Incarnation Fast 1 (Eastern): The Nativity Fast and Its Mysteries
The Spiritual Mysteries of the Divine Calendar: The Nativity Fast and Its Mysteries ~ November 16–22, 2025 ~ We have completed the first Season of Salvation in the Divine Calendar, and with the essential spiritual principle of How Faith Touches the Heart of Jesus—explored at the conclusion of the Season of the Kingdom of God—we now enter the second Season: the Season of the Incarnation. The first phase of this new Season is the Nativity Fast.
If you attend an Eastern Old Calendar parish, this week would correspond to Week 9 in the Season of the Kingdom of God. The post The Demon-Possessed Man — Restoration and Mission aligns with your current place in the Divine Calendar, even though it follows the Gospel reading for the New Calendar.
The Season of the Incarnation consists of two parts: the Fast (six weeks) and the Feasts (four to five weeks). November 15 / November 28 (Old Calendar) marks the beginning of the forty-day Nativity Fast (also called the Incarnation Fast or St. Phillip’s Fast) leading up to Christmas. We will speak more about the fast below, but first let us consider what we mean by Incarnation.
Why is the Incarnation a part of our salvation?
What is the Incarnation?God made man in “His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Gen. 1:27, NKJV).
When humanity fell into sin (Gen. 3:6–7), the image of God in man shattered. The Spirit of God lifted—severing our continual communion with Him—and sin entered human nature. Not only did the Spirit lift from man, but the union that existed between Heaven and Earth in Eden was torn.
God had given man “the garden of Eden to tend and keep it” (Gen. 2:15), yet through the Fall we lost the ability to fulfill this commission. That is why we read that, “in the dispensation of the fullness of the times [God will] gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him” (Eph. 1:10).
After Jesus’ Second Coming, God will create “a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away” (Rev. 21:1). God had called Adam and Eve to extend the union between Heaven and Earth from the Garden outward, until it encompassed the whole world. The Fall paused this plan—until Jesus, as the Son of Man and Son of God, resumed it at His First Coming through His Incarnation.
This is the broad sweep of God’s redemption of creation. But what about the crown of creation—mankind?
Restoring the Fallen Image
After the Fall of Man, the Spirit of God no longer filled our being or sustained our nature. Sin enslaved our mind, will, and emotions. In our brokenness, we turned to the physical creation in a futile attempt to satisfy ourselves and “fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another” (Gal. 5:16b–17a). The tragic culmination of this endless and vain pursuit is death, “for the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23a).
Yet God, in His mercy and love, did not abandon His creation. But how could He save us from sin and death?
Atoning for our sin and clearing our guilt would only be the first step. The Fall shattered the very image of God within us, and that was the root of the problem. How would God restore the glorious image in man? For He had made us “a little lower than the angels, and [had] crowned [us] with glory and honor” (Ps. 8:5).
God had to enter our creation as Adam before he fell. Jesus had to sever our fallen genealogy—where the poison of sin passes from generation to generation—and inaugurate a new lineage for humanity. A new creation. His mission was not only to atone for the sins of the world—majestic as that is—but also to recreate mankind and restore the fallen image.
The Image of God
Jesus entered creation as “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (Col. 1:15), “the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person” (Heb. 1:3).
But what is the image of God? It encompasses every part of the human being—our spirit, our consciousness, our nature, and our free existence—reflecting God’s own attributes. Yet we can go further and ask: Who is the image of God? The image of God is Jesus Christ. He is our Prototype. He is the mold in which God formed Adam. Jesus Christ is the ultimate expression of what it means to be human.
With this understanding, we can approach Colossians 1:15–18 with fresh eyes:
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.”
The Defeat of the Serpent
We read in 1 John 3:8: “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
Immediately after the Fall, God declared to Satan: “Because you have done this […] I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head” (Gen. 3:14–15). The “Seed” of the woman—Christ Himself—would crush the serpent’s head.
