As we approach the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord, Holy Church prepares us through the Sunday of the Forefathers, calling us to reflect on faith, obedience, and readiness for Christ’s coming.

In this homily, we hear the Gospel parable of the Great Banquet, where those first invited make excuses — business, property, family — and refuse to come. The feast is then opened to the poor, the blind, the lame, and those beyond the city. The Church Fathers interpret this banquet as the Eucharistic feast of Christ Himself, the sacrificed Lamb offered for the life of the world.

Through the examples of Abraham, Moses, David, the prophets, and the righteous of every age, we are reminded that faith is not passive. Like the forefathers, we are called to hear the Word, trust it, and act upon it — even when it demands sacrifice.

St. Paul exhorts us to put off the old man and enter into spiritual warfare, casting aside the passions that bind us to this world and distract us from God. The preparation for Christmas is not merely external — it is a renewal of the heart.

🔔 Are we truly ready when Christ calls?
🔔 Are we present in body, but absent in mind?
🔔 Will we respond with faith — or excuses?

May this homily help us prepare worthily for the coming Feast and for the eternal banquet of Christ’s Kingdom.

✝️ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

0:00 – Opening Prayer & Doxology
0:28 – The Sunday of the Forefathers Explained
1:08 – Christ Promised from the Beginning
1:34 – Preparing for the Coming Feast
1:59 – The Parable of the Great Banquet
2:23 – Those Who Made Excuses
2:36 – The Invitation to the Poor & Outcasts
3:09 – Who Will Taste the Banquet?
3:27 – A Warning to the Confident
3:40 – Peter, the Disciples, and Human Weakness
4:21 – Christ’s Sacrifice as the True Banquet
4:36 – The Church Fathers’ Interpretation
4:59 – Are We Truly Responding?
5:27 – Distractions of the Modern World
5:37 – Putting Off the Old Man (St. Paul)
6:01 – Spiritual Warfare Begins
6:34 – Final Exhortation & Prayer

For more please visit https://www.youtube.com/@st.johnchrysostombyzantine2197 & say 3 Hail Marys for the priest

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