Homily on the Sunday After the Nativity of Christ
(when it lands on the day after Christmas)
By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov
(Delivered in 1961)
(when it lands on the day after Christmas)
By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov
(Delivered in 1961)
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!
Dear brothers and sisters, today is the second day of the Great Feast of the Nativity of Christ. This day is called the day of the Synaxis of the Mother of God, because in ancient times the first Christians gathered in the temple on the second day of the feast of the Nativity of Christ to glorify the One who gave the earth the Savior of the world. She was the cause of our salvation, for by her humility, obedience to the will of the Lord, purity, and supreme chastity, she was honored to become the Mother of Christ, the Son of God.
Today the Church glorifies the Righteous Joseph the Betrothed, the Holy Prophet and King David and the Brother of the Lord in the flesh – the Holy Apostle James, the first Bishop of the Church of Jerusalem.
The Gospel reading for today tells a very instructive story about the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt. The Evangelist Matthew says:
"And when they (the Magi) were departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, 'Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.' So he arose, took the young Child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 'Out of Egypt have I called My Son.'
Then Herod, seeing himself mocked by the Magi, was exceedingly angry, and sent out and slew all the children in Bethlehem and in all its environs, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had ascertained of the Magi. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the Prophet, saying, 'A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and wailing and great lamentation: Rachel weeping for her children, and will not be comforted, because they are no more.'
Now after the death of Herod, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream in Egypt, saying, 'Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel, for they are dead which sought the young Child's life. And he arose, and took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. And when he heard that Archelaus reigned in Judea in the place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there; but being warned in a dream, he departed into the parts of Galilee. And when he had come, he dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, 'He shall be called a Nazarene'" (Matt. 2:13-23).
The flight of Jesus Christ into Egypt, undertaken at the direction of the angel of the Lord, that He might not suffer the death devised by Herod, is also an example for us to guide us in the paths of our lives. And we too may encounter in various forms what happened to our Savior, that is, dangers and persecutions. When we foresee some danger to life or danger threatening our health or well-being, we must not recklessly go to meet it. The holy law of God and sound reasoning inspire us to care for the preservation of life and well-being as gifts of God, and oblige us to avoid foreseeable dangers. Of course, our highest moral duties, for the sake of which a person must voluntarily sacrifice everything, even his own life, may require otherwise. But when there are no such cases, then we must act as the Savior did - not to get involved in danger, to avoid it as much as possible, not waiting for some extraordinary providential actions of God from above for our salvation, but using those that are in our hands.
Some say: "I, despite the dangers, surrender myself to the will of God; if it pleases God, He will save me." But did not the Son of God have the means to save Himself from Herod? Even then, if He had wished, He could have presented more than twelve legions of Angels in His defense, but instead He uses natural means: carried by the old man Joseph and His Mother, He flees, like the last of the sons of men, into Egypt and thus saves Himself. So should we act. Use the natural means available to us, and not tempt the Lord by expecting miracles and signs in our defense, which are never wasted without extreme need.
Moreover, looking at the Divine Child fleeing to Egypt, and thinking about the difficulties this journey entailed for Him and for the Mother with the righteous elder, we must adopt a spirit of courage and patience. We must drive away the thought that suggests to us: “Why sorrows and misfortunes, since they are not natural to our nature?” We must know that he who wants to work for the Lord and serve Him must, according to the word of the wise Sirach, prepare his soul for temptation (see Sirach 2:1).
A true Christian is a warrior and an ascetic, who will receive peace and reward for his labors and exploits, as the Apostle Paul said: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man" (1 Cor. 2:9). But where does it await him? Not here on earth, but there in Heaven. Here, however, "many are the afflictions of the righteous" (Ps. 33:20), and "by your patience you will possess your souls" (Luke 21:19), says the Lord.
Having all this in mind, let us also patiently accomplish our feat of salvation, looking to the author and finisher of faith, the Lord Jesus, who, for the glory set before Him, endured flight into Egypt, not caring about humiliation, thus having passed the entire ladder of humiliations and sufferings, sat down at the right hand of the throne of majesty in Heaven (see Heb. 12:1-2). To Him be glory now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
