The Nativity of Christ: Homily 4: On the Commemoration of the Deliverance of Russia From the Invasion of the Gauls (Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko)

1. The Feasts of the Lord

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko 

I. The Nativity of Christ

Homily No. 4: On the Commemoration of the Deliverance of the Church and the Russian State from the Invasion of the Gauls and the Twelve Allied Nations

I. No nation, except for the people of God, has been granted from above so mighty a help in the struggle against the darkness of enemies as was freely shown by the gracious Providence in the severe hour of the invasions of the Gauls (French) to our Orthodox homeland. Not only we ourselves saw it, but, in the words of the Church, “all the nations saw in us that the Most High is God, and there is none besides Him. He kills and makes alive; He smites and He heals, and none can deliver from His hand.” Therefore, exclaims the Holy Church, “Our heart is established in the Lord our God; our horn is exalted in our God,” and all the more triumphantly, after this, she proclaims the joyful song of victory: “God is with us; understand, O nations, and submit yourselves, for God is with us! Hear, even to the ends of the earth, that God is with us!”

II. Yes! The Lord was manifestly with us in the great hour of the national war, when Russia could in all fullness apply to herself the words of the Prophet: “All nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I destroyed them… They pushed me violently, that I might fall, but the Lord helped me” (Ps. 117:10, 13). Indeed, this was not an ordinary war — not a people rising against a people, nor a kingdom against a kingdom, but whole kingdoms and nations — almost all of Europe, it seemed, had moved from its place to crush and shatter Russia. At the head of that dreadful host, which had already overthrown more than one kingdom, marched the giant of war — “the man who raged against the earth, who shook kings, who made the world a wilderness and destroyed its cities” (cf. Is. 14:16–17). Broadly and suddenly he seized a vast expanse of Russian land. In vain did brave leaders and soldiers exhaust both their courage and their skill; in vain did they lay down their lives for faith and fatherland — the audacious and numerous enemy pressed ever farther, laying waste towns and villages with fire and sword; at last even the imperial city fell into his hands. Oh! surely many then, beholding such dreadful devastation of the fatherland, were ready to say with Gideon: “If the Lord is with us, why then has all this befallen us?” (Judg. 6:13).

But He was with us — and “for a little while He abandoned us, yet with great mercy He had compassion… For He looked upon our affliction and upon the desolation of the reigning city, in which from ancient times His name was called, and upon our prayers, which we offered not trusting in our own righteousness, but in His abundant mercies, and He gave us the backs of our impious adversaries” (from the prayer at the service). Then began for our enemies that “great tribulation such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall be” (Matt. 24:21): one Russian soldier pursued a thousand, and two pursued ten thousand. Over the fleeing enemy hosts it seemed that the voice of the Lord of Hosts thundered: “That I may break Assyria in My land and trample him on My mountains” (Is. 14:25). “Was it not the Lord of Hosts,” asks one pious contemplator of God’s judgments, “who on the same path, at one time destroyed some by disease, cold, and famine, and at another preserved strength, kindled fire, and gave wings? Was it not God, in whose hand is the heart of the king, who inspired the Tsar at the very beginning of the war with that decisive, even prophetic resolve — not to lay down arms until not a single enemy remained within the borders of Russia — a resolve that breathed into the whole people the same unshakable determination?” “They saw Your procession, O God, the procession of my God, my King, in the sanctuary” (Ps. 67:25).

The blessed anointed one of Russia also saw this procession — he who was a great instrument of Providence in the deliverance of the fatherland from its enemies. He saw it and was not exalted by his greatness, did not become proud in his glory, but in the humility of a grateful heart, attributing all his victories to Him by whom kings reign, he bequeathed to Russia, in grateful prayers to God, to remember from generation to generation the great day of the deliverance of the Church and the Russian State from the invasion of the Gauls and the twelve allied nations. 

III. “Grant, O Lord, that women may keep within themselves a firm and unceasing remembrance of this glorious visitation of Yours, so that, strengthened in You by filial fear and by faith and love, and guarded by Your might, they may ever, as on this day, sing and glorify Your holy name!” (from the prayer at the service).

Appendix to Homily No. 4

A. From the Hymns on the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, With Brief Explanatory Notes

a) At ‘Lord, I have cried.’ Tone 2.

“Come, let us rejoice in the Lord, declaring the present mystery: the middle wall of partition (the barrier between God and man) is destroyed; the flaming sword (that barred the entrance to Paradise) withdraws; the cherubim step aside from the Tree of Life (no longer preventing people from approaching it; cf. Gen. 3:24); and I partake of the food of Paradise, from which I was expelled because of disobedience. For the unchangeable Image of the Father, the Image of His eternal being, takes the form of a servant, proceeding from a Mother who knew not marriage, undergoing no change, for what He was He remained, the true God; and what He was not He assumed, becoming man out of love for mankind. To Him let us cry: O God born of the Virgin, have mercy on us.”

“When Augustus ruled alone upon the earth, the rule of many ceased; and when You were incarnate of the Pure One, the worship of many gods was abolished. Under one earthly kingdom cities were ordered, and into one dominion of the Godhead the nations believed. The peoples were enrolled by the command of Caesar; we, the faithful, were enrolled in the name of the Godhead of You who became man, our God. Great is Your mercy, O Lord; glory to You!”

b) At the Litia. Tone 1.

