Holy Martyrs and Confessors Gurias, Samonas, and Abibus.
The Nativity Fast begins today. Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.
1 Timothy 4:4-8,16. Luke 16:15-18. 17:1-4.
Read 1 Timothy 4:4-8,16
The first verses of today’s reading are a reminder that the material world is good. In the first creation story in the Book of Genesis, we read that after each day of creation God saw “it was good,” and after the sixth day God looked over everything He had made and saw “indeed it was very good” (Gen. 1:31). God created all things, and He created nothing bad. Paul reminds Timothy that God created every creature as good, and all material things are good and should be accepted with thanksgiving. As Christians, we need to be people of thanksgiving.
This reminder that all things are good is helpful for us as begin our journey through the Nativity Fast. As we prepare to celebrate the Nativity of Christ and contemplate the mystery of His Incarnation, it is brought to our attention that even though the world we live in was created good, it was still in need of redemption after the Fall. Sin has disfigured its original beauty. After Paul tells Timothy that “every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving,” he adds that “it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer” (1 Tim. 4:5). Jesus is the Word of God, and it is through His Incarnation, death and Resurrection that all things have been sanctified.
Especially as we approach the new year, we will see many advertisements for gym memberships and fitness equipment. Bodily exercise truly does profit us, and Paul was not oblivious to this idea. In his first letter to the Corinthians, he even uses the imagery of running a race and winning a crown as an image for our lives. He admits that he “discipline[s] [his] body and bring[s] it into subjection” (1 Cor. 9:27). There are many health benefits that come with regular exercise, but even as Paul understands this, he emphasizes that godliness—righteousness—is beneficial to us not only in this lifetime but in the age to come.
As we continue our journey to Christmas, let us remember that the material world God created is good and has been sanctified by Him. We too have been sanctified by the Word of God, and this is possible through the mystery of His Incarnation. Although we have the duty to care for the health of our bodies, let us never forget the utmost importance of caring for the well-being of our souls.