Angels were the first to preach Christ; Angels: Day 176

When a priest at your parish church preaches Christ, says St. Cyril of Alexandria, he joins his voice to the voices of the original shepherds, who learned the good news of Christ’s coming from the angels themselves.

The company of the holy prophets had foretold that, in due time, he would be born in the flesh, and that he would put on our likeness. Now that this hope had been fulfilled, the rational powers of Heaven brought the happy news of his appearance in the world to shepherds at Bethlehem—the first to receive the knowledge of the mystery. And this is a type that corresponds to the reality: for Christ reveals himself to the spiritual shepherds, so that they can preach him to the rest—just as the holy angels taught Christ’s mystery to the shepherds, who then ran to bring the happy news to their neighbors.

Angels, then, are the first to preach him, and declare his glory, God miraculously born of a woman in the flesh.

So when you see the child wrapped in swaddling clothes, do not let your thought stop at his birth in the flesh. Rise to contemplate his Godlike glory. Elevate your mind; climb up to Heaven. Then you will see him in the highest exalta- tion, with transcendent glory. You will see him lifted up on a throne. You will hear the Seraphim praising him in hymns, and saying that “heaven and earth are full of his glory.”

Indeed, this has even happened on earth. For the glory of God shone to the shepherds, and a multitude of the heavenly host told Christ’s glory. Many holy prophets were born from time to time, but none of them ever was glorified by angels’ voices—for they were men, like us. But Christ was not like them: he is God and Lord. He was the one who sent the holy prophets. As the psalmist says, “Who in the clouds shall be compared to the Lord, and who shall be likened to the Lord among the sons of God?”     –St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on Luke, 2:8-18

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .

No one can praise God adequately. But do I set aside some time in my prayer life just to praise God for his goodness and show my gratitude?

CLOSING PRAYER

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isa. 6:3).

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