The last two Sundays of The Nativity Fast is called the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers and the Sunday of the Holy Fathers. The celebration of the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers takes place on the 2nd Sunday before Christmas, that is, the Sunday of today. On this day, the Church celebrates the memory of the holy Forefathers – the Old Testament righteous who waited for the Savior (especially those from whom Christ descended by the flesh), starting from ‘the first Adam’, and then — ‘the gifts of Abel,’ ‘The zeal of Seth’, ‘The wondrous Enos’, ‘Enoch with sacred utterances,’ And especially celebrated today: Thy favored ones, the great Daniel and the three divinely wise youths…

And also, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, King David and others.

These ancient people have been separated from us by the thousands of years, but they have the most direct and close relationship to us, the current Orthodox Christians.

What is the connection between us and them? The Church reminds us of them now, before the Nativity, for the sake of their faith – faith in the promise made by God to Adam when he was expelled from communion with God, that at the end of the ages a Savior would come into the world Who would redeem humanity from the sin.

All the forefathers who were on earth long before the birth of the Lord lived and were afire (or were glowing) with this faith. They are a vivid example for us who live after the earthly incarnation of the Savior. Like the ancient people, we also did not really see Him (at least most of us); they only knew that He would be on earth, and we only know that He was on earth. But they firmly believed in His coming, and their faith was justified. And, as for us: “blessed are those who have not seen and believed.»

They lived surrounded by a pagan world–a world that, although it did not yet know Christ, had completely departed from God.

Nineteen centuries after the Birth of Christ, the world lived more or less with Christ or Christian culture, but in the 20th century there was a kind of re-volution. Now we live in the post-Christian era, in a world that has once again plunged into complete paganism.

We often hear around us such expressions «new century» (or new millennium). But in this «new» there is nothing new except a more modern and hidden form of the same paganism.

The same old deviation from God and even a denial of God, and moreover, a complete deviation from Christ and the reproach of Christ. Some Christians do not even see how they pervert their Christian faith, by claiming that the more you have in this world – the more blessed are you by God…

The parable of today, which is always read on this day, shows us how far such people can once find themselves from the Blessing:  

A certain man prepared a great supper and invited his friends and relatives. But all of them refused to come for various reasons. These reasons, from a purely human perspective, appear quite plausible and even natural: someone had purchased a piece of land, another had acquired new oxen, and yet another had recently married. Each person wanted to attend to what interested them most at the moment.

However, although the parable does not clearly state this, we can guess that the host of this great supper was not simply setting an ordinary meal. Clearly, it was for some special occasion, something important to this man and, likely, to those invited as well.

Even if this were not the case, a shared meal is not merely about consuming food but, above all, about the joy of fellowship. The host, of course, wanted to share his joy with those close to him (as other Gospels suggest, with his nobles, whom he provides with everything they needed for life and safety). He invited them to partake in his joy together with him…

Yet they, despite knowing the purpose of the feast, still refused.

The married man would still be married for years to come; the one who purchased land was not going anywhere and could inspect it any another time; even the oxen could be tested at a later date.

Once again, earthly blessings became more important than the Source of all blessings, and gratitude was once again absent in the most of the people’s hearts!

The festive meal, the feast, the great supper—these are Gospel symbols of the Kingdom of God, the salvation and feast of the righteous!

…and that is why there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth…

But here (as today we are celebrating a feast of a minority—a feast for the not-so-numerous righteous), here is the loyalty of the forefathers — that led Abraham to the desert (from the most prosperous city of that time), led David to the pit with lions, led the Holy Three Youths into the blazing furnace… and then to salvation and prosperity!

And we know, that being the true Forefathers of Christ, they ultimately reached the festive meal of the Kingdom of God; and here they are so close to His Nativity, commemorated and celebrated by the Church, capable not only to teach us but also give us their strong hand and help us!

So, let us remember the faith of the Holy Forefathers, as well as their loyalty and gratitude (thankfulness); and preparing to meet and celebrate His birth on earth, let us linger a bit in our personal cares and chores…

After all, in the end, all earthly things, all material possessions, and all that is temporary will pass away, leaving only us, face to face with God. May the reminder that the Nativity of Christ is near instill in us an unceasing desire to be with our Lord Jesus Christ, both in this life and in the life to come. Amen!