NEBAB #48 The Birth of Jesus Christ

NEBAB #48

The Orthodox Tewahedo Magazine

THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST

The Spiritual Education Unit

Ethiopian Orthodox Church

Archdiocese of the Caribbean and Latin America

In this issue:

    1. The Birth of Christ into Man's World

    2. Peace on Earth

    3. Faith and works

    4. “Ask Abba/Kes”

    5. What The Virgin Mary told Theophilus

    6. Children’s corner

    7.ይበል ግዕዝ 

    8. Orthodox Q&A

 

The Birth of Christ into Man's World

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, One God. Amen.

Christ was born in the world not for the purpose of existing in it, because His origin is not of the world; but He was born for the world that it may exist in Him.

We can never find Christ as an integral part of, or in conjunction with the world. That is to say, it would be a futile attempt to try to get to know Him, to experience His presence, to subdue ourselves to Him, or merely believe in Him, as long as we live by the values and in the spirit of this world, its ideals and aspirations; as long as we get along with the world, flattering it and currying favour with it. But the moment we withdraw ourselves from the spirit of the world and from all that pertains to it, the moment we leave behind servility and currying favour, and from the depth of our heart aspire to God, we shall enter the realm of Christ and be able to discern Him, clearly feeling His presence and His overflowing gifts which will make up for every loss the world may inflict upon us for defying it.

In the realm of Christ man will find a new world, the world to which Jesus was born to reign on its throne for ever, the Kingdom of God, the justified world of man obedient to God, the world of saints and angels, the living Church, the mystical Body, the eternal light and life.

Every one who believes in Christ, was baptized in Him and vested in His nature, shall not conceive of Him as a baby born far away, in a yonder city of Bethlehem or even in the city of his heart, as it were, for the birth of the Lord would then be only a historical phenomenon, not the manifestation of the Truth, of which history is only an image. The essence of the birth of Christ in relation to man lies in the actualization of the birth of man through Christ into God! Through faith and mystical spiritual baptism into Christ, we receive the mystery of a divine birth in God: “But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (Jn. 1:12,13).

Thus we are called to comprehend the birth of Christ through our birth in God, a birth by the divine authority, not by the autonomous power of man, through faith that acts in love. Such birth is not in the least affected by sin inherent in the flesh, because sin is being washed off with the blood of Christ, owing to His unsurpassed goodness, compassion and clemency to man’s feebleness.

The man truly living the life of his new birth in Christ, actually lives in a vision of heavenly Bethlehem, similar to the vision beheld by the heralding angels. He would never cease from praising God in the highest, day and night. He would be deeply immersed in the peace of Christ on earth, and will discern His good will in the wearisome toil of this age.

Peace on Earth

Glory to God in the heavens and peace on earth, His good will to men!

The host of heaven has given us the royal annunciation of the arrival of their King and ours! The birth of our Lord Jesus Christ- glory be to Him- teaches us peace, which we don't know without Him. Our first parents knew peace in Paradise, and when they lost it they wept for decades, occupying themselves with godly sorrow and repentance. Their children after them were born into strife- because mankind was doing battle with the devil, constantly trying not to be destroyed.

The Jews are said to have understood water as a symbol of chaos, and we can see this interpretation in the Bible. The waters of destruction in the days of Noah are juxtaposed by the Ark which kept us safe and dry above the water. The Red Sea, which was dried for Israel's safety, returned to its place to cover and destroy the Egyptians. David in the Psalms asks God to save him because the waters have come in and are reaching his soul. We can understand the chaos of the Era of Wrath- the time between the fall of man and the coming of our Lord- as a stormy sea. The nature of water is to cover and fill everything it touches, and the nature of human beings does not let us escape this power of water. If we are in the middle of a stormy sea, we go wherever the waves throw us, we get water in our eyes, nose and mouth, and we have to constantly try to keep ourselves from drowning. We are constantly fighting for our survival. To be saved from this chaotic water of destruction is to be freed from the constant struggle to survive.

