The feast newly known yet ancient

On the Christmas Day of our Savior Jesus Christ—a day still unknown at that time, but made known a few years earlier by some who came from the West and announced it. What patriarchs long ago labored to bring forth, what prophets foretold, what righteous people longed to see—these things have come to pass and reached their fulfillment today. God has appeared on earth in the flesh and lived among human beings (Baruch 3:38). So let us rejoice and be glad, beloved. If John, while still in his mother's womb, leaped when Mary entered Elizabeth's house (Luke 1:41), how much more should we—who have seen not Mary but our Savior Himself born today—leap and rejoice and marvel and be astonished at the greatness of the plan of salvation, which surpasses every thought. Consider how great a thing it is to see the sun come down from the heavens and run upon the earth, sending out its rays to all from here. If this happened with the visible light and it would have astounded everyone who saw it, then consider and reckon now how great a thing it is to see the Sun of Righteousness sending out His rays from our own flesh and illuminating our souls (Malachi 4:2). I have long desired to see this day—and not simply to see it, but to see it with so great a crowd. I prayed constantly that our theater would be filled for us just as you can see it filled now. This has come to pass and reached its fulfillment. And yet it is not yet ten years since this day became clear and known to us. But all the same, as if it had been handed down to us from the beginning and many years ago, so it has blossomed through your zeal. So no one would be wrong to call it both new and ancient at once: new because it has only recently been made known to us, but old and ancient because it quickly became coeval with the older feasts and reached the same measure of age as they have. Just as noble and well-bred plants—for they are placed in the ground and at once shoot up to a great height and are weighed down with fruit—so this feast, known from the beginning among those who dwell in the West but brought to us only now and not many years ago, has suddenly run up so high and borne so much fruit as you can see now: our precincts are filled, and the whole church is crowded with the multitude of those who have gathered. Expect, then, a worthy reward for such zeal from Christ, who was born today in the flesh. He will certainly repay you for this eagerness, for love and zeal for the day is the greatest sign of love for the One who was born. And if something should also be offered by us, your fellow-servants, we too will offer what we can—or rather, whatever God's grace grants to be said for your benefit. What then do you desire to hear today? What else but about this day? For I know well that many even now dispute with one another, some accusing and some defending, and there is much talk everywhere about this day: some charge that it is new and recent and has only now been introduced, while others defend it as old and ancient, since the prophets already foretold His birth, and from the beginning it has been clear and well known to those who dwell from Thrace to Gades.