Two great events bring joyous light to our earthly path: Birth and Resurrection of Jesus. The first one witnesses about God’ love and compassion to us, the second — a wittness of His victory over death.

The parable of the lost sheep graphically and vividly tells us about the purpose of coming of the Son of God into this world. Good shepherd leaves ninety-nine sheep by what the angelic world is meant, and goes out to mountains to find his one lost sheep- dying in sin humankind. The great love of the Shepherd to that perishing sheep is visible not only in that that he himself went out to look for it, but especially because when he found it, he took it on his shoulders and carried back. The word "back" tells us that the incarnated Son of God gives back to men that innocence, holiness and blessedness that was lost by falling away from God. To carry on the shoulders means that what an ancient prophet expressed in the following words: "He (Christ) has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows" (Isaiah Ch. 53).

Birth of Jesus is not just a great event in history, the great mystery of men’s salvation is hidden in it. Much has been and is being written about the meaning of Jesus’ Birth, but very often the main purpose of Christ’s incarnation is left unexplained. Christ became man not only to teach us the truth and give us a good example. He became man in order to unite us with Himself- to unify our harmed and morally worn out nature with His Essence and by this to pour into us a reviving flow of His Godly power. With His coming in this world our life not only became a move to the better heavenly conditions of life, but complete regeneration and transfiguration of our nature by the power of Almighty God. The festival of Nativity of Christ reminds us exactly about that.

This unification of a believer to God-Man nature of Christ comes true in the Sacrament of Eucharist when the one partaking of His purest Flesh and Blood mysteriously unites with Him.

Heterodox Christians who do not believe in the reality of the miracle of Holy Communion understand the words of Christ "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in Me and I in him" (John 6:56) allegorically, thinking, that here the meaning is only in the spiritual association with Him. But if this was the case then the incarnation of God’s Son would be superfluous, for even before the Christ’s birth the righteous people had been granted with the grace-filled communion with God, nevertheless the paradise remained closed to them, since their nature had not been renewed by Christ yet.

But a man is ill not only spiritually, but also physically. Sin deeply and in many ways corrupted our nature. That is why Christ had to heal the whole man, not only his spiritual part.

In order to put away all doubts about the necessity of a whole unity with Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ in his discourse of the Bread of Life says: "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up in the last day" (John 6:53-55). Thus the bodily resurrection is put in an inseparable connection with God-Man.

Later, in His parable of the grapevine, Christ explains to His disciples that it is in the close union with Him that man receives the essential strength for spiritual development and perfection: "As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing" (John 15:4-5).

Some Holy Fathers justly likened Holy Communion to the mystical tree of life from which our primogenitors ate in Eden (Gen. 2:9, 3:22), and now is being prepared in Heaven "for the healing of the nations" (Rev. 2:7 and 22:2). True it is that in Holy Communion a Christian is joined to the immortal life of Him who lives forever and ever (Rev. 4:9)!

Thus, the purpose of the incarnation of the Son of God lies in the spiritual and physical regeneration of man. Spiritual renewal is achieved during a whole Christian’s life. The renewal of his physical nature will be completed on the day of the general resurrection of the dead, when "the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father" (Matt. 13:43). Holy Communion does not diminish the importance of personal faith, feats or good works of a Christian. Without faith man cannot understand God and the way of spiritual life. Feats strengthen man’s will to goodness. Good deeds are the natural manifestation of man’s faith. They are fruits of sincere and whole faith. Faith, feats and good works mutually strengthen each other, but the regeneration of man is being done by God. Every Christian should truly understand this fact.

A modern Heterodox Christian lacks a distinguishing quality of the evangelical lost sheep: obedience to God and humility. Even when he sincerely desires salvation, he still wants to be saved in his own way, not in the way that Christ taught. He who in all sincerity strives for the regeneration will receive it from the "Tree of Life." And for him the Birth of Christ is not just an important event in the past, but a true miracle of communion of man and overflowing life of the incarnated God’s Son.

Being united with Christ in Holy Communion, we, through Him, are united with each other into one Church (Eph. 1:10) — this great heavenly and earthly family, this universal organization, this unapproachable rock, against which, as promised, all the wicked attacks of devilish forces will not prevail (Mat. 16:18)!