Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ; the Holy Martyr Juliana of Nicomedia (284-305)
Nativity Fast. Day of fast.
Read
Hebrews 7:1-6; Luke 21:28-33
Glory to Jesus Christ!
With only four days to go, we are all probably very busy with our preparations for the joyful celebration of the Nativity of our Lord. The foods needed for the Holy Meal to be served in our homes on Sunday evening are all being generously readied; gifts are being wrapped; the house is being cleaned, decorated, and arranged for family, friends, and maybe even a stranger of two. These days can be full, hectic, demanding, and even tiring. It’s worth it!
Did you know that the celebration of the Nativity of our Lord is not just a looking back to His birth but also a looking forward to our His coming again? Today’s Gospel helps to look forward to our Lord’s second coming. While there will be signs of His coming, we, as His disciples, must not be afraid. We must not be distracted but draw our attention to the time of redemption. If we must, we must even straighten our backs, and lift our heads. Why? Because the Kingdom of God is near!
On Christmas Eve in our parishes, we will sing, “Z namy Boh – God is with us!” He became incarnate for us (He became like us in all ways except sin) for us to understand this. When we remember this in the Feast that approaches, and throughout the entire year, we prepare well for His second coming!