us to recognize that when wheat dies and is buried, it bursts forth from the ground with new life. Wheat is a symbol of resurrection and life.

To that we add water, remembering how Christ sanctified the water when He was baptized in the Jordan, and how He explained to the Samaritan woman that the water He offers becomes a fountain of living water inside of us, springing up with everlasting life.

Then we add salt, knowing that He called us “the salt of the earth” because we are the preservers of His covenant and because as Christians we flavor the world – the entire world is made better, flavored by our presence in it.

The fourth ingredient is yeast, which is often discussed in the Scriptures, as “leaven”. You may recall that Christ taught that, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.” (Matthew 13:33) This small amount of yeast will transform everything; once it has been added among the other ingredients, it can never be taken away.

Having gathered our ingredients, we might remind the kids that during the Great Entrance, when the Prosphora is offered, the priest calls out: “Thine own of Thine own we offer unto Thee on behalf of all and for all!”

 

Artoklasia

The Artoklasia is a service held at the end of Vespers or at the end of Orthros, or even at the end of the Liturgy. Five round loaves of bread are offered by individual faithful as a sign of devotion for personal or family anniversaries such as name days and other occasions bearing close connection with the experience of the Orthodox. The five loaves are reminiscent of the five loaves that Jesus Christ blessed in the desert and by which five thousand of His hearers were fed.

Artoklasia also symbolises and brings into practice the Agape meals of the very early Christian communities. Then, after the faithful received the Body and Blood of Christ, they would gather in a common meal, thus signifying the brotherly association established between them by their common faith and by their receiving the same sacramental Lord. Also, the Agape meals served a charitable purpose by providing meals to the poorer from among them.

The significance behind the Orthodox artoklasia includes also the fact that, among the Orthodox, bread continues to be highly valued not only as a basic food but also as the supreme symbol of the Body of Christ - for it is the bread which is changed by consecration in the Liturgy into the Body of Christ. Christ has been repeatedly designated as the Bread of Life, and also as "the Bread which came from heaven". Bread does also symbolize the Church of Christ, which has spread all over as the wheat on the mountains and which was gathered by Christ into one body. Thus, bread has been given a mystical meaning according to which it constitutes the essence of the spiritual life of the Christian.

The blessed bread of the Orthodox artoklasia has been from ancient times considered to effect personal sanctification and to help the individual against bodily infirmities and illness "if taken with faith". The Greek term "artoklasia" derives from the very words used by the Evangelists in describing the Last Supper at which Christ "broke bread" and offered it to His disciples as His own Body. Also, "bread is broken" in the Orthodox artoklasia, signifying not only an identity in terms but a far more significant affinity between the Lord's and His Church's breaking of bread.

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ESPAÑOL:

Pan Sagrado 

“Y Jesús les dijo: Yo soy el pan de vida; el que a mí viene, nunca tendrá hambre; y el que en mí cree, no tendrá sed jamás.” 

 "Yo soy el pan vivo bajado del cielo; si alguno comiere de este pan vivirá para siempre; y el pan que yo daré por la vida del mundo es mi carne" 

"Tomad, comed: esto es mi cuerpo, que por vosotros es partido: haced esto en memoria mía" 

El pan se usa no sólo para representar a Jesús, que es el Pan de Vida, del cual, si alguno comiere, nunca tendrá hambre, sino también para expresar la ofrenda de nuestra vida a Dios. La palabra griega para pan de altar es prosphora, que significa ofrenda a Dios. El pan se usa como ofrenda porque representa la vida. Una vez consumido, pasa a formar parte de nosotros, es decir, de nuestra carne y huesos. 

Para nosotros en el siglo XX, el pan es solo pan. (Excepto si somos refugiados en los Balcanes o en cualquier otro lugar. ¡Cuando vemos que descargan pan de los camiones, solo comenzamos a comprender su importancia!) Podemos vivir sin él. Después de todo, tenemos bagels, muffins ingleses y cualquier otra cosa que queramos hacer o, más a menudo, comprar. ¡El pan es pan! ¿O es eso? 

 

Prósfora

Prosphora es una palabra griega que significa “ofrenda”. En un sentido, todo lo que ofrecemos para el uso de la Iglesia es prósfora: vino, incienso, carbón, aceite (para lámparas de aceite), velas, flores y pan. Nuestras ofertas nunca son materias primas. En todos estos casos, tomamos algo y lo convertimos en otra cosa. Las uvas al vino, las aceitunas al aceite de oliva, el trigo al pan, etc. En términos generales, la prósfora se refiere a la ofrenda de pan. Además, el pan no era sólo un don para su uso en la Liturgia, sino que también era un don a la Iglesia para alimentar al sacerdote ya los pobres. 

