“In Truth, all the elements bore witness that their Creator has come…The Heavens knew that He was God, because they immediately sent forth a Star. The Sea knew Him, because it allowed Him to walk upon it. The Earth knew Him, because it trembled when He died. The stones and walls of houses knew Him, because they were broken at the time of His death. The lower world recognized Him, because it gave up the dead it was holding…

And yet, the hearts of His people remained full of unbelief, and did not know that He was God…even though all of the dumb elements perceived Him as Lord.”

What has Christ revealed to each of us this past year: Is our faith strengthened or was it weakened? Can we consider ourselves to be the young Saul of Tarsus, persecuting the Christian faith or the “new man,” St. Paul the Apostle, willing to suffer for the Gospel of Christ? Are we willing to die for our faith like St. Stephen?

This week, there will be so many distractions. Last minute shopping…cooking for our families…figuring out plans on how to come together in this unique time…all of these things are great in and of themselves, but from a Divine Perspective, they do not matter.

“We teach and pass on holiness not by the words that come out of our mouth, but by the way that we live our life. We might ask, why is this important? Because in a few moments, all of us, our children included, will be approaching the Holy Altar in what is our own personal “entrance into the temple” feast day. All of us will be approaching God Himself in the chalice…in a very real sense, approach the Holy of Holies.”

Prepare O Bethlehem, for Eden has been opened to all! Adorn yourself O Ephratha, for the tree of life blossoms forth from the Virgin in the cave! Her womb is a spiritual paradise planted with the Divine Fruit: For if we eat of it, we shall live forever and not die like Adam. Christ comes to restore the image which He made in the beginning.