Redeeming The Time

On December 25, perhaps half of the Orthodox world celebrates the Nativity of our Lord, and we others remember St Herman and St Spyridon. The Gospel spoken about today may not appear to be about Christmas, but it is, because we celebrate the implications of the Nativity (every day, in every service) more than the event itself. Because of the Nativity, we can become saints. We need faith to be saints, and indeed, to live the Christian life even a tiny bit. It is natural for us to therefore echo the words of the Apostles: "Increase (be increasing) our faith" We need to read Scripture in context to fully glean its meaning. The order in which stories are presented is sometimes very important. The way Jesus answers questions of very important; He never answers *just* the question. We have an example here of both things: sandwiched around the request of the Apostles is His teaching on forgiveness, and humility. We have the answer! This is how to increase our faith! We must "take heed to ourselves" and forgive, and