Excerpt from St. Athanasios the Great's "On the Incarnation"

The Nativity of Christ (source)

  
"For this purpose, then, the incorporeal and incorruptible and immaterial Word of God entered our world. In one sense, indeed, He was not far from it before, for no part of creation had ever been without Him Who, while ever abiding in union with the Father, yet fills all things that are. But now He entered the world in a new way, stooping to our level in His love and Self-revealing to us. He saw the reasonable race, the race of men that, like Himself, expressed the Father's Mind, wasting out of existence, and death reigning over all in corruption. He saw that corruption held us all the closer, because it was the penalty for the Transgression; He saw, too, how unthinkable it would be for the law to be repealed before it was fulfilled. He saw how unseemly it was that the very things of which He Himself was the Artificer should be disappearing. He saw how the surpassing wickedness of men was mounting up against them; He saw also their universal liability to death.

"All this He saw and, pitying our race, moved with compassion for our limitation, unable to endure that death should have the mastery, rather than that His creatures should perish and the work of His Father for us men come to nought, He took to Himself a body, a human body even as our own. Nor did He will merely to become embodied or merely to appear; had that been so, He could have revealed His divine majesty in some other and better way. No, He took our body, and not only so, but He took it directly from a spotless, stainless virgin, without the agency of human father—a pure body, untainted by intercourse with man. He, the Mighty One, the Artificer of all, Himself prepared this body in the virgin as a temple for Himself, and took it for His very own, as the instrument through which He was known and in which He dwelt.

"Thus, taking a body like our own, because all our bodies were liable to the corruption of death, He surrendered His body to death instead of all, and offered it to the Father. This He did out of sheer love for us, so that in His death all might die, and the law of death thereby be abolished because, having fulfilled in His body that for which it was appointed, it was thereafter voided of its power for men. This He did that He might turn again to incorruption men who had turned back to corruption, and make them alive through death by the appropriation of His body and by the grace of His resurrection. Thus He would make death to disappear from them as utterly as straw from fire."
-St. Athanasios the Great, excerpt from "On the Incarnation"
(source)
  

The Resurrection of Christ (source)

  

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

St. Athanasius the Great: "Everything about is marvelous..."

Christ creating the birds and fish (source)

  
For, indeed, everything about is marvelous, and wherever a man turns his gaze he sees the Godhead of the Word and is smitten with awe.
-St. Athanasios the Great
  
(source)
  

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

Excerpt from the homily on St. Andrew the First-called Apostle by St. Athanasios the Great

St. Andrew the First-called Apostle (http://pravicon.com/images/sv/s0186/s0186015.jpg)

  
Excerpt from the homily on St. Andrew the First-called Apostle by St. Athanasios the Great (amateur translation)

Beholding this radiant sending-out of the Spirit, and the noblest and apostolic fisherman bringing to the true and waveless sea of the harbor, I bring to mind the Master's voice which cries out: “Come and follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” O powerful voice! O words known through actions! O the true promise that is increased daily! What, therefore, is this gate for many men? What is this gathering for this famed feast, as is seen for the famed apostle Andrew? One speaks and brings to mind his memory as bait, that they might sail this great ship with the apostolic rudder, guiding the vessel towards heaven. And which do we pursue first? Which of his honors is greatest? That of his holiness with which he is arrayed in the splendor of virtues? That of his first apostolic upraised arms, which have led those outside in error towards salvation? But as for this coming feast, this great Andrew has given the answers, and all of the honored apostolic choir. For grace has gathered them together to the same place. And this is like the perfect arrangement of stones that befits a royal crown, where if a part of it brings praise, the whole is praised together. Or it is like a golden chain, in which any part honors the whole. Thus it is to speak of one of the apostles, which is a continuation of the godly voice of Paul: “If one portion rejoices, all parts rejoice.” For among what members has nature bestowed such harmony as the grace of the Spirit has upon the choir of the apostles? For there is one grace in truth of the apostles, who are called the army of the Master.

(http://syndesmosklchi.blogspot.com/2011/11/blog-post_29.html#more)

St. Peter and St. Andrew, Apostles of Christ, and Brothers according to the flesh and spirit (http://pravicon.com/images/sv/s0186/s0186017.jpg)

  

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

Additional Quotes of the Fathers on the Resurrection of Christ

Christ is risen! Truly He is risen!

