When the first star appears in the sky tonight, Orthodox Christmas begins. Instead of Merry Christmas, believers greet each other saying, "Christ is Born" and the other answers, "Glorify Him!"
Here is a 16th century icon of the Nativity. Mary is resting on her pillow. The Child is wrapped in swaddling clothes, prefiguring his being wrapped after having been taken down from the cross. The cave prefigures the tomb from which Jesus proceeds on Easter morning.
The Mother of God looks out at the shepherds, the Lord's first guests. I might imagine myself standing in the middle of the little flock, catching her eye. We see the angel announcing the good news of Christ's birth.
The icon includes a number of other scenes, telling the whole story, as we see midwives bathing the Infant Christ in the lower right hand corner. The Magi are on horseback on the left looking up at the star. The chorus of angels is in the upper left corner waiting to sing, "Glory to God in the highest!"
The icon includes a number of other scenes, telling the whole story, as we see midwives bathing the Infant Christ in the lower right hand corner. The Magi are on horseback on the left looking up at the star. The chorus of angels is in the upper left corner waiting to sing, "Glory to God in the highest!"
An extra biblical story has poor Joseph sitting in the lower left corner, rather forlorn, confused by all of this. Someone stands before him, tempting him not to believe. We needn't worry: Joseph becomes a silent hero in this story fraught with danger - foreshadowing the dangerous events at the other end of the Gospel.
Here is the Kontakion-hymn from the Christmas liturgy in the Eastern Church.
Today the Virgin gives birth to the incomprehensible One; and the earth offers a cave to the unapproachable One. Angels and shepherds glorify him; the wise men journey with a star, since for our sakes is born the Eternal God, as a little Child.
