When man’s hope had broken down, hope was increased by Thy Birth

Ephrem the Syrian

When man’s hope had broken down, hope was increased by Thy Birth.

—Good tidings of hope they bore, the Heavenly Ones to men.

—Satan who cut off our hope, his own hope by his own hands had cut off.

—when he saw that hope was increased: Thy Birth became to the hopeless,

—a fountain teaming with hope.

Blessed be He Who bore the tidings of hope!

[…] Thy day has given us a gift, to which the Father has none other like;

A Homily on the Nativity

As a Christmas gift to our listeners, the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies (IOCS) presents a reading of "A Homily on the Nativity" from the book Harp of the Spirit: Poems of St. Ephrem the Syrian, translated by Sebastian Brock and published by IOCS.

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The Days of Christmas

St. Ephrem the Syrian

The first year of our Redeemer’s birth

is the source of blessings and foundation of life.

For by it are borne a multitude of victories

and the sum of helps.

As the first day “in the beginning”

the great pillar of the creation

bears the building of the creation,

so the first-born day bears the help for humanity.

Blessed is Your birth that makes all Creation glad!

Ephrem the Syrian, Paschal hymn