DON’T PUT CHRIST INTO CHRISTMAS.
PUT CHRISTMAS INTO CHRIST.
Christmas is part of a much larger story, the story of Jesus Christ, the God-man, the Messiah and Savior of the world.
It begins with the Annunciation (celebrated Mar. 25), which is His conception as one of our human race. It continues with His birth 9 months later (celebrated Dec. 25), His public introduction to the world. Next is His meeting in the Temple 40 days later (celebrated Feb. 2), where the righteous priest Simeon holds Him in his arms.
He grows, He is baptized (celebrated Jan. 6), He preaches and heals, He is transfigured (celebrated Aug. 6), He is crucified and buried (Holy Friday), and He rises from the dead (Pascha/Easter Sunday). And He ascends into Heaven (celebrated on Thursday, 40 days later) and sends His Holy Spirit upon His disciples and apostles (Pentecost, 10 days after Ascension).
And He has made a way for us to be saved from sin and death as a result, to be elevated as “equal to the angels” (Luke 20:36). He founded His Church, which is the New Covenant, to make this possible, and that same Church continues today and beckons you to become part of its holy life, a life that not only celebrates Christ’s life in feast days but to which we join ourselves through prayer, repentance and holy mystery, becoming part of the Divine Council of God, surrounding His throne with all His holy ones. This is the Kingdom of God which is at hand.
This is what the Orthodox Church teaches, believes and practices.
This is why we say: Christ is born! Glorify Him!
(More on this here: https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/…/jesus-not-part…/)
(And for the trolls and even well-meaning folks who think Christmas is pagan: https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/…/no-christmas-is-not…/)
