Spiritual Contemplations for those who serve the Lord |
BEHOLD a new and wondrous mystery. My ears resound to the Shepherd’s song, piping no soft melody, but chanting full forth a heavenly hymn. The Angels sing. The Archangels blend their voice in harmony. The Cherubim hymn their joyful praise. The Seraphim exalt His glory. All join to praise this holy feast, beholding the Godhead here on earth, and man in heaven. He Who is above, now for our redemption dwells here below; and he that was lowly is by divine mercy raised. Bethlehem this day resembles heaven; hearing from the stars the singing of angelic voices; and in place of the sun, enfolds within itself on every side, the Sun of justice. And ask not how: for where God wills, the order of nature yields. For He willed, He had the power, He descended, He redeemed; all things yielded in obedience to God. This day He Who is, is Born; and He Who is, becomes what He was not. For when He was God, He became man; yet not departing from the Godhead that is His. Nor yet by any loss of divinity became He man, nor through increase became He God from man; but being the Word He became flesh, His nature, because of impassability, remaining unchanged. And so the kings have come, and they have seen the heavenly King that has come upon the earth, not bringing with Him Angels, nor Archangels, nor Thrones, nor Dominations, nor Powers, nor Principalities, but, treading a new and solitary path, He has come forth from a spotless womb. Since this heavenly birth cannot be described, neither does His coming amongst us in these days permit of too curious scrutiny. Though I know that a Virgin this day gave birth, and I believe that God was begotten before all time, yet the manner of this generation I have learned to venerate in silence and I accept that this is not to be probed too curiously with wordy speech. For with God we look not for the order of nature, but rest our faith in the power of Him who works. What shall I say to you; what shall I tell you? I behold a Mother who has brought forth; I see a Child come to this light by birth. The manner of His conception I cannot comprehend. Nature here rested, while the Will of God labored. O ineffable grace! The Only Begotten, Who is before all ages, Who cannot be touched or be perceived, Who is without body, has now put on my body, that is visible and liable to corruption. For what reason? That coming amongst us he may teach us, and teaching, lead us by the hand to the things that men cannot see. For since men believe that the eyes are more trustworthy than the ears, they doubt of that which they do not see, and so He has deigned to show Himself in bodily presence, that He may remove all doubt. What shall I say! And how shall I describe this Birth to you? For this wonder fills me with astonishment. The Ancient of days has become an infant. He Who sits upon the Cherubim and heavenly Throne, now lies in a manger. And He Who cannot be touched, Who is simple, without complexity, and incorporeal, now lies subject to the hands of men. He Who has broken the bonds of sinners, is now bound by an infants bands. But He has decreed that ignominy shall become honor, infamy be clothed with glory, and total humiliation the measure of His Goodness. Come, then, let us observe the Feast. Truly wondrous is the whole chronicle of the Nativity. For this day the ancient slavery is ended, the devil confounded, the demons take to flight, the power of death is broken, paradise is unlocked, the curse is taken away, sin is removed from us, error driven out, truth has been brought back, the speech of kindliness diffused, and spreads on every side, a heavenly way of life has been ‘in planted on the earth, angels communicate with men without fear, and men now hold speech with angels. To Him, then, Who out of confusion has wrought a clear path, to Christ, to the Father, and to the Holy Spirit, we offer all praise, now and forever. Amen. *Adapted from "Homily on Christmas morning", St John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople (349 - 407 AD)
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Flexibility is one of the traits of the mature personality. It is defined to be the person’s ability to cope with change. Its linguistic meaning is the ability of something to be bent without being broken. Opposite to the flexible personality is the rigid one, and it is the personality which resists change even if it is minor and holds strongly upon what she got used to regarding patterns, manners, attitudes, relationships, persons and places. The Holy Spirit and one's flexible personalityA person whose personality is flexible is the place where the Holy Spirit finds rest because such person is ready to easily and smoothly accept the Holy Spirit forming of him and of all his life’s events like the clay in the hands of the potter (Jeremiah 18:6). As for those whose personalities are rigid, they are the most resistant people to the work of the Holy Spirit within them. In such case, God, who is the clever physician of souls, is pushed many times to hand them to different tribulations so that they come out of these tribulations delivered from every rigidity and severity. The story of Job is a clear example of that. The furnace of tribulation fulfilled its role in melting all hardness present within him and lead him finally to proclaim, “I will question you, and you shall answer me” (Job 42:4). Opposite to Job’s personality, are a lot of other figures in the Holy Bible who showed high degrees of flexibility that made God’s hand free in working within and through them.
then to endure the suffering of fleeing to Egypt and coming back to live in Nazareth. She then followed her son Jesus everywhere with the other Maries, a sword pierced her soul when she saw her son crucified and finally she moved to live in the house of John the beloved till her departure. What a great flexibility this great saint, who was really filled with the Holy Spirit, showed making her an easy dough in His hands!! Also among examples of flexible personalities is Abram the patriarch who, as soon as God ordered him to get out of his country, family and his father’s house, immediately obeyed and went out “not knowing where he was going” (Hebrew 11:8). He even, when ordered to offer Isaac, showed a very strange flexibility and obeyed. Flexibility was also shown in the different events of calling the disciples who as soon as they heard the call of Jesus Christ forsook everything and immediately followed Him. Among them were those who forsook their discipleship to John the Baptist, their nets and the tax office. As for St. Paul, he was unusual in his flexibility and said, “For I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. I know how to be abased and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need” (Philippians 4: 11-12) Causes of inflexible personality
Virtues associated with flexibility
Finally, I like to remind you of a wonderful statement in the fraction to the Son that can be your daily prayer in order to get from God flexibility added to flexibility. This statement says, “O My Lord Jesus, My beloved, if you see me as a withered organ, soften me with the oil of your grace” * Adapted from HGBY monthly clergical spouse letters - July 2016
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