The Gifts of Christmas CAST: Visitors 1 Mari S 2 Nathan Moran 3 Maria Nicklow 4 Friends 1 Gianni Bavaro 2 Kaitlyn Zelatis 3 Ariana Karounos 4 Abby Moran Narrators 1 Maria Palios 2 George Xenick 3 Nicholas Carter 4 Gaetana Koutouzi 5 Helen Fentress 6 Harris Robinson 7 Emily Nicklow Gabriel Calliope Kafataris Mary Ariana Thatcher Joseph PJ Zelatis Innkeeper Sam Thomas Angels 1 Ariana Clifton 2 Elisa Mitseas 3 Katerina Sotiropoulos 4 Sophia Ladis 5 Maggie Trakas 6 Wren Robinson 7 Sofia Stonestreet Herod Vasilios Panos Bible Scholar Liam Mangarides Shepherd 1 Teddy Kafantaris Shepherd 2 Zach Carter Shepherd 3 Kris Christopher Drummer Boy 1 Aidan Clifton Drummer Boy 2 Remy Mangarides Drummer Boy 3 Prometheus Koutouzis Gaspar Nicholas Akrotirianakis Melchior Gryphon Borgeas Balthazar Leo Lenardos 1
Oh Come All Ye Faithful VISITOR 1: Wow! What is this building? I ve never seen anything like it in my life. FRIEND 1: You ve never been in a church before?? VISITOR 1: No, we hardly ever go to church. FRIEND 1: This is St. John Greek Orthodox Church and we are getting ready to start our Christmas program. VISITOR 2: This church is really cool. You know, Christmas is my favorite holiday because I always get a ton of presents. FRIEND 2: Well, yes Have you ever stopped to think about WHY we receive gifts at Christmas? It s so much more than getting gifts and wrapping paper and shopping. Please stay a while and watch our pageant so you can learn the true meaning of Christmas! VISITOR 2: We would love to, thanks. NARRATOR 1: It all starts with the greatest gift of all the gift God shared with us His Son. Since Jesus is a part of the Holy Trinity, like His Father and the Holy Spirit, He always has been and always will be. One special woman was chosen to bring His Son into the world for our salvation. The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city in Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin who was going to be married to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin s name was Mary. GABRIEL: Rejoice highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!
MARY: Who are you?! I do not understand what you are saying to me! GABRIEL: I am the Archangel Gabriel sent from God. Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call his name Jesus. MARY: How can this be? GABRIEL: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. For with God nothing will be impossible. MARY: Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word. NARRATOR 1: And the angel departed from her. VISITOR 3: WOW! Are you telling me that Jesus was always in Heaven with God? And of all the women in all generations, He chose Mary to bring Jesus on Earth for our salvation? She must have been a really special woman! FRIEND 3: Oh she was! Wait til you hear what is coming next. NARRATOR 2: Many months later, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus for all of the citizens to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David. And so it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. JOSEPH: My poor Mary. I have tried every inn in sight and they are all filled. Here is one last chance. I will do my best. (TO INNKEEPER) Sir, please, I must find a place for my wife and me to
stay the night. We have traveled very far, and she is so close to having her baby as you can see. INNKEEPER: I am sorry. Every room is taken. I do have a small cave out back where I keep my animals though. It s dry and out of the wind. You can stay there the night if you like. I m afraid it s the best I can do for you. JOSEPH: Oh, thank you. We will make the best of it, with God s help. NARRATOR 2: And it was here that she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Away in a Manger NARRATOR 2: Jesus was born in a cave being used as a stable, surrounded by God s creation and creatures. They were the first to welcome Him and offered to Him their special gifts. The Friendly Beasts VISITOR 4: This is an amazing story. I can t believe that Mary had to give birth to Jesus in a cave. How sad! FRIEND 4: It s not really sad. It shows his humility. Just wait til you hear how this news of His birth was spread. NARRATOR 3: Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, ANGEL 1: Do not be afraid. I have news of great joy!
ANGEL 2: This news is for you and all people! ANGEL 3: For today a Savior is born to you in the city of David! ANGEL 4: Yes, a savior, who is Christ the Lord! ANGEL 5: You can see Him there and know Him by this sign ANGEL 6: You will find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. ANGEL 7: He will be lying in a manger in a cave used as a stable. NARRATOR 3: And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ALL ANGELS TOGETHER: Glory to God in the highest! And on earth peace, goodwill toward men! Hark the Herald Angels Sing VISITOR 1: Those angels were beautiful! FRIEND 1: Angels surround us all the time! messengers and our guardians. They are God s NARRATOR 4: After the shepherds saw and heard the angels and praising the Lord, the angels disappeared from sight. SHEPHERD 1: Wow! Did you see and hear all those angels! Let s not wait another minute! SHEPHERD 2: Yes - let s go at once to Bethlehem to see the wonderful thing that has come to pass! SHEPHERD 3: Come on let s see this thing which the Lord has made known to us.
THREE SHEPHERDS TOGETHER: Let s go! NARRATOR 4: To these poor shepherds, in the darkness of the fields, God chose to honor them with the first announcement of His birth. These men, who had no possessions of their own to offer the newborn Baby, gave Him something they could. DRUMMER BOY 1: Maybe we can go see this newborn king too! DRUMMER BOY 2: We have no gift to bring to Him, at least not something that is fit for a king. DRUMMER BOY 3: I know what we can do! We can play our drums for Him. He will love that. The Little Drummer Boy VISITOR 2: I m starting to understand how all of these people were chose to offer their unique gifts to Jesus. FRIEND 3: And there s more. There were three men who traveled for two years in search of a new King who was to be born. VISITOR 3: You mean you are telling me that they traveled for TWO years and didn t even know what they would find? FRIEND 3: Just watch this next scene and you will understand. NARRATOR 5: Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, GASPAR: Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him. HEROD: King of the Jews?? I don t know who you are speaking about. Let me consult with my Bible Scholar. (TO BIBLE SCHOLAR)
Can you tell me where the King of Israel - the Christ as they call Him - is to be born? BIBLE SCHOLAR: Yes. He is to be born in Bethlehem in Judea as the prophet Micah has written, And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judea, are not the least among the princes of Judah, for out of you shall come forth one who shall rule my people Israel. NARRATOR 5: Then Herod devised a plan and sent the Wise Men to Bethlehem and said, HEROD: Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also. NARRATOR 6: When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. We Three Kings BALTHAZAR: It is the King of Glory! We have traveled a long way to greet him. MELCHIOR: Let us worship Him! We bring you gifts. GASPAR: I bring you gold, fit for a king. BALTHAZAR: I bring you precious incense, fit for a God. MELCHIOR: I bring you perfumed myrrh, for your burial. NARRATOR 7: As told in the Gospels of Saint Matthew and Saint Luke, we hear of the shepherds and magi of over 2000 years ago. Perhaps St. John describes Christmas best in his Gospel, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory. Today
we still behold His Glory as we honor and celebrate the Nativity of our Savior in Bethlehem. The glory and the joy of the first Christmas still lives in our hearts. In the words of the prophet Isaiah: For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. VISITOR 4: Thank you so much for everything you have taught us. I now understand that Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ, not just about gifts we hope to get. FRIEND 4: I m glad you learned the true meaning of Christmas. Now do you see the many ways receive gifts at Christmas? But we can also give gifts too! We ALL have something to offer to Jesus still today. Our gifts of generosity, love, patience, kindness, are still those that are most valuable to Him. We remember His Eternal promise of goodness and light. Do you Hear what I Hear? Let There be Peace on Earth