The miraculous birth of Jesus Christ from the Virgin Mary is the heart of this entire Season of Salvation. The prophet Isaiah foretold it: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14). And the prophet Micah echoes this mystery: “Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth” (Micah 5:3).
These six weeks of fasting prepares our soul for this divine event—the birth of Jesus Christ. The following weeks of feasting then help us unfold and experience the grace that enters our spirits through His Incarnation.
The New Creation
When Virgin Mary “brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger” (Luke 2:7), God granted humanity a new beginning. Jesus bore the likeness of Adam before the Fall, yet—as One who is fully God and fully man, perfectly united without confusion or division—He would never sin in deed, word, or thought.
What is the difference between Adam and Jesus? God created Adam, while Jesus is the uncreated God who entered the world as a man—a human like you and me. Adam fell into sin, but Jesus never did.
You could knock on Jesus’ door, and the warm, joyful presence of a true human would welcome you—two eyes, two ears, a nose, and a smile. Heart to heart, you could speak with God Himself, the One who formed you. How astonishing …
Because Jesus was born of an earthly mother but had a heavenly Father, He severed the sin-carrying lineage passed down from Adam through every generation. Scripture calls Him “the last Adam,” or the second Adam—“a life-giving spirit” (1 Cor. 15:45). And through Him, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17).
Photo by Christian Ruehmer on Unsplash
Our Salvation: “It Is Finished!”Where does our salvation begin? At the empty tomb of Christ’s Resurrection? At the Cross, when Jesus declared, “It is finished!” (John 19:30)?
What, exactly, was finished?
Jesus “bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed” (1 Pet. 2:24). He completed the atonement for our sins and granted us peace, just as the prophet Isaiah foretold: “The chastisement for our peace was upon Him” (Isa. 53:5). But this was not the only unimaginable work Jesus accomplished on our behalf.
The Apostle Paul writes about a second, profound mystery: “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace” (Eph. 2:14–15).
Creating the New Man
On the Cross, Jesus completed the work of bringing forth a new humanity in Himself. “Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new’” (Rev. 21:5). Just as God finished the first creation on the sixth day—“Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished” (Gen. 2:1)—so Jesus declared on the Cross, “It is finished!” (John 19:30) on a Friday, the sixth day of the week.
The Apostle Paul writes: “Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:16–17).
When Jesus was laid in the tomb, He was placed—figuratively and prophetically—into the earth. “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matt. 12:40).
And just as “the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Gen 2:7), so Christ rose from the tomb as “the last Adam.” But whereas “‘the first man Adam became a living being.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit” (1 Cor. 15:45).
Partakers of the Divine Nature
So where does our salvation begin? It begins with the Incarnation of Jesus Christ.
His work of salvation is not limited to His death and resurrection. Every single day of His life, Jesus lived on our behalf.
He was born as a baby for us—to give us His innocence. He was presented in the Temple as a forty-day-old child for us—to dedicate us to God, His Father. Jesus lived as a boy for us—to give us His godly youth. The Messiah was baptized in the Jordan for us—to fully identify with sinners and bear our burdens. He fasted in the wilderness for us—to give us His victory over temptation.
And in this manner, Jesus lived His life. He encountered people and performed miracles—to impart the grace of the Prototype of humanity, the Second Adam, the Image of God, and to restore our lost inheritance of creation. Finally, He died and rose again for us—to atone for our sins and grant us His eternal life.
Everything Jesus did, every single day, was for our salvation, that we might receive His divine-human nature. As the Apostle Peter writes: “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature …” (2 Pet. 1:3–4).
God Took Flesh
Jesus entered our world through His Incarnation—God took flesh—to wear our human nature, cleanse it from the Fall, and return it back to us as the new man: the Image of God restored.
This is the essence of our salvation. The Divine Calendar is an annual journey that guides us to receive the grace of this new humanity from every day of Jesus’s life. The seasons of His life now become the spiritual Seasons of Salvation we traverse, allowing us to partake in His divine-human nature and grow to be more like Him.