Christ descending to Hades to raise the dead (http://iconreader.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/resurrection2.jpg)

   

Additional Quotes of the Fathers on the Resurrection of Christ

"That light which far outshines the day and sun, first pledge of resurrection, and renovation of bodies long since dissolved, the divine token of promise, the path which leads to everlasting life — in a word, the day of the Passion — is arrived, best beloved doctors; and ye, my friends who are assembled here, ye blessed multitudes who worship Him who is the author of all worship and praise Him continually with heart and voice, according to the precepts of His holy word.

But thou, Nature, parent of all things: what blessing like to this hast thou ever accomplished for mankind? Nay rather, what is in any sense thy workmanship, since He who formed the universe is Himself the author of thy being? For it is He who has arrayed thee in thy beauty; and the beauty of Nature is life according to Nature’s laws.

But principles quite opposed to Nature have mightily prevailed, in that men have agreed in withholding His rightful worship from the Lord of all, believing that the order of the universe depended, not on His providence, but on the blind uncertainty of chance. And this they did, notwithstanding the clearest announcement of the truth by His inspired prophets, whose words should have claimed belief, but were in every way resisted by that impious wickedness which hates the light of truth and loves the obscure mazes of darkness.

Nor was this error unaccompanied by violence and cruelty, especially in that the will of princes encouraged the blind impetuosity of the multitude, or rather itself led the way in the career of reckless folly.

Such principles as these, confirmed by the practice of many generations, became the source of terrible evils in those early times: but no sooner had the radiance of the Saviour’s presence appeared, than justice took the place of wrong, a calm succeeded the confusion of the storm, and the predictions of the prophets were all fulfilled.

For after He had enlightened the world by the glorious discretion and purity of His character, and had ascended to the mansions of His Father’s house, He founded His Church on earth, as a holy temple of virtue, an immortal, imperishable temple, wherein the worship due to the Supreme Father and to Himself should be piously performed."

St. Constantine the Great

(http://preachersinstitute.com/2010/04/12/oration-on-the-pascha-of-christ/)
   

"Brethren, how fine a thing it is to move from festival to festival, from prayer to prayer, from holy day to holy day. The time is now at hand when we enter on a new beginning: the proclamation of the blessed Passover, in which the Lord was sacrificed. We feed as on the food of life, we constantly refresh our souls with his precious blood, as from a fountain. Yet we are always thirsting, burning to be satisfied. But he himself is present for those who thirst and in his goodness invites them to the feast day. Our Savior repeats his words:

'If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.'

He quenched the thirst not only of those who came to him then. Whenever anyone seeks him he is freely admitted to the presence of the Saviour. The grace of the feast is not restricted to one occasion. Its rays of glory never set. It is always at hand to enlighten the mind of those who desire it.

Its power is always there for those whose minds have been enlightened and who meditate day and night on the holy Scriptures, like the one who is called blessed in the holy psalm:

'Blessed is the man who has not followed the counsel of the wicked, or stood where sinners stand, or sat in the seat of the scornful, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.'

Moreover, my friends, the God who first established this feast for us allows us to celebrate it each year. He who gave up his Son to death for our salvation, from the same motive gives us this feast, which is commemorated every year. This feast guides us through the trials that meet us in this world.

God now gives us the joy of salvation that shines out from this feast, as he brings us together to form one assembly, uniting us all in spirit in every place, allowing us to pray together and to offer common thanksgiving, as is our duty on the feast. Such is the wonder of his love: he gathers to this feast those who are far apart, and brings together in unity of faith those who may be physically separated from each other.

St. Athanasios the Great

(http://preachersinstitute.com/2010/04/09/celebrating-the-paschal-feast-st-athansius-of-alexandria/)

"The Lord, having put on human nature, and having suffered for him who suffered, having been bound for him who was bound, and having been buried for him who was buried, is risen from the dead, and loudly proclaims this message:

'Who will contend against me? Let him stand before me. It is I who delivered the condemned. It is I who gave life to the dead. It is I who raised up the buried. Who will argue with me? It is I, says Christ, who destroyed death. It is I who triumphed over the enemy, and having trod down Hades, and bound the Strong Man, and have snatched mankind up to the heights of heaven. It is I, says Christ. So then, come here all you families of men, weighed down by your sins and recieve pardon for your misdeeds. For I am your pardon. I am the Passover which brings salvation. I am the Lamb slain for you. I am your lustral bath. I am your life. I am your resurrection. I am your light, I am your salvation, I am your King. It is I who brings you up to the heights of heaven. It is I who will give you the resurrection there. I will show you the Eternal Father. I will raise you up with my own right hand.'"

