Ode 9 of the Katavasies of Christmas
What we Hear in Church Ode 9 of the Katavasies of Christmas The incarnate presence of the God amongst us is not just the greatest event of human history; it is also the greatest mystery for Christians to behold. It is beyond our human understanding to comprehend and interpret. This is the sentiment the hymnographer St Cosmas of Maiouma wishes to impart in this hymn. In doing so, he borrows the opening line from the most well-known of St John Chrysostom’s five Sermons on Christmas, “I see a new and wonderful mystery”. St Cosmas then attempts to poetically interpret [...]