Si bien su uso sigue siendo el mismo que en la Iglesia primitiva, su forma y marcas han evolucionado. El pan con marcas y en varias formas era común en la antigüedad entre paganos y cristianos. La gente decoraba o grababa símbolos en el pan que se horneaba, compraba y comía todos los días, así como en el pan ofrecido en los ritos religiosos.

Los detalles sobre los primeros panes eucarísticos no se encuentran en los escritos de los primeros Padres. “Probablemente los textos son mudos porque las formas y los símbolos eran conocidos por todos e interpretados correctamente. El uso del pan en el culto fue entregado a las comunidades cristianas por la práctica misma, antes de que cualquier formulación hubiera encontrado lugar en los documentos escritos. Esto se comprende mejor si se recuerda que la celebración de la Eucaristía es anterior a cualquier fuente escrita. El Sacramento se celebraba tan pronto como se formaba un grupo cristiano. En Jerusalén, por ejemplo, la Eucaristía se realizó inmediatamente después de Pentecostés, es decir, veinte años o más antes de la redacción de los Sinópticos”. [los Evangelios de Mateo, Marcos y Lucas] (Galavaris, Pan y la Liturgia, p.22) 

Durante la época de la persecución cristiana, los símbolos cristianos se volvieron crípticos, escondiendo, por ejemplo, la cruz en simples motivos decorativos. Aunque el símbolo usado en el pan puede haber variado durante los primeros años, San Juan Crisóstomo (siglo IV) se refiere al pan siendo “sellado”, probablemente con el IC-XC NIKA. 

Prósfora es el nombre que se le da a las hogazas de pan ofrecidas durante la Divina Liturgia en la Iglesia Ortodoxa. Cada pan individual se conoce como prosphoron o, en ruso cotidiano, prosforka. 

En la tradición ortodoxa rusa, los panes suelen ser pequeños (alrededor de 60 mm de diámetro) y se hacen en dos partes. Estos representan las dos naturalezas de Jesucristo, divina y humana. Antes de hornear, se estampa en la parte superior de cada pan un sello que incluye una cruz y las letras IC-XC NIKA, que significan “Jesucristo vence.” En otras tradiciones ortodoxas, los panes son generalmente más grandes con un sello más elaborado.

 

¿Cómo se usa la prósfora? 

Antes de que comience la Divina Liturgia, el sacerdote selecciona cuidadosamente y prepara cinco prósforas. Luego comienza un servicio especial de preparación llamado prothesis ("exponer") o proskomedia ("ofrenda"). Este servicio lo hace en silencio el sacerdote dentro del altar. Una de las prósforas preparadas se llama “Cordero” y se ofrece en la Santa Mesa durante la Divina Liturgia. Cuando se consagra, se convierte en el Cuerpo de nuestro Señor Jesucristo y, cuando se mezcla con el vino consagrado que se convierte en Su Sangre, forma parte de la Sagrada Comunión. Las otras cuatro prósforas se utilizan para conmemorar a la Madre de Dios, las filas de los santos y los vivos y difuntos. Además, las personas pueden ofrecer prósfora para sí mismos y en nombre de sus familiares y amigos cristianos ortodoxos vivos y fallecidos. En la tradición rusa, la prósfora se compra en el candelero cerca de la entrada de la iglesia. Los nombres de las personas a conmemorar se escriben en tiras de papel, rojo para los vivos y negro para los difuntos, o en un libro especial de conmemoración (un "помянник", en ruso). Estos nombres se leen en el altar durante el servicio de preparación y la Divina Liturgia.

 

¿Qué sucede con estas partículas de pan?

 Al final de la Divina Liturgia, estas partículas son colocadas por el sacerdote o diácono en el cáliz que contiene el Cuerpo y la Sangre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo. Al hacerlo, el sacerdote o diácono reza: “Lávate con Tu preciosa Sangre, oh Señor, los pecados de los aquí conmemorados, a través de las oraciones de Tus Santos”. ¿Se toman otras piezas de la prósfora? Además de las partículas pequeñas, el sacerdote toma una pieza grande en forma de cuña de cada prosforón. Estos pedazos de pan bendito se llaman Antidoron (que significa “en lugar de los dones”) y se dan a los fieles después de la Sagrada Comunión. En la antigüedad, los antidoron se entregaban a quienes no recibían la Sagrada Comunión, pero ahora se entregan a todos los presentes.

 

¿Cómo se debe comer la prósfora? 

La prósfora es pan bendito y debe manipularse y comerse con la debida reverencia. Quienes lo coman deben tener cuidado de no tirar migas al suelo, y el papel en el que está envuelto debe quemarse en lugar de tirarlo a la basura. Las migas que caigan deben recogerse y comerse o quemarse con el papel. Los niños que comen prósfora deben ser cuidadosamente supervisados. Desde la antigüedad ha sido costumbre comer prosfora en ayunas, a menudo con agua bendita o, en su caso, un poco de vino tinto dulce.

 

¿Quién puede tomar la prósfora envuelta al final del servicio? 

