The Christmas Cycle 2007
Posted by Fr. David in
Schedule of Services
Thursday, December 13. 2007
Christmas, 2007: an invitation to Something More
We of the St. Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church (SMMOC) in Merced invite you to join us for Christmas services. Our Christmastime worship of God uses ancient Christianity’s living holy tradition and liturgy to center our hearts on God himself as well as on the truths of authentic Christian Faith. You might have heard that Orthodox churches celebrate the Nativity of Christ (that is, “Christmas”) on January 7th, but that’s not true for our church here in Merced. We at SMMOC celebrate Christmas on December 25th, like most everybody in America.
A Cycle of Christmas Services?
In talking about our Christmas services, I have had folks say to me, "You have services on Christmas Day?"
Yes, indeed! Many folks today might be surprised — perhaps even shocked — that the historic Christian Church had a wonderful cycle of services for Christmas, including Christmas Day itself. When I say a “cycle,” I mean services “before,” “on” and even “after.”
“Before’?
Our secular world — the one of commercials and malls — knows all to well that there’s a “before” to commercial Christmas. It’s getting earlier every year! The historic Christian Church has a “before” before real Christmas, sometimes called “Advent” (which means “coming”). In the Orthodox Church, we start Advent 40 days before Christmas; it is a season of spiritual preparation and discipline as we anticipate the Great Feast of Christmas. During this time, we fast (as each of us is able) from meat and dairy products, pray more, and seek to help those in need.
As you might imagine, the Orthodox Christian “before” of Christmas can be pretty challenging, because the secular world takes self-indulgence, gluttony, and feel-good entertainment to new heights during this time. However, this is just a greater opportunity to put God and our Faith first, as a sacrifice of praise.
In the final five days before Christmas, the Orthodox Church enter a special time called the “Forefeast,” or “Prefeast,” of Christmas. Our personal disciplines become more intense, and there are special services done in the final sprint toward Christmas.
“On”? Our main Services for Christmas
And then, we do have services both on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day; these are the main services for Christmas.
We at SMMOC do two of the major services for Christmas:
- December 24 at 6:30 PM: The Vigil for Christmas
- December 25 at 10:00 AM: The Feast of the Holy Eucharist
Services are at the Chapel of Mercy Medical Center, Outpatient Center, located at 2740 “M” St. (at 27th St.) in Merced. A map is located elsewhere on this website.
Now, I’ve had precious people in a panic at the idea of attending Christmas services. They reason that Christmas is a “family” holiday, and such services would compete with the joys of the family hearth: “What about family gatherings?” they ask. In Orthodoxy, this has never been an “either/or.” Rather, family celebrations at Christmas are shaped and amplified by historic Christian worship. The Christian families gather to celebrate the birth of the Son of God, the incarnation of the Eternal Word of God, in Jesus. By the way, this is where we even get the name of this Church holy day (“holiday”): “Christmas” means the “mass” of the Christ-Child, in the Latin tradition. Celebrating Christmas in the beautiful ancient services of the Orthodox Church only enriches the family celebrations of the Feast.
“After”? The Twelve Days of Christmas!
Did you know that the 12 Days of Christmas, as sung in the wonderful carol, refer in fact to the twelve days AFTER Christmas? The celebration of Christmas isn’t restricted to one day; rather, it continues. There is no fasting at all December 25 through January 4. In larger Orthodox churches, there are special services on the days immediately following the Nativity of our Lord. On the Sunday After Christmas, there is another special commemoration echoing Christmas themes. On January 1, we celebrate Christ as the fulfillment of the Law in the Feast of the Circumcision — the day when our Lord received his “Holy Name” in accordance to Jewish custom. In fact, though the Feast itself ends on December 31, the spirit of Christmas continues through the Feast Day of the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple on February 2. How marvelous and rich to celebrate the birth of the Son of God in all its many facets during the Christmas cycle!
By the way. this is the underlying meaning and dynamic of the Orthodox Church Year. Our Christian Faith, and the salvation found there, is like a large, beautiful, and precious jewel, held up to the Light of God revealing Himself. As the year progresses, the jewel turns: with each feast day and season the fire of God’s grace shines through in a new and glorious way, revealing the manifold splendor of the Gospel. What a gift this is to all Christians! Please see our online Calendar on this website for more details about our worship schedule, as well as other aspects of our life together as a church.
An Explanation of the main christmas Services
The Vigil for Christmas:
The Vigil for the Nativity, held on Eve of Christmas, is a service filled with Psalms, prayers, and hymns celebrating the incarnation of the eternal Word of God. “Vigil” means to watch and wait, filled with anticipation while preparing for something important. The Vigil is an ancient service that came from the early Church; it mixes together both joyful celebration and also solemn preparation for the Feast of Christmas itself.
The Holy Eucharist of Christmas:
The Holy Eucharist or “Divine Liturgy” (as Orthodox call it) is held on Christmas Day itself. This is the high point of Christmas celebration. To borrow language from the Latin West, it is the “Mass” of Christmas. “Eucharist” means “to give thanks,” and this is the heart of this service: a sacrifice of praise by the People of God.
This service is filled all the words and actions of authentic Christian worship — in Spirit in and truth. The Divine Liturgy includes the blessing God and His Kingdom, prayer-petitions (called litanies), antiphonal Psalms, the proclamation of God’s Word, solemn processions, and the Great Prayer of the Offering gifts of wine and bread to be the living presence of Christ, in His Body and Blood. In all these things, you are invited to participate, letting the service lead your heart.