The Incarnation is not limited to Jesus’ birth alone, but encompasses His entire life in flesh and blood among us. It began at the miraculous conception, was unveiled at His birth on Christmas, and was fulfilled in His Ascension when Jesus returned to His Heavenly Father.
Let us now turn to the Nativity Fast.
Photo by Mateus Campos Felipe on Unsplash
What Is Fasting?Let us begin with a practical introduction to fasting.
You do not have to fast to follow the journey through the Divine Calendar. However, if you have never tried fasting before, this may be a good opportunity to experience some of the spiritual mysteries behind the practice. When we reach Great Lent in February/March, we will go even deeper, as Lent is the principal fast in the Divine Calendar.
Before the three richest seasons of grace—the Seasons of Salvation drawn from the life of Jesus—the Church Fathers established periods of fasting to prepare our souls for the grace the Holy Spirit desires to give us during the major feasts, especially Nativity, Easter, and Pentecost.
I. Fasting the Nativity Fast
Jesus said, “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites” (Matt. 6:16). Jesus didn’t say if you fast, but when. Fasting has a long tradition in all parts of Christianity.
Fasting does not earn us anything, nor does it prove our worthiness before God to receive His grace. As the Apostle Paul writes: “He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. […] Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s” (Rom. 14:6, 8b).
Fasting will not impress God. Rather, it constricts our fallen human nature and frees our spirit to more readily receive the impressions and grace of the Holy Spirit. Fasting helps us focus and attune ourselves to His work, allowing the grace the Holy Spirit brings from Jesus’ life to enter our souls and “a noble and good heart” (Luke 8:15).
Traditional View of Fasting
Many people think of fasting simply as abstaining from food or drink for some days. However, the traditional approach to fasting is a fasting lifestyle—a deliberate period of abstaining from certain foods, such as meat and dairy.
Even a vegan diet three times a day can be a form of fasting. Although we still eat, we consciously restrain the instincts of our fallen human nature by not eating as we normally would. This voluntary restriction, even after just a few days, cultivates spiritual vigilance, as if we had gone without food entirely for a day or two.
If you already have experience with fasting, or maintain a fasting lifestyle, you may simply increase your practice slightly during these forty days. If you consider yourself a beginner, you might postpone your first meal until 10 a.m., depending on how God’s grace sustains you. Those who have been fasting regularly for over five years might extend the fast until noon or even 3 p.m. on some weekdays.
The fasting diet is maintained during the weekend, but meals are not postponed on Saturdays and Sundays. So, if you eat breakfast at 10 a.m. from Monday through Friday, you would eat at your usual time on the weekend.
The primary reason for reducing the fast on weekends is to celebrate the grace of the Resurrection on Sunday and to provide a pause in the fasting rhythm. Each Monday then becomes a fresh start—a renewed offering of sacrifice through fasting. This pattern prevents fasting from becoming habitual or stagnant.
The goal of fasting is not to impress God or ourselves, but to practice restriction, emptying, and repentance, thus welcoming the Holy Spirit: “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said …” (Acts 13:2a)
Balanced Fasting
Fasting is like tightening a spiritual belt around our waist that contains new tools to remain spiritually alert.
Fasting allows us to receive the grace of the feast differently—not because God rewards our fasting, but because it prepares our souls to receive the grace that is already present during this Fast. God offers the same grace whether or not we fast, but our capacity to receive it increases through the discipline of fasting.
Does that mean we lose out if we do not fast? Not necessarily. God is God—He can overcome our fallen human nature regardless. Yet, as Scripture says: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matt. 5:6) and “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6).
A word of caution for every eager soul: never fast beyond what grace allows. If we push ourselves—meaning, when fasting is driven by pride or a desire to impress ourselves—fasting can have the opposite effect.
Unbalanced fasting can block our spirit rather than free it, because the power of the flesh—our ego—takes over and drives exaggerated fasting, fueling pride instead of opening our soul to the Holy Spirit, who inspires humility and contrition.
