During the time of Kiahk and the Nativity Fast, the Church focuses on the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ—the promised Messiah. During Tasbeha, praises called “Theotokia” are chanted, in which we praise St. Mary and her role in the incarnation. For this contemplation, we will be focusing on the refrain of the Monday Theotokia:
“He shone in the flesh, taken from the Virgin, without the seed of man, in order to save us.”
What does it mean to shine in the flesh? In this refrain, we are focusing on how God revealed Himself to us by coming down to Earth and taking up our flesh. God’s nature is light and Christ (being fully divine and fully human), brought the fullness of that light down to Earth. As Christ explains, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12).” By revealing to us His light, we were given an opportunity to be partakers of light, as long as we avoid the darkness of this world. As St. Cyril of Alexandria explains:
“But that the Only-Begotten is by Nature Light, as beaming forth from God the Father Who is by Nature Light, we have shown at great length in the first book, on the words, He was the Very Light.”
As we contemplate the incarnation of our Lord, let us remember that we must align ourselves with Him so we become children of the Light and obtain our ultimate goal of eternal life.
Sources:
- Bible, English Standard Version
- Tasbeha.org, Monday Theotokia
- Catena Bible, Church Father Commentaries
- Commentaries on the Gospel of St. Luke by Father Tadros Malaty