St. Melito Bishop of Sardis

(http://www.orthodox.net/pascha/pascha-melito.html)
   

"Most men believe in the resurrection of Christ, but very few have a clear vision of it. …That most sacred formula which is daily on our lips does not say,

'Having believed in Christ’s resurrection,'

but,

'Having beheld Christ’s resurrection, let us worship the Holy Lord Jesus, who alone is without sin.'

How then does the Holy Spirit urge us to say,

'Having beheld Christ’s resurrection',

which we have not seen as though we had seen it, when Christ has risen once for all a thousand years ago, and even then without anybody’s seeing it? Surely Holy Scripture does not wish us to lie? Far from it! Rather, it urges us to speak the truth, that the resurrection of Christ takes place in each of us who believes, and that not once, but every hour, so to speak, when Christ the Master arises in us, resplendent in array and flashing with the lightnings of incorruption and Deity.

For the light-bringing coming of the Spirit shows forth to us, as in early morning, the Master’s resurrection, or, rather, it grants us to see the Risen One Himself. Therefore we say,

'The Lord is God, and He has given us light' (Ps. 118:27)

and we allude to His second Coming and add these words,

'Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord' (Ps. 118:26).

Those to whom Christ has given light as He has risen, to them He has appeared spiritually, He has been shown to their spiritual eyes. When this happens to us through the Spirit He raises us up from the dead and gives us life. He grants us to see Him, who is immortal and indestructible. More than that, He grants clearly to know Him who raises us up (Eph. 2:6) and glorifies us (Rom. 8:17) with Himself, as all the divine Scripture testifies.

These, then, are the divine mysteries of Christians. This is the hidden power of our faith, which unbelievers, or those who believe with difficulty, or rather believe in part, do not see nor are able at all to see.

St. Symeon the New Theologian

(http://preachersinstitute.com/2010/04/06/a-clear-vision-of-christs-resurrection-st-symeon-the-new-theologian/)

   

Christ raising the dead (http://rel.gr/photo/displayimage.php?album=33&pos=152)

   

Christ is risen from the dead, by death, trampling down upon death, and to those in the tombs, bestowing life!

Truly the Lord is risen!

Sts. Athanasios and Cyril, Patriarchs of Alexandria

Icon of Sts. Athansios and Cyril, Patriarchs of Alexandria (taken from: http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?FSID=100219)

"Commemorated on January 18

Saints Athanasius and Cyril were Archbishops of Alexandria. These wise teachers of truth and defenders of Christ's Church share a joint Feast in recognition of their dogmatic writings which affirm the truth of the Orthodox Faith, correctly interpret the Holy Scripture, and censure the delusions of the heretics.

St Athanasius took part in the First Ecumenical Council when he was still a deacon. He surpassed everyone there in his zeal to uphold the teaching that Christ is consubstantial (homoousios) with the Father, and not merely a creature, as the Arians proclaimed. This radiant beacon of Orthodoxy spent most of his life in exile from his See, because of the plotting of his enemies. He returned to his flock as he was approaching the end of his life. Like an evening star, he illumined the Orthodox faithful with his words for a little while, then reposed in 373. He is also commemorated on May 2 (the transfer of his holy relics).

St Cyril was the nephew of Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria, who educated him from his youth. He succeeded to his uncle's position in 412, but was deposed through the intrigues of the Nestorian heretics. He later resumed his See, however. St Cyril presided at the Third Ecumenical Council in 441, which censured the Nestorian blasphemy against the Most Holy Theotokos. His wise words demonstrated the error of their false doctrine. St Cyril departed to the Lord in the year 444, and is also commemorated on June 9 (the day of his repose)." (taken from: http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?FSID=100220)

Icon of Sts. Athansios and Cyril, Patriarchs of Alexandria (Icon courtesy of www.eikonografos.com used with permission)

Apolytikion of Sts. Athanasios and Cyril, Patriarchs of Alexandria in the Third ToneShining forth with works of Orthodoxy, ye quenched every false belief and teaching and became trophy-bearers and conquerors. And since ye made all things rich and with true piety, greatly adorning the Church with magnificence, Athanasius and wise Cyril, ye both have worthily found Christ God, Who doth grant great mercy unto all.

Kontakion in the Fourth ToneO great Hierarchs of piety and brave champions of the Church of Christ, you watch over all who sing, "Save us who in faith honor you, O Compassionate."

(taken from: http://goarch.org/chapel/saints_view?contentid=391&type=saints)

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!