The Christmas Within You

 

“A new child was born for us, who was the pre-Eternal God”

The Kontakion of Christmas equates the young Christ-Child with the pre-Eternal God.

The child as God, the God as a child… Why during the period of Christmas is a strong emotion felt inside us, when all people, even those with a weak or those with no faith, view the unique spectacle of the young mother holding the child in her lap, surrounded by the Magi, the shepherds, the open skies and the Star from the East?

Why are we so certain that there is nothing more beautiful and more joyful on our woeful planet as this spectacle, which the passing of the centuries proved unable to erase from our memories? We return to this spectacle whenever we have no other refuge, whenever we have worries in life, and we search for that which will deliver us from our impasse.

The words “Child” and “God”, are the two words that are the most revealing of the mystery of Christmas. Why? Because they are a mystery that is directed to the child, which continues to live secretly inside every adult. The child continues to listen to God and responds joyfully to Him, whereas the adult stopped listening: whilst in the material world, tired and full of cynicism, he is unable to listen, and feel any spiritual uplifting.

There is no doubt that Christmas is a feast for children, not because of the decorated Christmas tree, but because they are not surprised that God came to earth as a child! The pictures everywhere, and the innumerable works of art worldwide, show us that what is really important and more joyful in Christianity is found exactly here, in this eternal childishness of Christianity. The adults demand a clever and serious religion, together with explanations and analytical data. So they make themselves unsuitable to accept the Christian message. Only the children understand it – but when they grow up they become serious and boring, like the adults.

But Christ said, “become as little children” (Matt 18:3). What does this mean? Simply, that the adults have strangulated and suppressed the ability of the child inside them to adore, admire and rejoice. The children take seriously those things which the adults cannot accept: those mysterious things of the world, which are revealed only to the children and the Saints.

Those of us who want to make our own the joyful mystery of the birth of God this Christmas, with all its spiritual blessings, will have to make every effort to enter into the child within us, because the “God-child” will be coming once again as a “child”.

The world is governed by power, authority, fear and dominance. The “God-child” liberates us from all of these. He only asks us to give Him our heart. And that we offer it to a Child, who inspires enormous confidence.

With the celebrations of Christmas, the Church reveals the mystery of joy: the mystery of love which makes man to see, to recognise and to love God in the person of the divine Child, who offers to the believer as a Christmas gift – a New Life.

 

Source: Lychnos December 2017 / January 2018