Hymns of Matins of the Feast of the Nativity of Christ in the Greek Orthodox Church
Hymns of Matins of the Feast of the Nativity of Christ in the Greek Orthodox Church

Summary/Abstract: Christmas is celebrated with Matins (Orthros) and Divine Liturgy worship services for the Holy Nativity. The Christmas hymnology is the fruit of the dogmatic theology of the Church. In this paper we will deal with only with the Hymns of Matins of the Feast of the Nativity of Christ. How do these hymns display and express the theology of the incarnation of the eternal living World? The theology of these hymns underlines that Holy Virgin Mary, the Theotokos, bore in a fleshly manner the Only-begotten Word of God made flesh (body and soul). These two natures, human and divine, were hypostatically united into the one personhood of Jesus Christ. This historic event is celebrated at Christmas feast. Without the incarnation of the Second Person of the Trinity, the Divine Logos, the redemption of the human race from the shackles of death and sin would be impossible. Christ forms a bridge between absolute infinite God and finite humanity. Ηe is uniquely qualified to be the perfect mediator between God and man. His humanity resembles us in everything except sin, as he was sinless. These hymns express the original joyful excitement at the thought for God’s appearance on earth as total man and remained total God.

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