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Preaching in the Russian Church

St Sebastian Dabović, written in English, 1899

19. Address on Christmas Day

The Orthodox Catholic Church celebrates to-day the nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Christmas day is generally observed as a holiday throughout the world. And verily it should be a day of rejoicing. I say rejoice, for, glory to God in the highest, we are now enabled to obtain peace on earth, as the good will of our Creator and Judge has been proclaimed to all men.

Unfortunately we now often see in the world a decline in religious celebrations of Christian festivals,¹ just as in political and civil holidays we now often notice a tendency to withdraw from public scenes to one’s own narrow sphere of privacy, personal comfort, and individual satisfaction. Such conditions are detrimental to society at large. The first cause of it all is the family—the home from which all men and women take into the world the form of their future character. The nation which is devoid of lessons in religion and patriotism in the family—which is the fountain source of all learning—such a nation is going to destruction.

Since we to-day magnify Christ, the giver of life, who now was born in the flesh for our sake of the unwedded and most pure Virgin Mary, we may most appropriately, as duty bound, consider the worth of our celebration. When we hear the teaching of Him who to-day was a little child seeking shelter with the cattle and sheep, and remember that He said, I am the way, and the life, and the truth, and also, the truth will make you free, we are impressed with the exalted character of Him whose mission it was and is to gather all mankind into the one fold of the Only Shepherd. And our Lord says the truth will save us. We must study the truth to the full measure of our competency, and know our Lord Jesus Christ the Savior. We must use our God-given intellect and discern true doctrine from falsehood. We must worship God with our whole being, body and soul, consequently we develop our reason (as our faith grows stronger) and praise the Lord understandingly. For when we worship with the inspiring feeling of our heart only, we bring a half offering. The offering must be whole.

When we study the different forms of worship of different people who are considered Christians, we see that some bow in adoration with fervent devotion, while others with exultant heart sing loud praise, as if carried away in ecstasy, depriving the spirit of one of its faculties, i. e., adoration. Now, this is according to science, and those who have studied psychology know it. True and complete science is always compatible with religion. The Orthodox and Apostolic Church has ever held that man must offer praise from a warm heart while devoutly adoring the Sublime both physically and spiritually, and at the same time following truthful doctrine. Yes, we must seek and study the truth. I do not say we can at once perfectly know it, for we must first comprehend God, who is the truth. When we become Christ-like we know the truth, and the truth makes us free.

The Church is the treasure house of God upon earth. I offer these precious gems to you, hoping you will take them away to your homes, safely guarded in a grateful heart, and earnestly ponder over them, seeking God in prayer accompanied by a pure life. For only then we may enter into the true spirit of this celebration and rightly comprehend the hymn we sing: “Christ is born! Ye faithful, glorify! Christ from the heavens, Oh come to greet Him! Christ upon the earth, be ye lifted on high! Sing to the Lord, all the earth! And in gladness praise him. O ye nations! for he hath been glorified!” Amen.

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