Today is the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers. Every year, two Sundays before we celebrate the Nativity of Christ, we remember His forefathers, His relatives according to the flesh. This remembrance is given to us for a very specific reason, which is mentioned by our holy father Gregory Palamas in one of his homilies for this very Sunday. This Sunday is given to us, St. Gregory writes, so that we can know that the Hebrews were not cut off by God, nor were the Christians grafted on (as St. Paul writes) in a way that was unjust or unreasonable. There is an inner continuation between the Old and the New Covenants. And in learning this, we’re offered a warning from the history of God’s chosen people.
The forefathers of Christ were, for the most part, Jews. They were from the Chosen People of God - one of the very reasons that God had chosen a people was to prepare that people and eventually to bring forth the Messiah from that people. The Fathers of the Church are very careful to make sure we understand that being a chosen people doesn’t mean you’re better than everyone else. The Chosen People are chosen by an all- knowing God to fulfill His purposes. And that’s it. So the relatives of Christ were obviously from among the Jews. All of Hebrew people were the Chosen People, but only some of the people are recognized to be the forefathers of Christ.
This is where the great importance of this day for us is seen. It is a reminder that our relationship with God, as members of the New Covenant, is based on the same factor as those members of the Old Covenant - the true members of Christ are those who do the will of God. Outward membership in the Church is not enough. What we learn on this Sunday is the fact that to be chosen by God is an inner transformation. Through the history of God’s dealing with us, it was not outward but inward obedience that indicates chosen-ness. In our understanding of the New Testament to be chosen by God for salvation means that we choose God. The Church is the New Covenant, the chosen people…but we choose to be her members. The question put before us by the Church today - are we living as true members of the Body of Christ? That’s the most important questions we’ll consider today.
Through faith You justified the Forefathers, betrothing through them the Church of the gentiles. These saints exult in glory, for from their seed came forth a glorious fruit: She who bore You without seed. So by their prayers, O Christ God, have mercy on us!
