St. Theophan the Recluse: Lest We Forget

More great content, memes, commenting and community not available on this site.

We are also on Facebook and Instagram which have been designated terrorist organizations by the Russian government.

Read More

Saturday, January 11, 2025 (December 29, 2024)
Nativity of our God and Savior Jesus Christ ─ CHRISTMAS
1Peter 1:1-2,10-12, 2:6-10; Mk. 12:1-12   

I wish that everyone had this great and genuine joy, looking for no other joys ─ but “they are not all Israel, which are of Israel” [Ro. 9:6].  Now brace for noisy,  inane, wanton entertainments, carnivals and the like… Those who cherish this kind of joy are stone deaf to any sort of reproof and never miss a chance to foul up the bright days of the feast, making the Merciful Lord turn His eyes away from us and say: “Your feast are abomination for Me!”  

Indeed so: quite a lot of our public entertainments are pagan abominations, that is, either direct borrowings from the pagan world, or more recent inventions permeated with the pagan spirit.  And to make things worse, they are particularly numerous and disturbing at the time of Christmas and Easter!  Indulging in them, we cave in to the prince of this world ─ our tormentor, Satan ─ and give grounds to his claim before the Lord: “You have done nothing to me by your birth and resurrection.  Just look: everyone comes back to me!...”  So let us ponder more frequently on the words of the Psalmist: “Thou art justified when Thou dost speak, and blameless when Thou dost judge” [Ps. 51:4].

We are getting fascinated with the “enlightened” Europe…  Yes, Western Europe was the first to re-introduce the pagan abominations banished from the Christian world for ages: now we are following suite.  Having inhaled that hellish poison gas, we are losing consciousness, losing direction in life, swirling around in a mad dance.  But let us remember the year 1812: what was the reason for Napoleon’s invasion, celebration of his defeat being coincident with the Christmas day?  The Lord sent the French against us to purge us from the evils of faithlessness and secularism which we had once acquired right from them!  Whole Russia repented at that time, and the Lord had mercy on our land.

Nowadays, however, it looks like we are forgetting that lesson.   If we come to our senses soon enough, then we are safe; but if we do not, then who knows ─ maybe the Lord will once again invite some kind of teachers, to discipline us and set us straight on the path of recovery.  Such is the law of God’s justice: the medicine against sin is similar to its enticement.  These are not just words, but the fact of life, confirmed by the voice of the Church.

Beware ye Christians, “God is never mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” [Gal. 6:7], and knowing that, rejoice and be glad in these days with the fear of God.   Sanctify the holy days with holy deeds, holy behavior and entertainment, so that everyone could say: this is the Feast of Christmas, not an orgy of lewdness and godlessness.

Read more about the author

More great content, memes, commenting and community not available on this site.

We are also on Facebook and Instagram which have been designated terrorist organizations by the Russian government.