January: Day 1: Teaching 1: Circumcision of the Lord

January: Day 1: Teaching 1:
Circumcision of the Lord
 
(Edifying Lessons From the Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord:
a. The Meaning of the Name Jesus;
b. We Must Perform Spiritual Circumcision on Ourselves)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Circumcision, this sacred rite of the Old Testament Church, which was a prototype of the Christian Mystery of Holy Baptism (Col. 2:11-12), was performed among the Jews on eight-day-old male infants and served as a sign of entering into the Old Covenant with God from the time of Abraham, the father of the faithful, whom the Lord with all his numerous descendants chose to preserve and spread the Old Covenant (Gen. 17:14; Lev. 12:2-3). The seal of this sign was the name given to the infant at circumcision. Jesus Christ, who came from the tribe of Abraham in the flesh, was also circumcised on this day, the eighth after His birth, and was named Jesus - the name that was foretold to the Most Holy Virgin Mary by the Archangel Gabriel, when he announced to Her the mystery of the incarnation and birth from Her of the Son of God (Luke 1:31; 2:21).

II. Let us, beloved brethren, draw for ourselves edifying lessons from the event now celebrated by the Holy Church.

a) At the circumcision of the incarnate Son of God for our salvation, He was given the name Jesus. What does the name Jesus mean? Salvation. What kind of salvation? Every kind, spiritual and physical, temporal and eternal, visible and invisible. From what evils does the fallen human race not suffer! It suffers from darkness in the mind, from anger in the will, from impurity and languor in the heart, from illness and death in the body. All these forms of evil will be destroyed by the Son of God; from all of them He will save people completely and forever. For this very reason, He is called the name Jesus, or Savior; for He accepts it not as we often accept names, but in order to carry it out in reality. Therefore, this name was given not by chance, for example, at the request of the Mother or Saint Joseph, but from above, from an angel, even before His conception in the womb. And the angel, without a doubt, did not devise it himself, but received it with reverence from the Lord of angels Himself, from whom, as the Apostle remarks, “the whole family in heaven and on earth is named” (Eph. 3:15). Therefore, “there is no other name under heaven by which men must be saved” (Acts 4:12), except the name of the Lord Jesus. Hence, before this venerable name, “every knee of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, must bow; and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10-11).

We do well, my brethren, that out of reverence we do not give this name to anyone. Who among Christians would dare to bear the name of Jesus? But it is extremely bad that this all-holy and sweetest name passes from the realm of reverence into the realm of inattention and oblivion for many. What do all the great names in the world mean before the one name of Jesus? For, let us repeat again, the word of the Apostle is true and worthy of all acceptance, “for there is no other name under heaven, by which” we must all “be saved,” except this divine name. And when our salvation is in it, how can we not love it and revere it? Loving it, how can we not repeat it often and with delight? Revering it, how can we not value it and inspire respect for it in everyone on whom we can act? The ancient Christians were so able to appropriate to themselves the sweetest name of the Savior that after the martyrdom of Saint Ignatius it was found visibly imprinted on his heart. If such perfection is above our weakness, then at least let us not be like the pagans, who do not know the name of Jesus.

b) The circumcision of the Lord is the visible beginning of His sacrifice on the cross; for all other forms of humiliation and suffering which He will endure for us throughout His life constituted a bloodless sacrifice, but here – iron and blood, a visible foreshadowing of nails and a crown of thorns.

You see how He Who is purity and holiness itself began His life and actions: with circumcision. Should not we, unclean and defiled by sins, use the time given to us to accomplish spiritual circumcision in ourselves, that is, to cut off all God-opposing thoughts and prejudices, to eradicate all soul-destroying passions and desires, to eradicate all spiritual and carnal filth? Otherwise, it would be better to shorten our life than to continue in sins and iniquities. But if, by the mercy of the Lord, it is prolonged, then this is a sign that there grief awaits our repentance, has been awaiting it for a long time, since we deviated from the path of righteousness and truth. Let us enter into the spirit and purpose of the new year; let us understand the true and only benefit that we can extract from time, not only for a time, but for all eternity Let us stop looking for salvation where it can never be found, and let us turn to Him Who was sent for this purpose, for this purpose He came in the flesh, for this purpose He has already shed His blood, in order to save us all. Not once, but many times this day He has appeared to us with this redeeming blood, with His touching example and salvation for us. And He has appeared again now, and for some He has appeared, in all probability, for the last time.

III. Let us not close our eyes again, let us not turn away our hearing as before; let us also take the knife of Christian self-denial, and in the spirit of faith in the all-powerful name of Jesus, let us begin to circumcise everything that is found in us that is carnal and contrary to the law of God. 

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.