The Glorious Feast of the Nativity is a feast of love, a feast of endearment, and ultimately a feast in celebration of purity. Indeed “God was manifested in the flesh,” (I Timothy 3:16)
Purity is found in all the dimensions, folds and corners of the Nativity. It is traced firstly in the newborn, in St Mary, in the manger, and in the surrounding angels, and in both the heavenly and earthly realms.
Purity is manifested in St Mary’s words to the angel, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1: 38). Thus she rendered herself more precious in the eyes of the Lord.
Purity of the Nativity is immediately recognized in the chronological, linear order of events and in the people who took part in making it happen.
In the Holy Gospel of St Luke 2:7, it is written, “And she brought forth her firstborn Son, wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manager, because there was no place in the inn.” The key word in this Holy Scripture is “firstborn.” It signifies superiority and priority. Not a single child was born of St Mary, neither prior to nor after the Lord Jesus ChriSt This confirms that purity occupies first place in the order of His Holy birth.
Purity is first and foremost symbolised in a virgin’s womb and a child. This birth process and its readiness to flourish in the purity of the child Jesus and henceforth in any child is the essence of the Nativity.
The need for purity as a dwelling place for the Lord is stated from the beginning of times. The Old Testament writer, Ezekiel, in his vision was brought to the east gate of the Temple and the Lord said unto Him, “This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it: Because the Lord, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut.” (Ezekiel 44:2) Here The Prophet Ezekiel is talking about St Mary the Mother of God who was chosen from among all earthly women, a perpetually pure virgin whose virginity was disclosed at the time of the Divine conception, and the continuity of which was prophetically confirmed. This prophecy clearly shows that God does not live in houses made by human hands.
King Solomon depicted St Mary’s pure nature, tendencies and perpetual virginity when he prophetically said of her:
“A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse, a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.” (Song of Songs 4:12).
The Purity of our Lord Jesus Christ is also well represented in and by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He the Lord of lords and King of kings not only did He accept to be born of the flesh, but also to fulfil the law, and succumb to the call for purification by John the Baptist “to be baptised” in the waters of the River Jordan.
Purity was also not missed by St Joseph. By accepting the predestined birth, St Joseph had manifested and represented purity of thought and mind. The Gospel of Matthew wrote him, “And Joseph being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus” (Matthew 2: 24-25).
Purity resided and presided over the manger where our Lord was born. All those who were a part of the blessed Incarnation collectively symbolised purity of heart. The angels and the Heavenly Hosts sang majestically and magnificently emphasising the theme of purity which surrounded and saturated the birth of our Lord Jesus ChriSt
The Purity of the heart and soul of the Glorious Nativity is an example to all of us, making purity compulsory and indispensable for the entire human race. Purity of the heart is stronger and deeper than the law. A person with a pure heart will find it difficult to commit a sin or do wrong to his brother in words or deeds.
Perhaps that is why in the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus Christ plainly states, “Blessed is the pure in heart for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5: 8)
Purity is thus a virtue that must impact our lives all the time. We must continually purify ourselves as the Holy and inspirational birth of our Lord Jesus plainly illustrates and compels us to do so. We must stay far away from sin and never approach it, expelling it from our hearts and minds. With fasting, prayer and daily Holy Bible readings we fix our hearts and minds upon the Lord our God. While celebrating the birth of our Lord, we must commit ourselves to purity and rededicate our lives to it. One way of keeping your life pure is to actively engage in useful things and avoid wasting time by involving yourself in fruitful services either in your church or the community participating in activities with your church members in order to strengthen your spiritual life and keep each other’s spirituality steadfaSt
Keep foremost in your heart the ancient words of St Clement of Alexandria c. 195 “the loving Lord became man for us.”
During this blessed season of the glorious feast of the Nativity, let us remember the purity of the event, its inspirations and what caused and surrounded its holy conception. Let us all carefully guard the purity of our hearts because they truly do belong to God the Father. As we do so, God will definitely abide in us.
May the purity of the Holy Conception inspire us with pure thoughts! May the blessed Nativity give birth to a new life within us and instigate in us a wake-up call to live a pure life and to want to serve the Master in a way that is pleasing to Him.
His Grace Bishop Youssef is Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States (www.suscopts.org)
