Troparion of The Nativity of Jesus Christ, Tone 4

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Christmas, the Feast of the Nativity of Jesus, is one of the most joyful days of the Church year. It ranks next to the greatest holiday, the Resurrection of Jesus, Easter. The icon of the Nativity shown in my TV shows the black of the cave of Christ’s birth. The center of the icon represents all human disbelief, all fear, all hopelessness. In the midst of a starless night in the cave of our despair, Christ, ‘the Sun of Justice,’ enters history. There is no charming Bethlehem but only a mountain with a few plants. The manger looks like a coffin. In this way, the icon links birth and death.

Lyrics:
Your nativity, O Christ our God,
has shed the light of knowledge upon the world.
Through it, those who had been star worshippers,
learned through a Star to worship You,
O Sun of justice,
and recognize in You the One who rises from on high,
O Lord, Glory to You!