Christ is Born!
During our largest season of communal repentance- Great and Holy Lent- one of the ascetical practices we practice are prostrations. Over and over and over again we bow completely to the floor touching our heads on the ground. After the canon of St. Andrew, and over 300 prostrations later, it is fairly common to wake up sore the next morning. We bow down to the ground to show God reverence, but also to communicate with our own souls- to help us to repent!
Many times we feel as though our actions are a one-way street which originate in our beliefs or thoughts. I have a burning love for the poor and therefore I will go out and serve them, etc. (If only this were always the case!). Often though, we overlook the quality actions have on our beliefs. Sometimes I do a prostration out of love for the Lord, sometimes it is not until my head is on the ground that I realize who I am (and who I am not) and who God is! At times faith leads to works. At others, works lead to faith.
In our reading today our Lord encourages His disciples when seeing a stranger do good works in His name, knowing that it would not be long before His good works would lead him to the ultimate source of all goodness, the Lord Himself! If in our own business today we find our faith waning, take a few seconds to perform a work of charity and come to know Christ in an even deeper way.
Christ is Born!
