Christ is born. He is born to us. And, He is born today. For Christmas is not merely a day like every other day. It is a day made holy and special by a sacred mystery. It is not merely another day in the weary round of time. Today, eternity enters into time, and time, sanctified, is caught up into eternity. Today, Christ, the eternal Word of the Father, who was in the beginning with the Father, in whom all things were made, by whom all things consist, enters into the world which he created in order to reclaim souls who had forgotten their identity. Therefore, the church exults, as the angels come down to announce not merely an old thing which happened long ago, but a new thing which happens today. For today, God the Father makes all things new, in his divine Son, our redeemer, according to his words: ecce nova facio omnia.
Therefore, the church on earth joins with the church in heaven to sing one same song, the new song, the canticum novum which the propeht commanded all to sing after the world should be been redeemed by the Christ, whoc ancestor he knew, by revelation, that he should be. When David cried out: "Sing to the Lord a new song" he was the first precentor to intone the songs the church would sing on this day in her liturgy, as she announces to the whole world salvation and joy. For as St. Leo says: "Today there has shone upon us a day of new redemption, a day restoring that which was lost, a day of bliss unending."
--Thomas Merton
Come, then, let us observe the feast. Come, and we shall commemorate a festival; but truly wondrous is the whole chronicle of the nativity. For this day the ancient slavery is ended; the devil confounded; the demons take to flight; the power of death is broken; paradise is unlocked, the curse is taken away, sins is removed from us, error driven out, truth has been brought back, the speech of kindliness diffused, and spreads on every side, a heavenly way of life has been implanted upon the earth, angels communicate with men without fear, and men how hold speech with angels.
Why is this? Because God is now on earth,, and man in heaven; on every side things commingle. He has come on earth, while being whole in heaven; and while complete in heaven, he is without diminution on earth. Though he was God, he became man; not denying himself to be God. Though being the impassable Word, he became flesh; that he might dwell amongst us. He became flesh. He did not become God. He was God. Wherefore he became flesh, so that he whom heaven did not contain, a manger wouild this day receive. He was placed in a manger, so that he, by whom all things are nourished, may receive an infant's food from his virgin mother. So, the father of all ages, as an infant at the breast, nestles in the virginal arms. that the magi may more easily see him.
--John Chrysostom, fifth century
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