 La prósfora envuelta puede ser tomada por quien la ofreció. Hecho esto, la prósfora sobrante puede tomarla quien quiera tenerla. 

Una de las formas más concretas y maravillosas en que los niños pueden participar en la vida de la Iglesia es hornear el pan de comunión. 

Hacer pan lleva un poco de tiempo y requiere paciencia, pero mientras nuestras manos están ocupadas, podemos enseñar a nuestros hijos acerca de la ofrenda ("Prósfora") y la transformación, y las formas en que Dios cambiará este pan y cambiará nosotros, para mejor. 

Los panaderos de prósfora experimentados te dirán que el panadero es transformado por la prósfora, que el esfuerzo nos abre a Dios y lo invita a transformarnos. De hecho, toda la idea de la transformación es bastante central en la cocción del pan. Prosphora siempre comienza con solo cuatro ingredientes: harina de trigo, agua, sal y levadura. Nada más. Con solo mirar esos ingredientes, sabes que debe venir una transformación, porque esto no se parece en nada al pan. 

Estos cuatro ingredientes simples vienen a nosotros ya llenos de significado de las Escrituras. 

Primero, el trigo: Cristo nos ha enseñado a reconocer que cuando el trigo muere y se entierra, brota de la tierra con nueva vida. El trigo es símbolo de resurrección y vida. 

A eso le agregamos el agua, recordando cómo Cristo santificó el agua cuando fue bautizado en el Jordán, y cómo le explicó a la mujer samaritana que el agua que Él ofrece se convierte en una fuente de agua viva dentro de nosotros, que brota con vida eterna. 

Luego agregamos sal, sabiendo que Él nos llamó “la sal de la tierra” porque somos los preservadores de Su pacto y porque como cristianos le damos sabor al mundo: el mundo entero se hace mejor, le da sabor nuestra presencia en él. 

El cuarto ingrediente es la levadura, que a menudo se menciona en las Escrituras como “levadura”. Tal vez recuerde que Cristo enseñó que: “El reino de los cielos es como la levadura que una mujer tomó y escondió en tres medidas de harina hasta que todo quedó leudado”. (Mateo 13:33) Esta pequeña cantidad de levadura transformará todo; una vez que se ha agregado entre los demás ingredientes, nunca se puede quitar. 

Habiendo reunido nuestros ingredientes, podemos recordarles a los niños que durante la Gran Entrada, cuando se ofrece la Prósfora, el sacerdote grita: “¡Lo tuyo de lo tuyo te lo ofrecemos en nombre de todos y para todos!”

 

Artoklasia 

La Artoklasia es un servicio que se celebra al final de las Vísperas o al final de Orthros, o incluso al final de la Liturgia. Los fieles individuales ofrecen cinco hogazas de pan redondas como signo de devoción por aniversarios personales o familiares, como los días del onomástico y otras ocasiones que guardan una estrecha relación con la experiencia de los ortodoxos. Los cinco panes recuerdan los cinco panes que Jesucristo bendijo en el desierto y con los cuales fueron alimentados cinco mil de sus oyentes. 

Artoklasia también simboliza y pone en práctica las comidas Agape de las primeras comunidades cristianas. Luego, después de que los fieles recibieran el Cuerpo y la Sangre de Cristo, se reunían en una comida común, significando así la asociación fraterna establecida entre ellos por su fe común y por recibir el mismo Señor sacramental. Además, las comidas Agape cumplían un propósito caritativo al proporcionar comida a los más pobres de entre ellos.

El significado detrás de la artoklasia ortodoxa incluye también el hecho de que, entre los ortodoxos, el pan sigue siendo muy valorado no solo como alimento básico, sino también como el símbolo supremo del Cuerpo de Cristo, porque es el pan el que se transforma mediante la consagración. en la Liturgia en el Cuerpo de Cristo. Cristo ha sido designado repetidamente como el Pan de Vida, y también como "el Pan que vino del cielo". El pan también simboliza la Iglesia de Cristo, que se ha esparcido por todas partes como el trigo en las montañas y que Cristo reunió en un solo cuerpo. Así, al pan se le ha dado un significado místico según el cual constituye la esencia de la vida espiritual del cristiano. 

El pan bendito de la artoklasia ortodoxa se ha considerado desde la antigüedad para efectuar la santificación personal y ayudar al individuo contra las enfermedades y dolencias corporales "si se toma con fe". El término griego "artoklasia" deriva de las mismas palabras usadas por los evangelistas al describir la Última Cena en la que Cristo "partió el pan" y lo ofreció a sus discípulos como su propio Cuerpo. Además, "el pan se parte" en la artoklasia ortodoxa, lo que significa no solo una identidad en los términos, sino una afinidad mucho más significativa entre el partimiento del pan del Señor y Su Iglesia.

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The Nativity of Christ: The Great Mystery of Piety

 

Bishop Alexander (Mileant).

