He who sits upon the sublime and heavenly Throne, now lies in a manger. And he who cannot be touched, who is simple, without complexity, and incorporeal, now lies subject to the hands of men. He who has broken the bonds of sinners, is now bound by an infant’s bands. But he has decreed that ignominy shall become honor, infamy be clothed with glory, and total humiliation the measure of his Goodness.
For
this he assumed my body, that I may become capable of his Word; taking my
flesh, he gives me his spirit; and so he bestowing and I receiving, He prepares
for me the treasure of Life. He takes my flesh, to sanctify me; he gives me his
Spirit that he may save me.
Come,
then, let us observe the Feast. Truly wondrous is the whole chronicle of the
Nativity. For this day the ancient slavery is ended, the devil confounded, the
demons take to flight, the power of death is broken, paradise is unlocked, the
curse is taken away, sin is removed from us, error driven out, truth has been
brought back, the speech of kindliness diffused, and spreads on every side, a
heavenly way of life has been implanted on the earth, angels communicate with
men without fear, and men now hold speech with angels.
St. John Chrysostom
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