Beloved Brothers and Sisters,

“… We have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” (Matthew 2:2)

As we enter the month of December and continue our lenten preparation for the celebration of the Lord’s Nativity, our scriptural focus begins to turn to the ancient prophecies concerning the promised Messiah as well as to the first two chapters of the Gospels of Saint Matthew and Saint Luke. It is within these Gospels that we find what are commonly referred to as the “Infancy Narratives” because they recount the story of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We are well aware of the story they tell: our hymns, carols, iconography, our Christmas traditions, and even our seasonal decorations highlight the very same story. 

It is in the second chapter of the Gospel of Saint Matthew, that we read, “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and have come to worship him.”  These wise men – kings, astrologers, astronomers, magi- had left the comfort of their homes and the routine of their daily lives to follow a star that would take them on an adventure and eventually lead them to the newborn King of the Jews and Savior of the World.

The star of Bethlehem was an amazing sign sent from heaven, a part of God’s creation which played its unique role in the story of our salvation. This is even acknowledged in our liturgical hymns.  As we sing in the Troparion of the Nativity: “Thy Nativity, O Christ our God, Has shone to the world the Light of wisdom! For by it, those who worshipped the stars, were taught by a Star to adore Thee, The Sun of Righteousness, and to know Thee, the Orient from on High. O Lord, glory to Thee!”

Throughout the centuries, men and women have studied the stars, their placement in the skies and their movement, seeking in them something greater, something different, looking, at times, for some source of life’s meaning.  Even today, scientists look to the skies seeking answers to scientific questions and theories and hobbyists and amateur “star gazers” embrace astronomy as a valued pastime and relaxing diversion. If you have ever tried to use a telescope in a metropolitan area the size of Phoenix, you are well aware of what is known as “light pollution,” i.e. artificial light that is produced by street lights, buildings, cars, etc.  Light pollution brightens the sky so much that it also dims the brilliance of the stars and makes it more difficult to see and appreciate their intensity, sometime even to locate them.  It is only with a high-powered telescope or by traveling out into the desert or to some remote, unpopulated area that the stars can be seen in the intensity of their great numbers. 

And so it is in our spiritual lives.  We look beyond ourselves seeking the Light of Christ that “illumines all.”  However, even in our seeking, we permit our spiritual vision to be dimmed by our own egos, self-will, lusts and passions, pettiness, and any number of “things” that are not beneficial or helpful to us.  Only by going “into the desert” where such tendencies and things can be left behind that we can see the Light that will never dim.  Only by ridding our lives of the false and artificial lights that distract us can our vision be clearer and more focused.  It’s my prayer that all of us will use the remainder of the Nativity Fast to leave behind the “artificial light” that distracts us from the true Light of Christ.

As we recall the Star that led to the Newborn King and imitate the Wise Men on their journey, let us acknowledge that our only true goal is life lived in the Light of Christ- now and the world to come. 

As we celebrate the birth in the flash of the Son of God, be assured of my prayerful best wishes for you, your families and friends, and all your dear ones.

With love in the Newborn Savior

+Bishop Daniel

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Thursday, December 6:  Feast of St. Nicholas

                                           Divine Liturgy, 9:00 a.m.

                                           No Vespers the evening before.

CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE:

Saturday, December 22:  Church decorating, 10:00 a.m.

                                             Vespers, 5:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 23:     Divine Liturgy, 9:00 a.m.

Monday, December 24:    Great Compline, 5:30 p.m.

                                              Holy Supper following Compline

Tuesday, December 25:  Divine Liturgy of the Nativity of Christ

CHRISTMAS OUTREACH, Saturday, December 8

VISIT FROM SAINT NICHOLAS, Sunday, December 9

BAKE SALE – December 23

CONFESSIONS- Everyone seems to be busy at this time of the year: busy traveling, busy working, busy getting ready for Christmas, busy making or purchasing gifts.  As the Feast of the Lord’s Nativity draws near, do not forget to also prepare yourself spiritually before receiving the Holy Gifts on Christmas morning.  An essential part of our spiritual preparation is the confession of our sins and receiving the Lord’s forgiveness.  Confessions are heard before the Divine Services or by arrangements with Bishop DANIEL or Father David.

CHURCH DECORATING- Please mark your calendars and plan on joining in decorating our church on Saturday, December 22, at 10:00 a.m.  Plan on being a part of the joy as we come together to adorn the church for our celebration of the Lord’s Birth.  The more, the merrier!

NEW YEAR’S DAY:  We begin the New Year by invoking God’s blessing upon our families, our parish, the Church, and the world.  Divine Liturgy (Feast of the Circumcision of Christ and Commemoration of Saint Basil the Great), 9:00 a.m.

TIME FOR THANKS:  As we enter the season of the Lord’s Nativity, we pause and give thanks for the many blessings we have received throughout the year, especially the blessings received because of the generosity in time, talents, and treasures of our parish community.  There are too many people to name individually.  The Lord knows you all…  But please be assured of the gratitude of Archbishop BENJAMIN, Bishop DANIEL, Father David, Father Mihai, Deacon John and all the clergy and faithful of our parish community.  May the Lord Himself be your reward!

THANK YOU for your generous response to the appeal made on behalf of the five families at our Chico, CA parish who lost their homes during the recent devastating wildfires.  Over $800.00 was collected following Liturgy this past Sunday.  If you weren’t present last week or weren’t prepared to donate, you can still do so by sending a check directly to “Saints Cyril and Methodius Orthodox Church, attn.: Fr Ian Shipley, 2956 Cohasset Road, Chico, CA, 95973.  Mark your check: “Fire Victims.”  God bless all who have reached out and assisted in this time of need.

Food Pantry Collections: 

We glorify Christ when we assist those who are less fortunate. In order to glorify Christ the church community is collecting boxes and canned food for the less fortunate, especially at this time of the year. Please feel free to speak with Bishop Daniel or Jacob Sieckman about contributing non-perishables items.  Please bring your donations and place them in the boxes which are available in the church hall.  Collected food items will be shared with Saint Mary’s Food Bank, Phoenix.

What shall we offer Thee, O Christ,
Who for our sakes hast appeared on the earth as a man?
Every creature which Thou hast made offers Thee thanks.
The angels offer Thee a song;
The heavens, their star;
The wise men, their gifts;
The shepherds, their wonder;
The earth, its cave;
The wilderness; the manger;
And we offer Thee a virgin mother.
O Pre-eternal God, have mercy on us!

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