Translated by Seraphim Larin and Daniel Olson

 

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In the history of mankind, there is no event greater and more joyful than the incarnation and coming of the Son of God into the world. It is an act of the endless love of God the Father, Who so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The incarnation of the Son of God from the Virgin Mary changed the world for the better in a radical way: It gave men a new way of thinking, ennobled their morals and directed world events along a new course. It brought men power to struggle against sin, reconciled men to God, brought about the adoption of men by the Father, and regenerated their whole nature. It poured a stream of divine life into the corrupted human organism and thereby brought eternal life to men. For these reasons, the incarnation of the Son of God proved to be at the very center of world events, and chronology is reckoned relative to it - before and after the Nativity of Christ. The celebration of the Nativity of Christ became a most joyous festival of believing humanity.

In the present article, we shall recount the events surrounding the Nativity of Christ, we shall talk about the spiritual significance of this event, and finally we shall discuss the main features of the Nativity divine service.

 

The Event of the Nativity of Christ

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.

 

The Adoration of the Magi

A further Gospel story, concerning the adoration of the Magi (Matt., Ch. 2), is very edifying. This is, first of all, a story about the "epiphany" or manifestation of Christ to the pagans.

Joseph and the Most Holy Mother of God with the Infant Jesus were still in Bethlehem when Magi came to Jerusalem from a distant land to the east (Persia or Babylon). Learned men, engaged in observing and studying the stars, were called Magi or wise men. At that time, men believed that, at the birth of a great man, a new star appears in the sky. Many pagans within the confines of Persia, had learned from the dispersed Jews of the coming of the Messiah, the Great King of Israel. From the Jews, they could even have learned the following prophecy of Balaam relating to the Messiah: I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab (Num. 24:17). ("Moab" is a personification of the enemies of the Messiah.) The Persian Magi thus expected that, when the promised King would be born, a new star would appear in the sky. The prophecy of Balaam spoke of a star in the spiritual sense; nevertheless, the Lord, in His mercy, to bring the pagans to faith, gave a sign in the sky in the form of the appearance of an extraordinary star. Having seen it, the Magi understood that the expected King had been born.

After a protracted and long journey, they finally reached Jerusalem, the capital of the Jewish kingdom, and began to ask: Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. These words from such conspicuous strangers, stirred up many of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, including King Herod, to whom the arrival of the exotic eastern scholars was immediately reported.

From the first days of his accession, Herod's throne had been shaky. The people hated him as a usurper of the Davidic throne and a tyrant, and they abhorred him as a pagan. The last years of Herod's life were complicated still more by personal adversities and bloody reprisals. He became extremely suspicious, and for the least cause executed enemies both real and imagined. Thus perished several of Herod's children and even his wife, whom earlier he had loved ardently. Ill and decrepit, Herod now resided in his new palace in Sion. Having heard of a King Who had been born, he became particularly agitated. Vulnerable in his old age, he feared that his rule would be overthrown and handed over to the new-born King.

In order to clear up just who this new pretender to the throne was, Herod gathered all the priests and scribes - men that knew the books of Sacred Scripture well - and he inquired of them where Christ should be born. They answered: In Bethlehem of Judæa: for thus it is written by the prophet Micah. Then Herod privately summoned the Magi, found out from them the time of the appearance of the star, and sent them on to Bethlehem. Feigning piety, the cunning Herod said to them: Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. In fact, Herod was going to use their report to put the Infant to death.

The Magi listened to King Herod without suspecting anything, and went to Bethlehem. There again that star appeared, which they had seen before in the east. Moving across the sky, it went before them, indicating the way. In Bethlehem, the star stopped over that spot where the Infant Jesus was, Who had been born.

The Magi went into the house and saw the Infant Jesus with His mother. They bowed down to the ground before Him and presented to Him their gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh (a precious aromatic oil). In the gifts of the Magi, one may see the following symbolic significance. They brought gold to Him, as to a King (as tribute or taxes); frankincense, as to God (incense is used at divine services); and myrrh, as to a Man Who must die (the dead were anointed with oils mixed with aromatic myrrh).

Having worshipped the King awaited by all, the Magi would have returned to Jerusalem and to King Herod. However, an angel appeared to them in a dream, revealing Herod's perfidious designs, and commanded them to return to their own country by another way, without passing through Jerusalem. Tradition has preserved the names of the Magi, who afterwards became Christians: Melchior, Gaspar and Balthasar.

Thus, the first to worship the Saviour Who had been born were shepherds, nature's true children, who could open up before Him only the treasure of their hearts, full of simplicity, faith and humility. Significantly later came the Magi from the East, imbued with erudite wisdom, who laid down gold, frankincense and myrrh, together with reverent joy, before the Divine Infant. They had had to make a long journey to reach Judæa, and even from Jerusalem, they were not immediately able to find the birthplace of the King of the Jews. Does this not indicate that both simplicity of heart and profound, conscientious erudition lead equally to Christ? But the first way is more direct, short and sure than the second. The shepherds were guided directly by angels, while the Magi were "taught" by an unreasoning star, and, through Herod, by the scribes and the Jewish elders. Not without difficulties and dangers did they attain their desired goal, and they did not hear the heavenly harmony that sounded over the earth - Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men. (Metropolitan Anastasy's thought).

