Christmas, the Mother of God and St. Stephen – Father Pimen Vlad

Listen to a word full of love related to Christmas and to the saints who played an important role in the Nativity of the Lord or whom we celebrate around these holy days.

Enjoy!

Here we meet again, my dears. The birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, the birth of the Lord, is approaching. There’s a little bit more. See the Savior as an infant here. We’re going to talk a little bit about His birth. What did I do today? I planted a few tulips, tulip bulbs, hyacinths, about fifty. The other day I planted about a hundred more. Many will say, “Hey, but don’t you see what the problems are? Do you take care of flowers?!” Problems have always been in this world and will continue to be. That doesn’t mean we don’t have to live until the last minute. Do you know what Venerable Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia, who lived in our time and who sanctified himself, said? Let us be prepared for death as if we die tomorrow, but let us work and do good, as if we lived 500 years, that is, until the last moment.

We must never give up on what we have to do, on our work and on doing good. And speaking of the Nativity of the Savior, I have heard many people say: “But what, father, now is the time to have children? Don’t you see what times are coming?” But is there time to have abortions? Let’s think, what did the commandment say? “Grow and multiply.” No matter what the times are, it’s a commandment. And even if you give birth to a child today and tomorrow war comes and you die and the child dies, you went straight to Christ, as you fulfilled the commandment. Neither your soul nor that of your child is lost. Since it is said that a woman will be saved by bearing children, do you understand? So try to enjoy every day, every moment, as it may be your last. But let’s enjoy it beautifully.

And let us return to the Savior. In the place where I film, in our yard, there is a spring, about 10 meters into the ground and which forms a kind of cave. You can even hear the water flowing.

The time has come for the Savior to be born, from the Mother of God, a 16-year-old child. Do you realize what the Mother of God was going through then, knowing that she had God in her womb? She didn’t give birth to any son! How much care, how much attention in everything, at all levels! She was, we could say, in constant contemplation, prayer, connection with God. She was in grace! She didn’t give birth in a house, somewhere where she had conditions, the ambulance her didn’t take her to I don’t know what hospital.

Then, at that time, there were laws as they are now. Israel was under the Roman Empire, and just then a command was received to enroll everyone, each from where he came from, from his own lineage. Because they came from that side of Bethlehem, they had to be registered there. It was just the time when the nine months had passed and Our Lady was due to give birth. What was she supposed to do?

She climbed on the humblest animal, Joseph helped her climb on the donkey, and off they went. You realize, before, people would walk or ride a donkey, not like now, with I don’t know what luxury car or helicopter. The rich rode camels, which were a kind of Mercedes today.

They set out little by little to get to sign up too. Of course, when they got there, with so many people moving from side to side, it was busy everywhere, they didn’t even have anywhere to sleep. They searched there, asked on the right, on the left, there was no free inn, nothing. And someone had mercy when He saw the Mother of God that she was pregnant and gave her a place in a stable, where the gentle animals were, there was the donkey, there were also the sheep.

There the Mother of God went with Joseph and it was time to give birth. And she gav e birth to the Savior. It was not a birth like all the others, the birth of the Savior was something beyond nature. Here we see the Mother of God on her knees. It is said that the Mother of God was in prayer, in contemplation, when she gave birth to the Savior, painlessly. It was a miraculous birth, we can say. She gave birth in the manger of beasts, in the humblest place. The donkey and sheep warmed the Child with their breath. This is how the Savior came to earth: in humility, as to teach us humility.

Who participated in His birth? Let’s see: the angels in heaven, all the heavenly powers descended there, because God had descended. Besides the humble beasts, the simple people, the shepherds also participated. No one else came. Only shepherds, the purest people, who lived in the mountains, who were not soiled by all worldly things. They were brought, they rejoiced too, and listened to angelic songs. “Glory to those above God and on earth peace, good will among men!” (Luke 2:14).

And who else participated? Joseph, who always took care of the Mother of God, although he was 80 years old. The day after the birth of the Savior, there is the Synaxis of the Mother of God – which, according to the Savior, is the most important for us – and now, on the same day, the Righteous Joseph is also celebrated. It is said that Joseph was married in his time and had 4 boys and 2 girls, who grew up big and beautiful. After his first wife died, he was an old man who lived his life in purity. And now, by God’s order, the Mother of God was entrusted to him, and he was Her protector, the one who took care of the Mother of God. He also participated in the mystery of salvation, which is why it is said that he too has great boldness in God.

We see the angels, we see the shepherds and we also see the three wise men, who have always impressed me. They were pagan people, star readers, who had there, somewhere, a prophecy of their own: a King would be born and he would be proclaimed by a star. And after all their research, they knew that the time was approaching and that somewhere, in the land of Israel, it would be born.

They saw that the star they had been waiting for appeared, and even though they were not all from the same place, they all met and decided to travel together. Think about it, they were not lowborn people, they were from the boyars of their place, each of them, they left everything, family, wealth and each climbed on a camel, took the necessary for the road and left. They went not one day, not two, but two years, with faith and hope that they would reach the King who was born. For their faith, they were guided by that star, which they kept seeing and following it.

It is said that Herod began persecution after the time he learned from the Wise Men, so he killed all infants aged two years and less. So it had been two years since the three wise men were on their way to find the Savior. Did you understand their zeal, the love of the Wise Men? They arrived and worshipped Him as a King and brought Him gifts: gold, myrrh, and frankincense. These gifts are now kept here, at St. Paul’s Monastery, in Athos. My dear friends, you realize that if they honored Him as a King, of course they followed Him afterwards.

