Fr. Micah begins his sermon today with a Greek saying which says, “Life without festivals is like a journey without an end.” As humans, we are created to celebrate, and our Orthodox calendar is filled with celebrations.
Fr. Micah points out the significance of Christ’s first miracle — transforming water into wine at a wedding banquet — which reminds us that we were created to rejoice in the goodness given to us from our Lord. The very image that the Scriptures give us of the Kingdom of God is a wedding banquet, a feast.
Today, on the eight day of the Ecclesiastical New Year, we celebrate the first feast, the birth of the Theotokos, the Mother of God. She is the living temple, the fulfillment of the Old Testament temple. All creation was awaiting the day in which the gate would be built through which the King might enter into his kingdom. Today is that day.
Fr. Micah reminds us how beautiful each feast of the Church is, including this one, and challenges us to more fully live this life of festivals through fasting, attending church, and even dancing. Through fasting and feasting, we can live the celebratory life we were created for.