 

The Son of God

and the Son of Man

"Great is the mystery of godliness [piety]: God was manifest in the flesh" (I Tim. 3:16). These words of the holy Apostle testify that the miracle of the incarnation of the Son of God exceeds the understanding of our limited mind. Indeed, we can believe, but cannot explain, the event that took place two thousand years ago in Bethlehem: that, in the one Person of Jesus Christ, two natures so different and contrary in essence were joined together: the superterrestrial, eternal and infinite divine nature with the material, limited and feeble human nature.

Nonetheless, the Gospels and the apostolic epistles reveal to us, to the extent of our abilities, certain aspects of the miracle of the incarnation of the Son of God. Saint John the Theologian, at the very beginning of his Gospel, elevates our thought to the pre-eternal existence of the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, Whom he calls the Word, saying: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (John 1:1-3, 14).

The Son of God's name, the Word, indicates that one must not understand His birth from the Father in the sense of an ordinary birth: it occurred passionlessly and without separation. The Son of God is born from the Father like a word is born from a thought. A thought and a word are distinct from one another, and at the same time inseparable. There is no word without a thought, and a thought is without fail expressed in a word.

The subsequent apostolic preaching reveals all the more fully the truth of Christ's divine-human nature: He is the only begotten (the only) Son of God, Who was begotten of the Father before all ages, i.e., He is eternal, as God the Father is also eternal. The Son of God has the same divine nature that God the Father has, and is therefore omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. He is the Creator of the visible and invisible worlds, and of us men. In a word, He, being the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, true and perfect God. Faith in Jesus Christ as the incarnate Son of God represents the stronghold or rock upon which the Church is established, according to the word of the Lord: Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matt. 16:18).

Being perfect God, Christ the Saviour is at the same time also perfect Man. He had a human body and soul with all its properties - reason, will and senses. As a man, He was born of the Virgin Mary. As the Son of Mary, He obeyed her and Joseph. As a man, He was baptized in the Jordan and went around the towns and villages with His salvific preaching. As a man, He experienced hunger, thirst, fatigue; he had a need for sleep and rest; he endured painful sensations and physical sufferings. Living the physical life inherent to a man, the Lord also lived a spiritual life as a man. He strengthened His spiritual powers by fasting and by prayer. He experienced human feelings - joy, wrath, sorrow; he shed tears. In this way, the Lord Jesus Christ, having taken on our human nature, was in all things like unto us, except for sin.

Having two natures, Jesus Christ also had two free wills. Jesus Christ's rational, conscious, human will invariably subordinates its human aspirations and desires to His divine will. But the human will in Christ is clearly visible during His difficult experiences in the garden of Gethsemane: O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt (Matt. 26:39).

Thus, by His obedience to God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ corrected our disobedience and taught us to put God's will above our own desires.

 

The Purpose of the Incarnation

of the Son of God

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).

 

The Divine Services

on the Nativity of Christ

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 6^th of January (the 19^th according to the New Style) and was called Theophany. Beginning in the fourth century, the Nativity of Christ began to be celebrated on the 25^th of December (on the day of the pagan festival in honor of the "Invincible Sun"). At present, this takes place on the 7^th 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/28^th 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.

Instead of "It is truly meet," the following zadostoinik is sung:

 

Zadostoinik

It would be easier for us, because free from all danger, to keep silence in fear: while it is hard indeed, O Virgin, in love to devise songs harmoniously put together. But do thou, O Mother, give us strength so that we may fulfill our good intent.

 

Canon for the Nativity

At the All-night Vigil for the Nativity of Christ, two canons are sung, written by the renowned hymnographers of the eighth century, St. Cosmas of Maiuma and St. John of Damascus. Both canons are saturated with sublime and profound thoughts, with beautiful images and majestic turns of speech: they are worthy of the solemnity of the feast.

The theme of the canon of St. Cosmas is that Christ, having become man, abides also as he was, as God. The writer of the canon, imbued with this event, glorifies with rapture and reverence the God-Man Who came down to earth, ascribing to him the names, properties and actions that were attributed to him by the ancient prophets. The inspired writer arouses others to joy and to a worthy meeting with the newborn King of glory, beginning the canon with the words of St. Gregory the Theologian: Christ is born, give ye glory (from a Nativity sermon by St. Gregory the Theologian), and at the end of the canon repeats the words of St. Chrysostom: A strange and most glorious mystery do I see. Saint John of Damascus, in his canon, depicts those salvific actions that took place for the human race because of the appearance of the Son of God in the flesh, events clearly revealed in the New Testament. We present here only the Canon of Cosmas of Maiuma. "Canons" always have nine "odes," but the second ode exists only in the canons of Great Lent.

