Anna is no longer barren and nurses the All Pure One! She rejoices and calls us all to sing a hymn of praise to Christ, she who from her womb gave mankind the only ever Virgin Mother.

Kontakion for the post feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God.

Fourth day of the Nativity Fast. This excerpt taken from Behold A Great Light, talks about the light and darkness. “Darkness is not a thing in itself. It is an absence, an emptiness, a place where the light does not shine. Darkness is a parasite, the same way that evil is a parasite of good. Evil is a misdirection, a refusal of light. A darkness that shuts out the light of Gods goodness. Saint John says, Christ was the true Light which gives light to every man of the world.” Every prayer we pray, every kind word we speak, every deed of generosity and forgiveness we perform allows the flame of that Light to burn brighter.

Philip’s Fast/Nativity Fast starts today
The period of fast is a period of formation, a time when through our actions and intentions we intensify our desire for Christ and His life within us. Like Mary who had nine months of gestational preparation, we in a similar manner, the Christ Child is being formed in us as we bear Him in the fast. Our fast is coupled with prayers and almsgiving. The Character of Christ is slowly shaped within us to some degree through the working of the Holy Spirit.
–from Behold a Great Light.