Christmas of the Liberator
Christ is born – glorify him ” Glorify Christ, and glorify him in such a way that the soul and heart may rejoice in this praise. Praise Christ: it is not that you compose long songs of praise to Christ, no; but if, reflecting or listening to the nativity of Christ the Savior, you involuntarily exclaim from the depths of your soul, “Glory to you, Lord, for Christ is born,” this is enough; it will be a silent song of the heart that will pass through heaven and come to God Himself.
The terrible cloud of God’s wrath was over mankind – the Lord Reconciler came and dispersed this cloud. Humanity was sick – the Physician of souls came and healed us. There were people in chains of spiritual slavery – the Liberator came and untied our chains. Bring all this to your heart and perceive it with your feelings, and you will not be able to resist but to exclaim: Glory to You, Lord, for Christ, Your Son, is born!
The deed done by the born Lord concerns each of us. Those who enter into communion with Him receive from Him freedom, healing of the heart, peace of soul, possess all this and accept the sweetness of His Spirit in their hearts. Those who feel this in themselves have nothing to say: “rejoice”, because they cannot but rejoice, and those who do not feel it, have nothing to say: “rejoice”; they cannot rejoice. Bound hand and foot, no matter how much you say to him: “Rejoice in deliverance” – he will not rejoice; covered with the wounds of life’s troubles and with a wounded soul, where will the joy of healing come from? How will the one who is intimidated by human reproaches and condemnation sigh freely? To such we can only say: “Go to the child wrapped in a manger and seek from him deliverance from all the troubles that hold you, for this child is Christ the Savior of the world.”