Peace, therefore, is life without strife. It is the difference between God planting the Garden of Eden for Adam to eat from and Adam having to plant his own garden and eat bread by the sweat of his brow. This is what the birth of our Lord announces for us. Some will ask- how can you say life without strife? Doesn't strife and suffering continue, especially in the life of our Lord, His mother, the elder Joseph and Salome? Doesn't our Lord promise us that we will suffer as He suffered? Don't we still bury our dead and mourn when we lose them?

To say that peace has come on earth is not to say that our life now is without suffering, but that suffering itself has lost its power. Our Lord blessed suffering, so that we who suffer with Him are united with Him through it! Our Lord defeated death by His death, so that death has no power over us anymore!

"Before the divine sojourn of the Saviour, even the holiest of men were afraid of death, and mourned the dead as those who perish. But now that the Saviour has raised His body, death is no longer terrible, but all those who believe in Christ tread it underfoot as nothing, and prefer to die rather than to deny their faith in Christ, knowing full well that when they die they do not perish, but live indeed, and become incorruptible through the resurrection." - says St Athanasius about the Incarnation of our Lord. This defeat of death was accomplished by our Lord's death and resurrection, but it was announced to us at His birth. This is the meaning of peace on earth.

"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Might God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9:6

Faith and Works:

The Least of These

The Creator of Heaven and Earth, the King of the Angels, the Lord of All, is born and laid in a cave, in a feeding trough for cattle, and warmed by the breath of ass and cow. 

So many of the children of men today are born in the cave and manger of poverty, let us  give from our substance to warm them.

During the Advent Fast, more than during the rest of the year, the Scripture readings reminded us of our duty to give alms. The Christian life is to give joyfully and generously, because when we serve the poor, the hungry, the naked and the sick, we serve our Lord Jesus Christ. Today we celebrate His first coming, and we have to prepare for His second coming:

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

St Matthew 25:31-40

Ask Abba/Kes

How do we know about the Holy Family's visit from Egypt to Ethiopia?

Unlike most of Africa who [mainly] kept their history orally, our fathers in Ethiopia [also] used to write history, so we have the written accounts of special things that happened in certain cities.

[The visit of the Holy Family was recorded in the cities where they went, and notably on the islands of Lake Tana]

Thousands of years ago, in the Quara province of Gondar, in the north of present day Ethiopia, an unusual event was recorded- a deer suddenly jumped up and began to sing in human language. A nearby hermit heard her singing in a language he could understand and was shocked- her song was recorded, it was:

ቤዛ ኵሉ ዓለም ዮም ተወልደ

Beza kwilu alem yom tewelde

The Ransom of All the World today is born!

BIBLE QUIZ!

In Psalm 87, 3 countries are called to behold the birth of our Lord from Zion (the Virgin Mary). What are these 3 countries?

From the Book of the Vision of Theophilus of Alexandria

Then Our Holy Lady herself spoke to me, saying, “I am the Holy Lady, the Twofold Virgin, the Mother of God. Rise, and be not afraid. Salutations to you, my dear horseman and warrior who battles for the faith. Salutations to you, you strong cornerstone in the Church of God. Rise up, be strong, and know that I am the Mother of the king of the heavens and the earth. He whom the heavens and the earth cannot contain did I bear in my womb for nine months, and by his will I suckled with the milk of my breasts him that gives food to all flesh.

“I am Mary, the daughter of Joachim and Anna, of the tribe of Judah and of the seed of David. I have appeared to you by the desire of my beloved Son. I will show you that which you have asked and sought from me concerning this house and concerning my coming into the country of Egypt from Jerusalem.

“Now as concerning this house, [my Son] wants to leave it in this state, so that it may be a testimony to all the generations that shall come into the world concerning the lowly estate which came upon us. For my blessed son did not desire to be exalted upon the earth. He rode upon the clouds, and not upon horses on which men ride, which is a sign of the earth. I carried him in my arms from Jerusalem to this house.