“Let heaven and earth prophetically rejoice today; let angels and men spiritually celebrate: for God has appeared in the flesh to those who sit in darkness and the shadow (of sin). Born of the Virgin, the cave and the manger receive Him; shepherds proclaim the wonder; Magi from the East bring gifts to Bethlehem; and we, with unworthy lips, offer Him angelic praise: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace; for the expectation of the nations has come and saved us from bondage to the enemy.”

c) At the Aposticha. Tone 2.

“A great and most glorious wonder has come to pass today: the Virgin gives birth, and her womb is not corrupted; the Word is incarnate and is not separated from the Father. Angels glorify with the shepherds, and we with them cry aloud: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace.”

d) Troparion. Tone 4.

“Your Nativity, O Christ our God, has shone upon the world the light of knowledge; for by it those who worshiped the stars were taught by a star to worship You, the Sun of righteousness, and to know You, the Dayspring from on high. O Lord, glory to You!”

e) Magnification:

“We magnify You, O Life-giver Christ, who for our sake today were born in the flesh of the unwedded and most pure Virgin Mary.”

f) Prokeimenon:

“From the womb before the morning star I begot You; the Lord has sworn and will not repent” (Ps. 109:3–4).

g) Irmoi:

“Christ is born—glorify Him! Christ comes from heaven—meet Him! Christ is on earth—be exalted! Sing to the Lord, all the earth, and with gladness hymn Him, O peoples, for He is glorified.”

“To the Son, incorruptibly begotten of the Father before the ages, and in the last times incarnate without seed of the Virgin, to Christ our God let us cry: You who have exalted our horn, holy are You, O Lord.”

“A Rod from the root of Jesse and a Flower from it, O Christ, You sprang forth from the Virgin; from the overshadowed mountain You came, incarnate from her who knew not man, immaterial and God. Glory to Your power, O Lord.”

“O God of peace, Father of mercies, You sent us the Angel (Messenger) of Your great counsel, granting peace. Therefore, guided to the light of the knowledge of God, rising from night to morning, we glorify You, O Lover of mankind.”

“The sea monster spewed Jonah forth like an infant from its womb as it had received him; and the Word, having dwelt in the Virgin and taken flesh, was born, preserving her incorrupt; for He who Himself did not suffer corruption kept His Mother unharmed.”

h) Kontakion. Tone 3.

“Today the Virgin gives birth to the One who is above all being, and the earth offers a cave to the Unapproachable. Angels with shepherds glorify Him; the Magi journey with the star; for our sake a young Child is born, the pre-eternal God.”

“The youths, brought up together in piety, despising the impious command, did not fear the threat of fire; but standing in the midst of the flame they sang: Blessed are You, O God of our fathers.”

“The dew-bearing furnace revealed the image of a supernatural wonder; for it did not burn the youths it received, just as the fire of the Godhead did not burn the womb of the Virgin into which it descended. Therefore, singing, let us cry: Let all creation bless the Lord and exalt Him unto all ages.”

“Magnify, O my soul, the most honorable and glorious beyond the heavenly hosts, the most pure Virgin Theotokos.”

“I behold a strange and most glorious mystery: the cave is heaven; the Virgin, the cherubic throne; the manger, the place where the uncontainable Christ God lies. Him we hymn and magnify.”

“It would be easier for us, free from fear, to keep silence; but to weave songs of praise for You, O Virgin, in love, finely composed, is difficult. Yet, O Mother, grant us strength according to our willingness.”

B. Is it permissible to dress in disguises during the Twelve Days (Christmastide)?

In the holy days of the feast of the Nativity of Christ the Church calls to us: “Christ is born—glorify Him! Christ from heaven—meet Him! Christ on earth—be exalted!” Yet instead of glorifying the Lord more especially in these days, we disgrace Him all the more. Instead of joyfully meeting and spending these days with Christ, we withdraw from Him even more than at other times, surrendering ourselves to demonic games, Christmastide amusements often joined with mockery of sacred things, immoderation in food and drink, even to destructive drunkenness. Instead of lifting all our thoughts to the dwellings of the Heavenly Father, we strain our minds toward mockery, toward how to distort more greatly the image of God placed within us. For what else is the Christmastide amusement of masquerading than the distortion in man of the human nature created by God, to the delight of our enemy the devil? The Lord even forbade a man to wear women’s clothing and a woman to wear men’s clothing (Deut. 22:5). And whom do people not try to portray? — beasts, reptiles, even Satan himself! The Holy Church strictly forbids all such demonic amusements. This is what she decreed concerning Christians who allow themselves to masquerade: “If Christian children do these things, and men clothe themselves in women’s garments, and women in men’s, and by masks transform their faces into various forms, such persons are to be subjected to excommunication” (Canon 61 of the Synod of Trullo), that is, deprived of Holy Communion. Think about this, lovers of Christmastide amusements! “Rejoice, O young man,” says the wise Solomon, “but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment” (Eccl. 11:9). This is what must be remembered during festive merriment. God judges strictly the person who allows soul-destroying amusements and forgets the works by which the feast day is sanctified. Feast days are God’s days, which we must especially dedicate to the Lord, exercising ourselves in prayer and good works. On these very days Satan strives most of all to incline people toward sin. Therefore, be watchful, Christian, lest you yield to the suggestions and snares of the enemy of our salvation.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.