Canon

Ode 1

First Canon. Tone 1

Irmos: Christ is born; glorify Him! Christ comes from heaven; go to meet Him! Christ is on earth; be exalted! Sing to the Lord, all the earth! And praise Him in gladness, O people, for He has been glorified!

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Man was made in the image of God, but he sinned, and lost immortality. He fell from the divine and better life, enslaved completely by corruption. Now the wise Creator fashions him again, for He has been glorified!

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

The Creator shaped man with His own hands, but when He saw us perishing eternally, He bowed the heavens and came down to earth, and clothed Himself completely in our nature, truly incarnate from a pure and holy Virgin, for He has been glorified!

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Wisdom, and Word, and Power, Christ our God is the Father's Son, His Radiance. He was made man, a mystery concealed from every spirit above or on the earth. He has won us for Himself, for He has been glorified!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Katavasia: Christ is born, glorify Him. Christ is from heaven, receive Him. Christ is on earth, be lifted up; sing to the Lord, all the earth and praise Him with joy all people: For He has been glorified.

 

Second Canon (written originally in iambic verse). Tone 1

Irmos: Of old the Master that works wonders saved His people, making the watery wave of the sea into dry land; and now of His own will has He been born from a maiden, and so He established a path for us whereby we may mount to heaven. We glorify Him Who in essence is equal to the Father and to mortal men.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Plainly foreshadowed by the burning bush that was not consumed, a hallowed womb has borne the Word. God is mingled with the form of mortal men, and so He looses the unhappy womb of Eve from the bitter curse of old. We men give Him glory.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

A star showed plainly to the Magi the Word that was before the sun, Who has come to make transgression cease. They saw Thee wrapped in swaddling clothes, within a poor and lowly cave, Who sharest all our sufferings, and in joy they gazed upon Thee, Who art at once both man and Lord.

Katavasia: Of old the Master that works wonders saved His people, making the watery wave of the sea into dry land; and now of His own will has He been born from a maiden, and so He established a path for us whereby we may mount to heaven. We glorify Him Who in essence is equal to the Father and to mortal men.

 

Ode 3

First Canon

Irmos: To the Son, begotten of the Father, before all ages and incarnate of the Virgin without seed in these latter days- To Christ our God, let us cry out: "Thou hast raised up our horn. Holy art Thou, O Lord!"

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Adam was made from dust, yet he shared God's life-giving breath. He was deceived by woman and fell, but from the dead, he saw Christ born of woman. He shouted, "For my sake Thou hast become like me. Holy art Thou, O Lord!"

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Thou hast assumed a body of lowly clay, O Christ. By sharing our humble flesh, Thou hast made our race partakers of divinity. By becoming mortal man yet remaining God, Thou hast raised us from death to life. Holy art Thou, O Lord!

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Make merry, O Bethlehem! Thou art the King of Judah's princes. Christ, the Shepherd of Israel, who rides on the shoulders of the cherubim, has come forth from thee for all to see. He has raised us from death to life, and reigns over all.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Katavasia: To the Son who before all times was born immortal of the Father, and in these latter days became incarnate without seed of the Virgin, let us cry out to Christ our God, Thou who hast raised our horn, Holy art Thou, O Lord.

 

Second Canon

Irmos: Graciously accept, O Benefactor, the praises of Thy servants, and bring down the despiteful and haughty looks of the enemy. O blessed Lord Who sees all, raise us up far above sin, and establish Thy singers firm and unshaken upon the foundation of the faith.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

The choir of shepherds abiding in the fields was overwhelmed by the strange sight they were counted worthy to behold: For they looked upon the all-blessed Offspring of an all-pure Bride; and they saw also the ranks of bodiless angels, who sang in praise of Christ the King, incarnate without seed.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

He Who rules the heights of heaven, in His compassion, has become such as we are, born of a Maiden who has not known man. The Word Who before was wholly outside matter, in these last times has assumed the material substance of the flesh so that He might draw unto Himself fallen Adam, the first-formed man.

Katavasia: Graciously accept, O Benefactor, the praises of Thy servants, and bring down the despiteful and haughty looks of the enemy. O blessed Lord Who sees all, raise us up far above sin, and establish Thy singers firm and unshaken upon the foundation of the faith.

 

Hypakoe. Tone 8

Heaven brought the first fruits of the Gentiles as a gift for Thee: A star summoned the wise men to the babe in the manger. They were amazed to see neither throne nor scepter, but only abject poverty. What is more humble than a cave? What is more lowly than swaddling clothes? Yet the riches of Thy divinity shone through all these. O Lord, glory to Thee!

