In this first meditation for the Nativity Fast, Rev. Fr. Dr. Timothy (Tenny) Thomas reflects on Isaiah 9:2—“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” The Church places before us two radiant figures: the Virgin Mary and St. Elizabeth, each preparing in hidden, miraculous ways to receive God. One conceives beyond nature, the other beyond hope, revealing that when God enters the story, the impossible becomes the beginning of glory.

Father Tenny invites us to see fasting not merely as a change in diet, but as the preparation of the heart’s inner chamber—the spiritual womb where Christ desires to dwell. What in us feels barren or impossible to renew? Where have we stopped expecting life? In this season, God gently asks us to make room for Him, so that He may bring forth something new.

A blessed Nativity Fast to all.

Reflecting on Isaiah 7:14—“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel”—this meditation invites us to consider the long silence between God’s promise and its fulfillment. Centuries passed, kingdoms rose and fell, yet the Word of God did not fade. As the Fathers teach, God’s promises do not age like dust, but mature like wine, deepening with time.

In this reflection, Rev. Fr. Dr. Timothy (Tenny) Thomas reminds us that God’s timing is not absence, and delay is not denial. The Virgin Mary’s womb became the meeting place of all waiting and all faith, revealing that what seems delayed is often being prepared in mystery.

As we journey through the Nativity Fast, we are called to learn this quiet strength: to trust in the dark, to hold God’s word gently and steadily, and to allow His promises to ripen within us. Choose one promise—peace, mercy, or guidance—and let it become fuel for the heart, steadying us as we await Emmanuel, God with us.

Reflecting on St. Luke 1:38—“Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word”—this meditation draws us into the holy moment when heaven waited for a human response. Before the mystery of the Incarnation unfolded, God, who spoke the galaxies into being, stood before the freedom of a young virgin and asked for her consent.

Mary’s “yes” came without guarantees, clarity, or assurance of safety. It was faith offered without conditions. As the Syrian Fathers teach, through one woman’s willing obedience, the Savior entered the world, and divine life crossed the threshold into human history.

Rev. Fr. Dr. Timothy (Tenny) Thomas invites us to recognize how God works in the same way within us. Grace is never forced; it is always invited. Each quiet “yes”—whether bold or trembling—creates space for Christ to dwell more deeply in the heart. Small acts of obedience, patience, forgiveness, and truth spoken gently carry eternal weight in God’s hands.

During the Nativity Fast, we are called to notice those sacred moments when heaven leans close and waits. Choose one obedience you have postponed, and say yes—not because you understand everything, but because you trust Him. For every faithful “yes” allows Christ to be born again in the hidden places of the heart.