A Nativity Sermon by Pope St Leo the Great (5th century)

Tribulation Times

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/december.asp?version=63&startmmdd=0101

December 23, 2009 

THE TRIB TIMES WILL RETURN IN EARLY JANUARY 2010, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!  BLESSINGS FOR A JOYOUS NEW YEAR!

(Isa 9:6-7) For a CHILD IS BORN to us, and a son is given to us, and the government is upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, God the Mighty, the Father of the world to come, the Prince of Peace. His empire shall be multiplied, and there shall be no end of peace: he shall sit upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom; to establish it and strengthen it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth and for ever: the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

A Nativity Sermon by Pope St Leo the Great (5th century)

Dearly beloved, today our Savior is born; let us rejoice. Sadness should have no place on the birthday of life. The fear of death has been swallowed up; life brings us joy with the promise of eternal happiness.

No one is shut out from this joy; all share the same reason for rejoicing. Our Lord, victor over sin and death, finding no man free from sin, came to free us all. Let the saint rejoice as he sees the palm of victory at hand. Let the sinner be glad as he receives the offer of forgiveness. Let the pagan take courage as he is summoned to life.

In the fullness of time, chosen in the unfathomable depths of God's wisdom, the Son of God took for himself our common humanity in order to reconcile it with its Creator. He came to overthrow the devil, the origin of death, in that very nature by which he had overthrown mankind.

And so at the birth of our Lord the angels sing in joy: Glory to God in the highest, and they proclaim peace to men of good will as they see the heavenly Jerusalem being built from all the nations of the world. When the angels on high are so exultant at this marvelous work of God's goodness, what joy should it not bring to the lowly hearts of men?

Beloved, let us give thanks to God the Father, through his Son, in the Holy Spirit, because in his great love for us he took pity on us, and when we were dead in our sins he brought us to life with Christ, so that in him we might be a new creation. Let us throw off our old nature and all its ways and, as we have come to birth in Christ, let us renounce the works of the flesh.

Christian, remember your dignity, and now that you share in God's own nature, do not return by sin to your former base condition. Bear in mind who is your head and of whose body you are a member. Do not forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the light of God's kingdom.

Through the sacrament of baptism you have become a temple of the Holy Spirit. Do not drive away so great a guest by evil conduct and become again a slave to the devil, for your liberty was bought by the blood of Christ.

VESPERS PRAISES

Come all with happiness, come all with joy, come all with gladness, all you sons of man.
All wisemen and scholars, all elders and young, all men and women, all you sons of Adam.

+ Come hear from me, for I proclaim to you, that the true God has come, and took flesh from the Virgin.
+ Truly she gave birth to Him, truly without blemish, truly she gave birth to the Word, with her true virginity.

Who of the wisemen, or scholars on earth, can obtain the heavenly thought, to speak of the honor of the Virgin.
Seven ranks of angels, seven great hosts, seven ranks in Zion, chant to the Virgin.

+ The whole creation together, glorifies the Virgin, from where the sun rises, until its setting.
+ For God is the true God, God the Logos of the Father, God the Son of the Virgin, the daughter of Joachim and Anna.

Jesus Christ the name of salvation, Jesus Christ the sweet name, Jesus Christ the life-Giver, was incarnate of the Virgin.
As was spoken, through Isaiah the prophet, "Behold the Virgin will conceive, and give birth to Emmanuel."

+ All nations and all tribes, all nations the Orthodox people, every harbor of salvation, came forth from her.
+ For Moses the law giver, Melchisedek and Aaron, Mark the Apostle, take pride in the Virgin.

The Cherubim with the six wings, the Seraphim full eyes, all the ranks of angels, glorify the Virgin.
Every tree of life, that paradise adorns, that all virgins adorn, is the Virgin Mary.

+ Glory be to God the Father amen, glory be to His beloved Son, glory be to the Holy Spirit, we magnify the Virgin.
+ The throne of the Highest, carried by the Cherubim, the light of the firmament, is the Virgin Mary.

Rejoice O my Lady the mother of my Lord, rejoice O queen the mother of the King, rejoice O true bride, who gave birth to the Bridegroom.
Solomon the Son of David, Samuel the prophet, Sawerus the patriarch, glorify the Virgin.

+ Your greatness O Mary, is higher than the heavens, you will bear a Son, and His name will be Emmanuel.
+ Nobody can resemble you, in heaven nor on earth, I am not capable, of speaking of your honor.

He who created heaven and earth, who comes from the Father, came and dwelt in your womb, for nine full months.
Hail to the fountain of living water, hail to the golden vessel, hail to the unblemished ark, in the tabernacle of testimony.

+ The adornment of all virgins, and all souls of the Orthodox, all souls bless them, O Virgin Mary.
+ O shining dove, O perfect grace, O rod of Aaron, that blossomed and brought forth fruit.

Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 25- "On the destroyer of the pasions, most sublime humility"

19. It is one thing to be humble, another to strive for humilty, and another to praise the humble. The first belongs to the perfect, the second to the truly obedient, and the third to all the faithful.   

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