 

Kathisma Hymn. Tone 8

Let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad! The Lamb of God has been born on earth, Granting redemption to the world. The Word, Who rests in the bosom of the Father, Has come forth without seed from the Virgin. The wise men were struck with amazement, Seeing Him born as an infant in Bethlehem. Let all creation glorify Him!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Let the heavens rejoice...

 

Ode 4

Irmos: Stem and flower of the root of Jesse, Thou hast blossomed from the virgin, O Christ. From the mountain overshadowed by the forest Thou art come, made flesh from her that knew no man. O God, not formed from matter - glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Thou art the Expectation of the nations, O Christ, foretold by Jacob in days of old. Thou have sprung from Judah's tribe, to plunder the might of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria, replacing error with faith acceptable to God. Glory to Thy power, O Lord.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Thou hast filled the star-gazers with joy, O Lord. They knew the hidden meaning of the prophet Balaam's words. Thou hast made the star of Jacob to rise. As the first-fruits of the Gentiles it led them unto Thee. Thou didst openly receive their precious gifts. Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Thou hast descended into the Virgin's womb, O Christ, like rain on the fleece and as raindrops watering the earth. All earth's rulers fall down before Thee: Ethiopia and the islands of Arabia, the kings of Tarshish, of Sheba, and the Medes. Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Katavasia: Rod of the stem of Jesse, and flower that budded forth from a virgin, O most lauded Christ. From the mountain covered with darkness Thou art come, made flesh from Her that knew no wedlock, O God who art not formed from matter. Glory to Thy might, O Lord.

 

Second Canon

Irmos: Of old Habakkuk the Prophet was counted worthy to behold ineffably the figure and symbol of Christ's birth, and he foretold in song the renewal of mankind. For a young babe, even the Word, has now come forth from the Mountain that is the Virgin, unto the renewal of the peoples.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Of Thine own will, O Most High, Thou hast come forth equal to mortal men, Taking flesh from the Virgin, to purge the poison of the serpent's head. God by nature, Thou hast lead all from the gates that know no sun to the life-giving light.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

O you people that before were sunk in corruption, but now have escaped wholly from the perdition of the adversary, lift up your hands and clap them in songs of praise, honoring Christ alone, our Benefactor, Who in His compassion is come into our midst.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

O Virgin, sprung from the root of Jesse, thou hast passed beyond the boundaries of human nature, for thou hast borne the pre-eternal Word of the Father. According to His good pleasure, by a strange self-empting, He passed through thy womb, yet kept it sealed.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Katavasia: Of old Habakkuk the Prophet was counted worthy to behold ineffably the figure and symbol of Christ's birth, and he foretold in song the renewal of mankind. For a young babe, even the Word, has now come forth from the Mountain that is the Virgin, unto the renewal of the peoples.

 

Ode 5

Irmos: O God of Peace, Father of Mercies, Thou hast sent Thine angel of great counsel to grant us peace. We are guided to the light of the knowledge of God, and keeping watch by night, we glorify Thee, O Lover of Man!

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Thou wast registered as Caesar's subject, O Christ, in obedience to his decree. We were slaves of sin, and subject to the hateful enemy; by Thy poverty Thou hast set us free! Thou wast united to our nature in every way. Though we were formed from dust, by this communion we are made divine!

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Behold, the Virgin, as foretold of old, has conceived and given birth to God made man. She remains a virgin still. Through her we are reconciled to God. Let us sinners faithfully sing her praise: she is truly Theotokos.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Katavasia: O God of Peace, Father of Mercies, Thou hast sent Thine angel of great counsel to grant us peace. We are guided to the light of the knowledge of God, and keeping watch by night, we glorify Thee, O Lover of Man!

 

Ode 6

Irmos: The sea monster cast forth Jonah as it had received him, like a babe from the womb. And when the Word came to dwell in the Virgin and was made flesh, He came forth preserving her uncorrupt, for as He Himself was not subject to decay, He kept His mother free from harm.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Christ our God has come in the flesh. The Father begot Him from the womb before the morning star. He rules the heavenly hosts, yet now He lies in a manger of dumb beasts. He Who looses the tangled knots of sin now is wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

A Son is born and given to the faithful, a newborn child of Adam's race, yet He is Father and Ruler of the world to come. He is called the Angel of Great Counsel. He is the Mighty God; He rules all creation by His might.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Katavasia: The sea monster cast forth Jonah as it had received him, like a babe from the womb. And when the Word came to dwell in the Virgin and was made flesh, He came forth preserving her uncorrupt, for as He Himself was not subject to decay, He kept His mother free from harm.

 

Kontakion. Tone 3

Today the Virgin gives birth to the transcendent One, and the earth offers a cave to the unapproachable One. Angels, with shepherds, glorify Him. The wise men journey with the star, since for our sake the Eternal God was born as a little child!