“We dwelled in humble state in those days, but I remembered the word of Elisabeth, who said, ‘Who am I that the mother of my Lord Jesus Christ should come to me?’ [Luke 1: 43]. You have honored me more than my station [merits].”

Our Holy Lady said to me, “Theophilus, uncover the ear of your heart, and understand what I shall say to you in this hour. Write it down on paper and bring it to all the cities and regions to commemorate me until the end of the world.

“Now, concerning the way I brought forth Jesus Christ. A star from out of the East appeared [to me], and in its great light was hidden the light of [all the other] stars.

“I was living in my house, and I was afraid of everything. There was no one to minister to me. I was a virgin. I knew nothing whatsoever, and I was the first born of my mother. I had never at any time dwelled with women who had given birth to children except Elisabeth, the barren woman, who, when nearing birth, had all the necessities made ready for her by her neighbors.

“As for me, I had no clothing. Though I looked, I found nothing but swaths of sackcloth, in which I wrapped his holy body. There was a stable nearby, where they fed the oxen. My bed was in there, and I laid the child to sleep upon it. There were there an ass and an ox, which bowed down in homage to him, and they kept him warm with their breath. At that season of the year the days were cold, for it was the twenty-ninth day of the month of Tahsas [December 25].

“Straightaway I looked, and behold: the angels, archangels, seraphim, and cherubim came in their companies, and they bowed down in adoration before him. They praised him, each according to his tongue, and said, ‘This is the day that God has made and blessed.’

“Then they came to me and paid honor to me, for honor had been given to me by the Father. They said, ‘Blessed are you above women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, which has come forth to benefit the nation that sin has destroyed. You are the Spotless Bride, and in you there is no guile. You are the Blessed Dove, the Mother of God, the Queen, the Mother of the Living King, who has appeared from you, and who shall become the life of the world. Blessed, moreover, are we, for we have seen our lord born in the flesh.’

“Then Saint Gabriel drew close to me with his shining and joyful countenance. He bowed down before me and said, ‘He is the one I told you about, and concerning whom I brought you glad tidings in the times that are past, saying that he would appear through you, and that he would give mercy and strength to all the peoples who believe in his name and serve his glory.’

“Then came Joseph, and with him were Salome and the midwife. When they had seen what had happened, they rejoiced with a great joy. When the midwife saw the child in the stable, she bowed down to him, lifted him in her arms, and said, ‘Blessed am I whose eyes have seen your joy this day, you who have come into the world to forgive the sins of sinners like me.’ She turned toward me and said, ‘Blessed are you, Mother of God, concerning whom the prophets have cried, saying, “Our God shall appear from a virgin.” As for me, I am your handmaiden. I will never leave you, and I will minister to you until I die.’

“Then came the shepherds to whom he had appeared in the light. They bowed down in adoration before him in the stable, and they said, ‘You are the savior of the world, just as they have told us. You are indeed the Son of God. Blessed are we who have seen the glory of your Godhead; we came as soon as we heard [of you].’

“[The shepherds then] came close to me, bowed low, and said, ‘Blessed are you above all the women that are upon the earth. Blessed is your womb, which bore him, and blessed are your breasts, which suckled him. For our sakes, you have given birth to him who is the life of the world.’

“All the companies of the angels that were there declared what they had seen and heard, saying, ‘Glory to God in the heavens. Let there be peace on the earth among the children of men, with whom he is pleased.’

“Everyone who heard marveled, and I said, ‘What shall I become?’

“After these things, on the eighth day, he came that they might circumcise him according to the Law of the Jews. They called him Jesus, according to what the angel had said to me before I had conceived him.

“In those days, there came certain men who were Magi from the country of the East. They were making enquiries in the nearby cities and districts, asking, ‘Where was Christ born? For we have seen his star in the East, and we have come to worship him.’

