At Christmas we behold the mysterious birth of Christ in the privacy of a cave. The image of the helpless newborn babe emphasises the humanity of Christ and the selfemptying (kenosis) of the Godhead. This is well-expressed in the icon of the Nativity with its homely and pastoral scenes of the midwives preparing to bath the infant, the shepherds with their flocks in the fields and Jesus' fosterfather, Joseph, pensively confronting his doubts.

What saddens sincere Christians, and particularly the Orthodox is the way Christmas has been hijacked. It has been stolen and given an identity that makes it completely unrecognisable to the early followers of Jesus Christ. Christmas for many people is nothing more than an exhausting time of indulgence, consumption and spending.

Is infant baptism essential to wash away innate sin? Why was the incarnation of Christ and His crucifixion necessary?

An ultimatum was delivered demanding that Greece allow Italian troops to occupy the country (i.e., surrender) or Italy would declare war and invade Greece. The Greek Prime Minister, Metaxas, was given three hours to reply.

When his father died, Dimitrios was appointed by Emperor Maximian to take his place. Maximian was an opponent of Christ and charged Dimitrios to persecute and to kill the Christians in that city.