Fathers' Day is the last family holiday in the cycle preceding Christmas, and in the Church of St. Nicholas in the Old Town, the Archbishop's Vicar of Kotor-Tivat, the parish priest of Kotor, and the Archpriest - Stavrophor Nemanja Krivokapić addressed the faithful today with a sermon at the Holy Liturgy.
"In all these days of the Christmas Lent and this entire period when we are approaching one of the most joyful holidays, Christmas, through church songs, through divine services, and also through the gospel readings that we read, which the Church recommends to us in these days, we are preparing for this joyful holiday, for the holiday when we remember and celebrate the coming of God Himself to earth, the Lord Jesus Christ, the God Who created the world, Who came here to earth to save us, people. A truly joyful event, and that is why the Church, in such a solemn way, not only celebrates, but also prepares for this holiday. Through this Gospel, which is read on the Sunday before Christmas, the events surrounding the conception of the Most Holy Theotokos are described in detail. Through this event we are confirmed in the truth, a very important truth, that Christ is true God. A very important thing for us is to know that this is not just some man who has some special powers, but the true God Who came down from heaven,” said Fr. Nemanja.
In this description of the event, he continues, is the appearance of the angel himself to Joseph, and through what he tells him we have the testimony of God himself, i.e. the Church, that the virgin Mary truly gave birth to God, that what she carries in her womb is holy, conceived by the Holy Spirit.
“And that the child who will be born will not be an ordinary child, but the Savior of the human race, that he will be called Jesus, and Jesus means Savior,” said Fr. Nemanja.
The description of these events is preceded by a very detailed genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Some might say it’s too detailed, too dry to read, there are so many names mentioned, and maybe someone thinks it’s unimportant… However, if the evangelists wrote it that way, then it’s important. If the Church has been passing on to us for centuries, to this day, and it’s read every Sunday before Christmas, this very Gospel, with all this detailed description of all the individual names in the genealogy, that means that the Church also considers it important,” said Fr. Nemanja, because in this way the Church assures us that Christ is also a real man.
“Just as it is true that Christ is true God, the Church also reminds us of the important truth that Christ is also true man, which is extremely important for our salvation. Only God could save us, but He wanted man to participate in the economy of salvation, so He desired and considered it most salvific for us that Christ, when He came to Earth, would be, in addition to being God, also a true man, born of a woman, nine months in the womb, born as a baby, grew up and began to preach only when He grew up and was of age,” said Father Nemanja.
He continues that what is the secret of the Church and what it wants to communicate to people is that Christ is the God-man, God and man, and that in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ both the divine and human natures were united.
“The union of God and man has come. As the holy fathers say, God became man, so that man might become God by grace. God came, became man, to give us, humans, the opportunity to become deified through union with God, of course through good deeds, but above all through union with God. How do we unite with God? Through the holy mysteries, and above all through the Holy Mystery of Communion. For we believe that from this holy cup, which we bring out, we partake of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. When we partake of Communion, Christ enters us and that is our union with God. We fast because we are preparing ourselves to be as worthy as possible for that encounter with God, said Father Nemanja.
On the Sunday before Christmas, which is also called the Fathers among the people, when we celebrate the fathers according to the flesh, who preceded Christ, We also remember our fathers, relatives by the flesh, he continued, adding that these are folk customs derived from church tradition, through which we strengthen love in the maternity ward, we emphasize its values.
“That is what has always been important, and perhaps most needed today in these “crazy” times, when the blows to the maternity ward are the strongest, from various sides. The fundamental foundation of the Church, the “Little Church”, the maternity ward is being struck. The family is the “Little Church”, the basic cell of every society and the Church. Therefore, through these wonderful customs we strengthen love, first of all in the family, towards our closest ones, but through this love we also spread it to all others, those in need. That from what we have we give to others who need it because, by doing good deeds, we are confirmed on the path on which Christ confirmed us. In this way, we imitate the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, who did not only preach with words and the miracles he performed, but also showed by his example how to live, thereby leading us to our salvation. May the Lord grant that through these gospel stories our hearts may soften, instructing us to turn around a little, look at who needs help, and that through these beautiful deeds and today's communion, we may draw closer to God and unite with Him, to whom be glory forever, amen," said Father Nemanja.