“When Herod heard this, he was greatly moved, together with [the people] of all the borders of Jerusalem. Then Herod gathered all the nobles, priests, and scribes, as well as the elders of the people, and he asked them, ‘Where was Christ born? And when was his appointed time?’

“They said to [Herod], ‘He was born in these [last] days, in Bethlehem of Judea, even as the prophet Micah said: “You, Bethlehem of the country of Ephrathah, are not the least of the provinces of Judah, for from you shall go forth the king who shall rule my people, Israel” [Micah 5:2].’

“Then Herod said to the Magi, ‘Go seek out the child, and when you have found him, come and tell me so that I may worship him.’ Not that he wanted to worship him; he wanted to kill him, for [Herod] thought that the child was an earthly being, and that his kingdom was earthly.

“When the Magi had heard those things from the king, they went forth to find the child. Now, that star that had guided them from their own country to the place where my beloved son was, left them and was no more seen.

“When they entered [the stable], they saw the child in my arms and worshipped him. With joy and gladness they brought forth gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and they cried out, ‘Blessed be the great king, who shall destroy the kingdoms of the earth. You shall descend into the earth and bind Satan in chains, according to what we have found in the Book of the Prophets and wise Fathers.’

“That night they slept [there], thinking that the next day they would go to Herod and tell him they had found the child and his mother. But the angel of the Lord appeared and said to them, ‘Return to your own country in peace,’ and they went there, just as the Angel of the Lord had told them to do.

O Holy Virgin Mary, pray for us!

LIJOCH! The Children's Corner

Complete the verses by filling in the missing words [_] to complete the story of Jesus' birth!

+ + +

And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in [_] cloths, and laid Him in a [_], because there was no room for them in the [_].

Now there were in the same country [_] living out in the fields, keeping watch over their [_] by night. And behold, an [_] of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be [_], for behold, I bring you good [_] of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a [_], who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the [_] to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, [_] in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a [_] of the heavenly [_] praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the [_],

And on earth peace, [_] toward men!”

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to [_] and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found [_] and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the [_]. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her [_]. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising [_] for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

ይበል:ግዕዝ (yibel Ge’ez)

Let's reclaim our forefathers’ language

Today we study the name of this feast:

ልደት

lidet

birth

ልደት lidet comes from ወለደ welede, to give birth, beget or bear a child. It also gives us words like:

ወላዲ weladi and ወላዲት weladit, the male and female forms of parent (i.e. father and mother)

ወልድ weld and ወለት welet, the male and female forms of child (i.e. son and daughter)

ተወልደ tewelde, to be born

and

ትውልድ tiwlid, generation, as in ለትውልደ ትውልድ letiwlide tiwlid 'from generation to generation'.

ልደት lidet, the noun, means birth, and is commonly used to refer to the birth of Christ.

ORTHODOX Q&A

"Why do you celebrate on January 7th while others celebrate on December 25th?"

Short answer: In 1582, the Romans changed their calendar, but we never changed ours, so they celebrate the birth of Christ several days earlier than they used to, while we celebrate on the original date.

Send us your questions at: seu.eotccarla@gmail.com

Short message on behalf the Spiritual Education Unit:

His Grace Abune Thaddaeus, Head Administrator Archimandrite Abba Gebreyesus, and all clergy and faithful- thank you for the opportunity to share this labour of love with you. Thanks also to the team of the Spiritual Education Unit for their hard work.

-Liqe Teghuan Tekle Mariam Greene

References

Miracle of Mary: https://pemm.princeton.edu/en-us/stories/1-A

 

CONTACT US:

Archdiocese headquarters: Medhane Alem (Saviour of the World), Old Golden Grove Rd. Arouca, Trinidad and Tobago.

Tel. 868-642-4230.

e-mail: eotc.arch.carla@gmail.com

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