All of Creation Rejoices in You

"All of Creation Rejoices in You" is the title that comes from a hymn that we sing to the Virgin Mother of God, the Theotokos this time of year, during the Liturgy of St. Basil. The words always strike me. Everything in nature and in the heavens, participated in worshiping God, as He is born to us, from a Virgin Mother, as a babe in Bethlehem.

This year for Christmas I received a lighthouse, which everyone knows that I am so fond of, maybe because of what it stands for, a beacon to warn, and a stucture of light. It calls all to the source of the rocks, in preparation like the light from the star which called the three wise men.

Accounts of nature and "their gift" to the newborn king, are present in the hymns which enlighten us as to their participation, as "all creation rejoices" in this wonder.

I love the song of the finch in the spring when they return to nest around my home. Singing in preparation for the lenten tones, I find at times they join in, while they accumulate, on a branch of a tree just outside my window, filled mostly of yellow, and rose colored birds. I received a beautiful notepad with one finch on the cover, wearing a golden crown. It touched me that she remembered my story. Christians are aware of nature and, the Christmas scene in its full wonder expressed, in all its glory, which included: the Sun, stars, cave, light, animals, shepherds, angels, manger, and wisemen with gifts. A foster-father, Virgin Mother and her milk, the attendants who bathed the babe, and all mystery, glory and wonder!

Christmas Troparion:
"Your 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 You,
the Sun of righteousness,
and to know You, the Orient from on high.
O Lord, glory to You."

The Kontakion...
"Today the Virgin gives birth to the Transcendent One,
and the earth offers a cave to the Unapproachable One,
Angels with Shepherds glorify Him,
the Wise Men journey with the star,
since for our sake the eternal God was born as a little Child."

Let all the earth worship You and praise You! Let it praise Your Name, O Most High!

The Hymn to the Theotokos:
"I behold a strange, most glorious mystery:
heaven -- the cave,
the cherubic throne -- the virigin;
the manager -- the place where Christ lay,
the uncontainable God, Whom we magnify in song."

Taken from Saturday's Great Vespers, the Entreaty:
"For unto them that sit in darkness and shadow, God has appeared in the flesh, born of a woman. A cave and manger have received Him, shepherds proclaim the wonder; Magi from the East offer gifts in Bethlehem. And let us, with our unworthy lips, offer Him praise like the Angels. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace. For the expectation of the Nations is come. He is come and has saved us from slavery to the enemy."

Christ is born, Glorify Him!