Sunday of the Holy Fathers

The Sunday before the Nativity of Christ is called the “Sunday of the Fathers.” The “Fathers” are all those participants of the Old Testament narratives who were ancestors of Jesus according to the flesh. Therefore, the genealogy of Jesus Christ is read at the Liturgy. It begins with Abraham and ends with Joseph.

 

This is not a literal but a symbolic narrative. Some members of the genealogy are omitted, others are as if rearranged. The Evangelist does this deliberately in order to convey theological meanings. Many of these meanings have been revealed by the interpreters, while some will remain inaccessible until the end of history.

 

The genealogy of Jesus ends with Joseph. From the point of view of the Law, Joseph was the father of Jesus. He cared for Him, fed Him and gave Him drink; Joseph raised Him and gave Him an education. Soon after His birth, Joseph saved Jesus’ life when he fled with Mary and the infant to Egypt.

 

The genealogy of Jesus transitions into the account of His birth. From this account we learn that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. This is stated in the Gospel text and is a dogma of the Orthodox faith. The genealogy is not a dogmatic narrative; it conveys the perspective of the Law. Thus a special dialectic is formed between Law and faith.

 

On the Sunday of the Holy Fathers, liturgical texts commemorate the righteous of the Old Testament. Thus, the troparion of the day is dedicated to the Prophet Daniel and the three holy youths in the fiery furnace of Babylon. But the intention of this day, expressed in the Gospel reading, is much broader than a mere remembrance of the saints. For among the ancestors of Jesus there were great sinners. This is extremely important, because Jesus is the Messiah and He came to call all to Himself. God does not despise anyone, does not disdain anyone, is not afraid of anyone, and forgets no one.

 

Among the ancestors of Jesus mentioned in the genealogy is King Manasseh. He openly served idols, he placed idols in the Temple of God; it was he who, according to tradition, sawed the Prophet Isaiah in two with a saw. This is terrible, and although another tradition says that in the end of his days Manasseh repented and God accepted his repentance, this does not change the great fact that, with all the depth of human apostasy, Jesus the Lord, through this genealogy, in His “redemptive fearlessness,” became one with humanity.

 

The genealogy of Jesus begins with Abraham, continues with the patriarchs, and then passes to the kings. For a long time it was very glorious, but in the end this genealogy completely fades away. It gradually passed to Joseph, a simple Palestinian carpenter. Thus the glorious royal dynasty of David weakened and became entirely impoverished. The genealogy of Jesus is a great example of humility. “My Humble God” is how Symeon the New Theologian (949–1022), the greatest Orthodox prophetic Father of the Church, called Jesus Christ. Thus we learn that humility is not a moral directive “invented” by the Church or by priests, but a real and life-giving divine quality, carrying within itself a profound spiritual lesson. Where humility reaches its apex, there God is revealed.