Christmas
Gospel Reading for Christmas
Miriam was engaged to Ioseph. It happened that, before they lived together, a fruit was formed in her womb by the Holy Spirit of life. Now Ioseph, her future husband, being a just man and not wanting to disgrace her, decided to dismiss her secretly... But night brings counsel. An angel appeared to him in red and said to him: Ioseph, do not be afraid to take Miriam as your wife, for what she carries within her is holy. She will bear a son whom you shall call Ieshu (savior) for he is the one who shall save humanity... Therefore, Ieshu was born in Bethlehem of Judah, in the days of King Herod the Great. In the principle was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made. In him is the source of spiritual life, and this is what men call light. Yet the light shines in the darkness, and men did not comprehend it. It was, however, the true light that illuminates every man coming into this world. He was in this human world which was made through him, yet this world did not recognize him. He came to his own, and his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, he gives the means to become children of God and to be reborn not from flesh or blood but from God. And the Logos incarnated himself and made his dwelling among us, full of grace and truth, and we have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father. |
Today an ancient promise is fulfilled:
“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us. And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (The Book of Isaiah)
And Jesus as the Christ is unequivocal about what the import of that prophecy actually is:
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
As Gnostics, Christmas is the celebration of the incarnation of the Divine Light of God in this world. But it is also symbolically the birth of that Light within us. We are called on this day, perhaps more than any other, to recognize the Christ living within our perishable frames. We are called to walk in that Inner Light and to conquer all the darkness within us, as Jesus did.
The Aeon Christ may have chosen to incarnate in the bodily form of Jesus, but he did so to teach us all that we could do the same. That if we become conscious of the presence of that Divine Light, we also can live in harmony with It in our own incarnations. Because we are indeed incarnated Divine Sparks trapped in the realm of matter and we also must let the Aeon Christ transform our bodies and minds into things of Light and Love.
Yes Christmas is truly a miracle! The miracle of the Divine Presence in our midst! Therefore, let us rejoice in the full presence of that Light all around us today; and let us pray as One Gnostic Community and One Universal Gnostic Church that we may in our own ways incarnate that Divine Light to the fullest that we can, because surely:
The Christ is above us,
The Christ is below us,
The Christ is to our right,
The Christ is to our left,
The Christ is all around us,
And the Christ is within us!
Amen
“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us. And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (The Book of Isaiah)
And Jesus as the Christ is unequivocal about what the import of that prophecy actually is:
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
As Gnostics, Christmas is the celebration of the incarnation of the Divine Light of God in this world. But it is also symbolically the birth of that Light within us. We are called on this day, perhaps more than any other, to recognize the Christ living within our perishable frames. We are called to walk in that Inner Light and to conquer all the darkness within us, as Jesus did.
The Aeon Christ may have chosen to incarnate in the bodily form of Jesus, but he did so to teach us all that we could do the same. That if we become conscious of the presence of that Divine Light, we also can live in harmony with It in our own incarnations. Because we are indeed incarnated Divine Sparks trapped in the realm of matter and we also must let the Aeon Christ transform our bodies and minds into things of Light and Love.
Yes Christmas is truly a miracle! The miracle of the Divine Presence in our midst! Therefore, let us rejoice in the full presence of that Light all around us today; and let us pray as One Gnostic Community and One Universal Gnostic Church that we may in our own ways incarnate that Divine Light to the fullest that we can, because surely:
The Christ is above us,
The Christ is below us,
The Christ is to our right,
The Christ is to our left,
The Christ is all around us,
And the Christ is within us!
Amen