Christmas Day
[December 25]
ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.
Hebrews i. 1 Psalm XCVIII & St. John i. 1
Homilies
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I pray that this message finds you in good cheer - and in celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior.
The Christmas story is centered on family, the family of God joined with the family of man through the miracle of the Nativity of Jesus the Christ. As the opening prayer says, God gave his Son to take on our human nature, and through faith in him we are born again into a new being with that spark of the divine alive in our hearts and souls. We are born again as Christ's own, and adopted into the family of God through the promise of our Lord. [Gal iv 4-5]
Jesus is "Immanuel", "God with us". Jesus, begotten of his Father before the foundations of the world, did not abhor the Virgin's womb, but rather humbled himself to be born of Mary, the God Bearer. At his Nativity, he was perfect both in deity and humanity, actually God and actually Man with a rational soul and body, being co-substantial with the Father in his divinity, and with us in his humanity. He was born of two natures, not confused, mixed, or divided; but in perfect union. Jesus the Christ is the one and only-begotten Word of God. He is the first-fruits of a new creation. There is no other source of Salvation for the world. As we are joined with Christ, we are adopted into God's family. We celebrate this season with great festivity to proclaim the Good News: God has sent his only Son into the world as a light to lighten into the Gentiles and to be the glory of his people Israel.
One may ask, "How can this be? Well, it is because of what John testified in the first Chapter of his Gospel:
Jesus is the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
That little light that you, Christian Centurion, carry in your heart was born on Christmas morn. It enlightens you to God's will and guides you on the highway to heaven. It has been passed along from generation to generation through the true church of believers. Disciples have faithfully carried the Good News to the world, and they, who being foreordained before the foundations of the world; have heard, believed [Acts xiii. 48], and been born anew and anointed with the oil of gladness: even the Holy Ghost.
Let us set before our Father our praise and thanksgiving for his eternal gift and honor our Saviour with hymns, prayer, devotion, and meditation. Most appropriately on this feast-day, let us share with our families and friends good tidings of love and cheer.
felix dies Nativitatis !
ihsv
Mark
--
PRIMUS PILUS
"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another" [St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans 14:19]
IN HOC SIGNO VINCES - TIME DEUM ET OPERARE IUSTITIAM
primus.pilus@gmail.com
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