There would be a lot to say about the Nativity, but let’s see how we can prepare ourselves, since it’s not much left until then? Have we confessed, have we cleansed ourselves? That’s what confession is. You see, we look after ourselves, we go shopping: clothes according to the latest fashion, gifts. Those from the countryside cut the fattest pig. We prepare stuffed cabbage rolls, cakes, everything. Good for the body. What about the soul? Have we prepared ourselves? Have we cleansed ourselves through confession, so that we can partake in the Feast of the Nativity, receive Christ within us, so He can cleanse us, so we gain strength and move forward?

My dear ones, the Nativity has no value for us if we have not confessed, if we have not fasted, if we do not receive communion! We see that everyone in this world, even those who do not believe in Christ, celebrate Christmas in the form of gifts, meetings, parties. Let’s not do that! Let us prepare ourselves spiritually as well and let the Nativity of the Lord catch us in church! Let there not be a Christian who does not go to the Divine Liturgy at the Nativity!

Let us receive Christ, who every year, as they say, is born for us! And shall we be indifferent?! Let us do our best, receive Christ, rejoice in His birth! The King of Heaven is coming! How can we not rejoice, not welcome Him? This means that, apart from confession, communion, participation in the Holy Liturgy, let us do good according to our strength, let us look around a little bit, as maybe there are bitter people who have nothing to eat, who do not have what they need, now, for the Nativity. Let’s stretch out a little to help them too, to do good, as much as we can!

As I said of Righteous Joseph, he is celebrated the day after the Nativity. Then, on the third day after the Nativity, Saint Archdeacon Stephen, the First Martyr, is celebrated. Archdeacon, the first deacon, as they say, the first among the seven deacons, who were appointed by the apostles.

Seven deacons were chosen to help too, because the apostles could no longer cope with giving alms, feeding the poor and the widows. The seven deacons were chosen, of whom the one who had the holiest life was Saint Archdeacon Stephen. He was an ardent, loving young man who, in addition to helping, preached the faith. How did it end? Those who could not stand the Savior, persecuted the apostles and the seven deacons, and above all, Archdeacon Stephen, who had power in his word, and when he spoke, no one could resist him.

When they saw that they could not defeat him in any discussion, they put false witnesses in order to win unjustly. They went to the bishops and had the false witnesses say that he blasphemed, although Archdeacon Stephen also spoke to them from the Old Testament and told them about history of salvation. Then they decided to kill him, and they took him out of the city—as the Savior said, that all the prophets were killed there, outside the city of Jerusalem—and stoned him to death.

Even the Holy Apostle Paul, who was young then and his name was Saul, participated in the murder of St. Stephen, with great zeal, because he believed that he was bringing service to God. This is what is still happening today: many zealously say it is for God and throw boulders right and left, at everyone – not literally with boulders, but with mud, as they say – thinking they are defending the church, but in fact they are fighting against the church. Because our church, as the Savior told us, walks on love, on kindness, on not judging others. If we sit all day and throw mud at others, we are far from God.

Saint Archdeacon Stephen, while he was being killed, said: “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man (the Savior) sitting at the right hand of God!” It is said that the Martyr’s face shone like the face of an angel and his oppressors could bear it no longer. That is, the hatred in everyone else, around him, could no longer bear him, and they all put their hands to their ears so as not to hear what he said: “Behold, I see the glory of God!” and his face shone like angels. So they were like demonized, so much hatred was inside them that they stoned him to death.

In those moments, when his powers were weakening, when he was ready, St. Stephen raised his hands and said: “Into thy hands I commendoul, O Lord, and count not this sin unto them, for they know not what they do!” You see, he also prayed for those who killed him! Do you see true love? It didn’t matter that they were murderers, he prayed that God wouldn’t count that sin on them. That is, love to the limit of sacrifice. My dear friends, do you see what wonderful saints we have who have sacrificed themselves?

There would be a lot to say. I really remember one thing about kindness, love. Something from the venerable Paisios the Athonite, about us, those who all day long are righteous and then throw dirt at others. He said let’s have a little more love and kindness. Let us have pity not only on people, on all creatures, on all animals, on everything around us. And he gave us an example: to try, if we see a bitter man, to put ourselves in his place, as we would like others to treat us.

Or even with animals. We see a poor animal, a bird shivering in the cold. Let’s put ourselves in their place: wouldn’t we want someone to give us a few crumbs of bread, to feed ourselves when it’s snowy and cold? Or even a snake – autumn to spring, because in winter it enters the ground – when it is still sunny and goes out to different places with sun, to warm up a little. Put yourself in his place: you’re cold, you want to warm up, and someone comes to crush your head. Would you like that? We should have pity on all creatures, and then there would be no wickedness in the world. We would all have love, we would all be better, we would all try to look at others with love and do them good.

Dear ones, here I come back to the Nativity: let us welcome it with love, with joy and let us be better, as much as possible, and then God will be kinder to us. Let us pray to the Mother of God, who is our connection to heaven, and to all the other saints.

May the Mother of God help us and do not forget: there is a little left until the Nativity! Those of you who have not been able to confess, go and confess so that you can enjoy the Nativity of the Lord!

God help us! May the Mother of God help us!

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