The Episcopal/Anglican Church celebrates Christmas carols by candlelight

Archbishop: The Virgin Mary wrote the first hymn months before the birth of Christ

The Episcopal/ Anglican Church celebrated the Christmas carols by candlelight yesterday at the church’s headquarters in Zamalek while observing precautionary measures to avoid the Corona pandemic.

On his behalf, Dr. Mouneer Hanna, Archbishop of Province of Alexandria of the Episcopal/Anglican Church mentioned in a statement about the Church today, the most important characteristic of Christmas is the Christmas carols. He added: Everywhere we go we hear Christmas carols, in our home, in churches, and even in stores.

And he continued: One of these beautiful hymns is a very old hymn, which was sung a few months before the birth of Christ, and this means that it is a hymn that is more than 2000 years old, adding: It was the Virgin Mary, the mother of Christ, who sang this hymn. it came out of her mouth spontaneously. This happened while Mary was visiting her cousin Elizabeth. Mary sang: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. Luke 1: 46-47”

And the bishop continued: We may ask how Mary becomes happy while she is pregnant and she is a virgin? It is a shameful scandal in the eyes of society, and we all know that it was terrifying for Mary when the angel appeared to her and announced that she would be born with the Holy Spirit and give birth to a child named Jesus because he would save his people. And the angel said ^“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. Luke 1:32” and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end. Luke 1:33” Then Mary said to the angel, ” How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”³⁵ The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God Luke 1: 34-35”

Hanna added: If you are in Mary’s place, I will tell the angel: Please go and tell the village. Tell them that God is the one who did that to me. Otherwise, people may think that I am an adulterer. However, Mary did not say this. Instead, she said, “I am the servant of the Lord! Let it be mine as you say.

Hanna confirmed that the Virgin Mary was anxious and confused, which prompted her to go to her elderly cousin, Elizabeth, to hide in her home. But surprisingly, she found Elizabeth, this old lady, pregnant, just as the angel had told her.

And the bishop went on: Not only that, but Elizabeth said to Mary in a loud voice: “Blessed are you among the women, and blessed is the fruit of your belly! She carries in her womb Christ, the Savior of all nations, that was the reason for her joy, and that was the reason for her beautiful hymn.