In the Flesh

This month we’ll celebrate Christmas (December 25) — the Nativity of Christ, the birth of Jesus.

Christmas celebrates this key mystery of Chris­tian faith: Incarnation (from Latin roots — in + carnis = “in the flesh”). In Jesus’ birth, immortal God came among us in the flesh as a mortal human.

Saint Paul the Apostle explained the incarna­tion’s impact somewhat poetically: “Remember the generosity of the Lord Jesus: he was rich, but he became poor for your sake, to make you rich out of his poverty” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Second-century bishop Saint Irenaeus of Lyons put it more plainly: “He became what we are so that we might become what he is.”

Both quotes point to an exchange at work: God became something lesser so that we, his chil­dren, can become something greater. Embodied as Jesus the Christ, God embraced our human nature so that we — joined to Jesus through baptism and the eucharist (Galatians 3:26-27 and 1 Corinthians 10:16-17) — can “share in God’s nature” (1 Peter 2:4), his unending being, freed from this world’s decay wrought by death-dealing sin.

In the incarnation, God stooped to our level to lift us up to his. What better Christmas gift could we ever get?

Mark Your Calendar!

Saturday, December 6 • 10 a.m.
Divine Liturgy
Feast of Saint Nicholas of Myra

Sunday, December 7 • 9:30 a.m.
Divine Liturgy
Twenty-Sixth Sunday After Pentecost
Followed by breakfast out at Golden Corral

Saturday, December 13 • 10 a.m.
Nativity Fast Moleben (Prayer Service)

Sunday, December 14 • 9:30 a.m.
Divine Liturgy
Twenty-Seventh Sunday After Pentecost

Saturday, December 20 • 9 a.m.
Nativity Fast Moleben (Prayer Service)

Saturday, December 20 • 10 a.m.
Parish Grounds Clean-Up

Sunday, December 21 • 9:30 a.m.
Divine Liturgy
Twenty-Eighth Sunday After Pentecost
Sunday Before Nativity

Thursday, December 25 • 9 a.m.
Compline, Carols, and Divine Liturgy
Christmas · The Nativity · Birth of Christ Jesus

Sunday, December 28 • 9:30 a.m.
Divine Liturgy
Twenty-Ninth Sunday After Pentecost
Sunday After Nativity

Pitch In!

Church doesn’t happen on its own. It happens when all of us pool our time, talent, and treasure together and put them at God’s disposal to do his will as followers of Jesus. In a word, that’s stewardship. Want to lend a helping hand? See our parish priest, Father Alexis Woytek to find out what needs doing. Want to become a supporting member? See our parish treasurer, Mrs. Lydia Pinkowski to find out how. Thanks for pitching in to make your church happen!

Reach Out!

The Church doesn’t exist for itself. God calls it to reach out and share his love with the world that it lives in. Our parish charity bin is one way that we do such outreach, by collecting nonperish­able food that our friends at People Helping People in Hernando County share with locals in need. To download a grocery list from our website, click here. Thanks for reaching out and helping others through your church’s charity!