The Circumcision of the Lord

The Lawgiver fulfils the Law

The All-holy Mary spent forty days in the cave of Bethlehem with the divine Child and Joseph; from the very first moments the Theotokos began her service of her Son and God.

On the eighth day after the birth, according to the law of Moses, the rite of circumcision was performed on the divine Child and, as had been announced by God, He was given the name Jesus. Jesus means Saviour, that is, Redeemer. Any Hebrew might perform this rite, but precedence was given to the head of the family. The rite took its beginning from Abraham and was afterwards confirmed by the law received on Mount Sinai; the Lord threatened even Moses himself with death if he did not perform this rite on his son.

In the Old Testament this holy custom was the sign of the covenant made between the Lord and the descendants of Abraham, and it was a prefiguring of the Christian Mystery of holy Baptism. Circumcision was the distinguishing mark of the people chosen by God and was held to be necessary in the community of Israel, just as baptism is necessary for one who wishes to become a Christian; like Baptism, circumcision signifies the mortification of the passions, true obedience, and the beginning of a new life with the Lord.

The Son of God, the Saviour of the human race, had no need of circumcision, but He received it according to the law in order to teach His followers obedience to the ordinances of the Church. The Creator and Lord took the form of a servant, to deliver what He had created from bondage to evil and death.

The Lord and King of all submits to circumcision and, being good, cuts away the errors of men, and grants salvation to the world today: glory to Thy mercy, O only Lover of mankind.