Sunday after the Nativity, December 26, 2004 (Tone Five)
Joseph, David, and James
3rd Nativity Vigil: Micah 4:6-7; 5:2-4 Epistle: Galatians 1:11-19 Gospel: St. Matthew 2:13-23
The Song of the Church: 6-7; 5:2-4 LXX, especially vs. 4: "And the Lord shall stand, and see, and feed His
flock with power, and they shall dwell in the glory of the Name of the Lord their God: for now shall they be magnified to
the ends of the earth." This is the day for the Church to sing, for "now hath come the time for the aforesaid prophecy
mystically uttered to be fulfilled, namely, And thou Bethlehem in the land of Judah art not the least among princes, having
gone before and prepared the cave; for out of thee shall come a Governor of nations, from the virgin Maiden incarnate, by
Whom I mean Christ God Who shall govern His People, the new Israel. Let us therefore, raise unto Him magnification."
In the prophecy before us, Micah referred to a future time: "in that day," he said (vs. 6). Ah, but this is the day! Christ is
born today in Bethlehem! Glorify Him all the earth! By the illuminating grace of the Holy Spirit, the Prophet saw this day
approaching, and he revealed its import for the Church; but his future moment is upon us, for "her that is bruised" (vs. 6)
now is "gathered" into the pasture of the Lord, "beside the water of rest" to be nurtured (Ps. 22:2 LXX). She who was "cast
out," seemingly "rejected" by the Lord (Mic. 4:6), now is received at His table, filled from His cup, anointed with oil, to
dwell in His house (Ps. 22:5,6 LXX).
The Apostles were a tiny remnant, "a brand plucked out of the fire" (Amos 4:11 LXX) by the firm hand of the Lord.
Today, the Church is a torch that burns, but is not consumed, that gives saving light to all the nations. Today, we are "a
mighty nation" (Mic. 4:7) within every nation, desiring to claim no land of our own, for the Lord reigns over us "from
henceforth, even for ever" who are called "Mount Zion" (vs. 7). How tiny was that remnant who began "with one accord in
prayer and supplication with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers....the number of names was
about a hundred and twenty" (Acts. 1:14,15)! Yet, look upon us now, spread over every continent and, if not received, at
least known in every land.
Indeed, the Faithful have a great song to lift up to God, for He is true to His promise. Christ was born in Bethlehem simply
because of a decree issued by Caesar Augustus (Lk. 2:1-5). However, was it only from that birth in Bethlehem that He went
forth in time? By no means! "His goings forth were from the beginning" (Mic. 5:2). "In the beginning," as we know, it
was He Who "created the heavens and the earth" (Gen 1:1), even creating "the beginning" itself since He existed outside
time, "from the days of the age" without beginning or end (Mic. 5:2).
The Church that sings includes not only the Church of this age, but the Church that shall be when "the remnant of their
brethren shall return to the children of Israel" (vs. 3). In that future day, as St. Paul teaches, when all the nations have come
in to share in the Holy Communion of the Body of Christ, then "all Israel will be saved" (Rom. 11:25,26), and even the
Jews shall return to the true Israel and the true Messiah. When? At "the time of her that travails" (Mic. 5:3), when the
Church, that "woman clothed with the sun cries out in labor and in pain to give birth" (Rev. 12:1,2), and He Who created
the beginning brings the end of all things.
On that Day, "the Lord shall stand, and see, and feed His flock with power" (Mic. 5:4). No longer shall the Church live
under the dominion of the prince of this age, under his armies of hate and death. Instead, the Faithful "shall dwell in the
glory of the Name of the Lord their God" (vs. 4). Beloved of God: He Who was faithful to have the eternal Word born in
Bethlehem, will also magnify His glorious Bride "to the ends of the earth" (vs. 4). Christ is Born! Glorify Him!
Let my mouth be filled with Thy praise, O Lord, that I may praise Thy glory all the day long for the greatness of Thy
splendor.