II. Prayer During the Nativity Fast
Fasting frees up time for nourishing our inner man through prayer and the reading of Scripture. When we fast, it is beneficial to replace our meal with prayer, allowing that time to become spiritually fruitful. Using passages of Scripture as a starting point for prayer is especially helpful. This combination of prayer and the Word of God focuses our mind and spirit, awakens prophetic inspiration, and strengthens our inner man.
III. Bible Reading During the Nativity Fast
When fasting, it is beneficial to gently increase our daily Bible reading so we may fill ourselves with the Word of God—just as the Virgin Mary sings in her praise: “He has filled the hungry with good things” (Luke 1:53), and Jesus while He fasted in the Wilderness: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’” (Matt. 4:4).
During the Nativity Fast, it is traditional to read through the entire New Testament. If that feels daunting, consider creating a forty-day reading plan—and simply give it an honest try.
IV. Charity While the Nativity Fast
Isaiah 58 teaches us that the fasting that pleases the Lord is expressed outwardly through righteousness and love toward our neighbor. Selfless acts—giving our time, energy, abilities, and resources to help others—support our own battle against the old human nature within us. These works of mercy and love put to death our ego and allow the love of Christ to shine into the world.
V. The Nativity Fast and Silence
Silence is more than simply refraining from speech. Although we still need to communicate, we can choose to limit unnecessary conversations and reduce time spent on media so that our hearts become more sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
If we have the time and opportunity, setting aside moments in a quiet, private space for literal silence can draw us into deep, interior, and wordless prayer.
VI. The Nativity Fast and Repentance
Last but not least, all the spiritual practices mentioned above stir the Holy Spirit to lead us into deep repentance—and repentance is actually more important than fasting. Repentance is our strongest weapon in the battle against our fallen human nature because it is an act of humility. Also, “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
How can we do this? At the end of each day, we can draw inspiration from an old monastic practice to “settle accounts” (Matt. 25:19). Before going to sleep, we may spend a few minutes asking the Holy Spirit to reveal anything that occurred during the day that grieved “the Holy Spirit of God” (Eph. 4:30). We do not need to painstakingly dissect every event, but simply be still and invite the Spirit to show any sins in deed, word, or thought.
If nothing immediately comes to mind—and often we can sense if something specific need attention even before we begin praying—we can reflect on the Two Great Commandments (Matt. 22:36–39). We examine how we may have failed to love God with all our being and our neighbor as ourselves. Often, beginning with these commandments brings to light other events we can confess before the Lord.
When we feel there is nothing more to confess, we thank Jesus for the forgiveness granted through His sacrifice. We then ask the Holy Spirit for the grace to fill us and help us avoid repeating the same sins. Finally, we try to find a Scripture that speaks to what we have confessed and pray it, declaring God’s truth over ourselves and the situations.
Fasting and Repentance Summary
To summarize this daily practice of settling accounts:
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal anything we did or neglected to do that grieved Him.Confess our sins before Jesus and receive His forgiveness.Ask for the grace of the Holy Spirit to enable us to walk in righteousness and holiness.Seal the healing that accompanies confession by praying a relevant Scripture passage over our lives.VII. Conclusion
When we do our best to follow the principles of fasting described above, we quickly enter the blessing the prophet Isaiah speaks of: “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones’” (Isa. 57:15).
These six pillars—fasting, prayer, Bible reading, charity, silence, and repentance—help us grow profoundly and prepare our souls to receive the blessing of the feasting season that follows.
Photo by Florian Giorgio on Unsplash
Sunday Gospel for the Nativity Fast and Its Mysteries: Luke 10:25–37 (NKJV)And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” 27 So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” 29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.
34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ 36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”
37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Realizing Our Incapability During the Nativity Fast
The first Sunday Gospel of the Season of the Incarnation Fast (the Nativity Fast) is Jesus’ well-known story of the Good Samaritan. A lawyer approached Jesus, asking what he must do to inherit eternal life.
