What’s in a greeting? More than you think!

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by Presbytera Iryna Galadza
St. Elias Church, Brampton, ON


As Christians, we have inherited a tradition ofgreeting each other with seasonal greetings that express a theological truthand that bring faith into our daily lives.  Glory to Jesus Christ – Glory Forever; Christ is among us –He is and will be; Christ is Risen – Truly He is Risen; and during thisNativity Season, Christ is Born – Glorify Him!  Fortunately, these greetings are so well known that eventhose who don’t speak Ukrainian have mastered Slava Isusu Khrystu – Slava naViky, Krystos Voskres – Voistynu Voskres and now you hear over and over again, KrystosNarodyvsia – or is it Krystos Rozhdayetsia?  In the last decade or so, the contemporary term narodyvsia came into popular usage, replacing themore traditional Old Slavonic razhdayetsia. Unfortunately, this attempt to make the term more understandable haschanged the theological meaning of the Nativity greeting from Christ is Born, to Christ was Born.  This is not aninsignificant detail. The celebration of the Nativity of Our Lord and SaviorJesus Christ is not simply the remembrance of a historical event, but moresignificantly the celebration of the present reality: that today in Christ’s birth God has united heavenwith earth; that todayin Christ’s birth a new creation is born; that today in Christ’s birth, the firstborn son ofan eternally new humanity is revealed; that today in Christ’s birth, we ourselves are bornanew in him as he extends his divine life to us, His church, and that He is, Owonder of wonders, in a sense, born in us!  The forty days of fasting and preparation for theFeast is focused on repentance, emptying ourselves of the passions that plagueus and making room for Christ in our lives.  The prayers, the gospel readings in the Sundays before theNativity, the almsgiving and all our ascetical efforts are a preparation for renewingour participation in the new reality that the birth of Christ has brought intoour humanity and into our world today! Indeed the whole world, believers and non-believers alike, seem caughtup in the good will and generosity that prevail during the Christmas season.For today, we celebrate in His birth that all things are indeed made incrediblynew!  In the newest edition of Christ Our Pascha, the Catechism of the Ukrainian CatholicChurch, on p. 309, there is a list of Christian greetings, among them,  ХриÑ�тоÑ� РождаєтьÑ�Ñ� - Славітe Його! (KhrystosRоzhdayetsia – Slavite Yoho)  This is the translationthat the head of our Church, Patriarch Sviatoslav, has mandated for use in allcatechetical materials and the one to be taught to our children.
Throughout this Festal Nativity Season, whichextends for 40 days from December 25/January 7 to February 2/15 greet eachother with joy, proclaiming the true meaning of the Feast, that Christ is Born – Glorify Him!  Khrystos Rоzhdayetsia – Slavite Yoho!