Ikos

Bethlehem has opened Eden: come let us see! We have found joy in a secret place: come, let us seize Paradise hidden in the cave! There the unwatered Root has appeared, blossoming with forgiveness. There is found the undug Well, from which David longed to drink of old. There the Virgin has borne a child, quenching Adam's and David's thirst. Let us hurry to this place, where the Eternal God was born as a little child!

 

Ode 7

Irmos: The children brought up together in godliness scorned the impious decree of the tyrant. They were not afraid of the threat of fire, but standing in the midst of the flames, they sang: "Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!"

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

The shepherds abiding in the fields were terrified by a dazzling sight. Around them shone the glory of the Lord. An angel shouted unto them, "Sing praises. The Messiah is born!" Blessed art thou, O God of our fathers!

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

After the angel spoke, the hosts of heaven suddenly cried out: "Glory to God in the highest. Peace on earth, good will to men. Christ has shone forth." Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

"What news is this?" asked the shepherds. "Has God's Messiah truly come? Let us go to Bethlehem." They saw Thee there, and worshipped Thee. With Thy mother, they sang: "Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!"

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Katavasia: The children brought up together in godliness scorned the impious decree of the tyrant. They were not afraid of the threat of fire, but standing in the midst of the flames, they sang: "Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!"

 

Ode 8

Irmos: The furnace moist with dew was an image prefiguring a wonder beyond nature, for it did not burn the children whom it had received, nor did the Fire of Divinity consume the Virgin's womb when it entered it. So let us raise the song: "Let all creation bless the Lord and exalt Him throughout all ages!"

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

The daughter of Babylon drove David's children from Zion with sword and spear. Now she sends her sons, the wise men, bearing gifts, to worship in David's city, where God has come to dwell. So let us raise the song: "Let all creation bless the Lord, and exalt Him throughout all ages!"

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Grief had silenced the harps. Zion's children would not sing in a foreign land. But now Christ has shone forth in Bethlehem destroying the din of Babylon's idolatries. So let us raise the song: "Let all creation bless the Lord, and exalt Him throughout all ages!"

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Babylon plundered Zion, and captured all her royal wealth. But now, with a guiding star, Christ lures her treasure-laden wise men back to Zion. So let us raise the song: "Let all creation bless the Lord, and exalt Him throughout all ages!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

We praise, bless and worship the Lord, singing and exalting Him throughout all ages.

Katavasia: The furnace moist with dew was an image prefiguring a wonder beyond nature, for it did not burn the children whom it had received, nor did the Fire of Divinity consume the virgin's womb when it entered it. So let us raise the song: "Let all creation bless the Lord and exalt Him throughout all ages!"

 

Ode 9

Magnify, O my soul, the most pure Virgin Theotokos, more honorable and more glorious than the heavenly hosts!

Irmos: I behold a strange, most glorious mystery! Heaven-the cave! The cherubic throne-the Virgin! The manger-the place where Christ lay, the uncontainable God, Whom we magnify in song!

Magnify, O my soul, God born in the flesh, from the virgin.

The wise men saw a new, uncharted star, following an unexpected course. Its brightness surpassed every star in heaven. It foretold the Messiah's birth: Christ, the King, born on earth in Bethlehem, for our salvation.

Magnify O my soul, The King born in the cave!

The wise men...

Magnify, O my soul, God, worshipped by the wise men!

The wise men...

Magnify, O my soul, God worshipped by the wise men!

"Where is the newborn Infant-King? We have seen His star," the wise men said. "We have come to worship Him." Godless Herod trembled with fury. In his raging madness he plotted to kill Christ.

Magnify, O my soul, the Lord Who revealed Himself to the wise men by a star!

Where is the newborn...

Magnify, O my soul, the pure virgin who gave birth to Christ the King!

Herod inquired where the star appeared which had led the wise men to Bethlehem, but after they worshipped Christ with gifts, that same star led them back to their own land, confounding their pursuer, that godless murderer of children.

Wise men and shepherds came to worship Christ, born in the City of Bethlehem.

Herod inquired...

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Magnify, O my soul, the most pure Virgin Theotokos, more honorable and more glorious than the heavenly hosts!

Katavasia: I behold a strange, most glorious mystery! Heaven-the cave! The cherubic throne-the Virgin! The manger-the place where Christ lay, the uncontainable God, Whom we magnify in song!

 

The Exapostilarion

Our Savior, the dayspring from the East, has visited us from on high, and we, who were in darkness and shadow, have found the truth, for the Lord is born of the Virgin!

 

Conclusion

And so, the Nativity hymns remind those praying how, during this memorable night, each creature hastened to bring its gift to the Saviour-King: heaven - a star; the earth - a cave; the wilderness - a manger; the angels - singing; the shepherds - worship; the Magi - gifts. Therefore, we too should not come to Him "empty-handed," but should bring to Him what is more valuable than anything else - our pure, believing hearts. For the high God has appeared on earth, in order to raise us up to heaven!