Notice that the “lawyer stood up and tested Him,” seeking to see if he “might entangle Him in His talk” (Matt. 22:15), much like the Pharisees had tried repeatedly. Being a lawyer, he would have been familiar with Deuteronomy 30:20: “That you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days.”
The lawyer demonstrated knowledge of the Scriptures, citing Deuteronomy 6:5: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” He also referenced Leviticus 19:18: “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”
Yet in Luke 10:28–29, we read: “And He [Jesus] said to him, ‘You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.’ But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” The lawyer recognized that he could not fully keep these commandments, so he sought to justify his incapability by asking the Teacher, Christ: “And who is my neighbor?”
The Symbolism
Jesus tells the familiar story of the Good Samaritan. The man attacked and robbed by thieves represents mankind, while the Good Samaritan symbolizes Jesus Himself.
We read in Luke 10:30: “Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.”
Jerusalem symbolizes God’s dwelling, the human heart, and the Garden of Eden. The man’s journey down from Jerusalem represents the fall of humanity into sin. The thieves, representing Satan and his evil forces, stripped the man naked. Adam lost the Spirit of God that covered him, and with it, his dignity—left naked in shame. The wounds inflicted by the thieves symbolize the bleeding consequences of sin, which lead to death.
But the Good Samaritan—the Incarnate Jesus Christ—“went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him” (Luke 10:34). This illustrates Christ’s mission in our world. The Good Samaritan even paid for all the expenses necessary for the man’s recovery.
The Apostle Peter further explains how Jesus redeemed us: “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1 Pet. 1:18–19)
Him Who Showed Mercy
The Sunday Gospel concludes with Jesus asking the lawyer who fulfilled the great commandment of loving one’s neighbor as oneself. Was it the Samaritan, the priest, or the Levite? (Both the priest and Levite failed to help the wounded man.)
In Luke 10:37, we read: “And he said, ‘He who showed mercy on him.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’” Jesus stops the story here.
How did the lawyer feel, hearing this? If he had tried to justify himself for not loving his neighbor, how could he respond when Jesus commanded him to do precisely that? He likely felt incapable—unable to summon the strength, courage, mercy, or love within himself to obey.
We now enter the Nativity Fast to prepare ourselves to receive the seed of Christ’s divine-human nature. These six weeks offer grace that gives the very strength, courage, mercy, and love that Jesus exemplified in the Good Samaritan. If we feel our own incapacity, this Season of Salvation is precisely the time to receive His grace.
In the previous Season of the Kingdom of God, the Holy Spirit revealed areas in our lives where Christ’s Lordship was absent. During the Nativity Fast, the Spirit continues this work, preparing a space within us for the divine seed of Christ’s humanity.
Let us be encouraged. If we feel, like the lawyer, unable to reflect Christ, this is the Season to receive the very grace of His humanity. In time, we too will grow to be more like Him who showed mercy.
Concluding the Nativity Fast and Its MysteriesThank you for journeying with me through the Seasons of Salvation. May these next six weeks make this Nativity season truly special for you as we seek to be more prepared for His coming.
Also, on November 21 (December 4 on the Old Calendar) we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary in the Temple. This feast is closely connected to this Season, and I trust you will be blessed if you take the time to explore it.
Please leave a comment below—we’d love to hear your thoughts. If you found this post helpful, feel free to share it using the buttons at the top of the page.
Join the Journey Through the Seasons of SalvationJoin us on this weekly journey through the Seasons of Salvation as we walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ through the key seasons of His life.
Sign up to receive this year’s Divine Calendar, which introduces the Seasons of Salvation and guides you through the journey ahead. As a welcome gift, you’ll also receive my young adult novel, The Legend of the Divine Calendar, delivered straight to your inbox.
Visit the Seasons of Salvation blog for insights into the coming week, posted every Saturday. We’d be honored to have you join us.
Save Your Prayer Card on Your Smartphone
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
The post Incarnation Fast 1 (Eastern): The Nativity Fast and Its Mysteries first appeared on Father Elisha: Let me take you on an intriguing journey..
