The Gifts of Christmas CAST: Visitors 1 Maria Nicklow 2 - Katerina Sotiropoulos 3 - Maria Palios 4 Zach Chandler Friends 1 - Nicholas Akrotirianakis 2 - Lola Bavaro 3 - Jonathan Brannan 4 Mia Findlay Narrators 1 - Carsen Babich 2 Madeline Moran 3 - Yanni Trimiklionitis 4 - Toula Trakas 5 - Leora Fallon 6 John Palios 7 - Calliope Kafantaris 8 - Andrew Patrascoiu 9 - Elizabeth Xenick Gabriel Ariana Thatcher Mary Emily Nicklow Angel 1 Kaitlyn Zelatis Joseph Vasile Sotiropoulos Innkeeper Niko Krinos Angels 2 Elaina Pierroutsakos 3 Abby Moran 4 Eleni Katzaras 5 Arianna Karounos 6 Sofia Camene 7 Ella Hidremichael 8 Lydia Pierroutsakos Herod Demetri Passalaris Bible Scholar Andrew Thatcher Shepherd 1 - Demetri Camene Shepherd 2 Shepherd 3 PJ Zelatis Drummer Boy 1 Alex Findlay Drummer Boy 2 - George Xenick Drummer Boy 3 - Makis Crassas Gaspar Niko Bavaro Melchior Gryfon Borgeas-Beach Balthazar Genaro Scarfogliero 1
Oh Come All Ye Faithful Maria Nicklow VISITOR 1: Wow! What is this building? I ve never seen anything like it in my life. Nicholas Akrotirianakis FRIEND 1: You ve never been in a church before?? Maria Nicklow VISITOR 1: No, we hardly ever go to church. Nicholas Akrotirianakis FRIEND 1: This is St. John Greek Orthodox Church and we are getting ready to start our Christmas program. Katerina Sotiropoulos VISITOR 2: This church is really cool. You know, Christmas is my favorite holiday because I always get a ton of presents! Lola Bavaro 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! Katerina Sotiropoulos VISITOR 2: We would love to, thanks. Carsen Babich 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. Ariana Thatcher GABRIEL: Rejoice highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women! 2
Emily Nicklow MARY: Who are you?! I do not understand what you are saying to me! Ariana Thatcher GABRIEL: I am the angel 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. Emily Nicklow MARY: How can this be? Ariana Thatcher 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. Emily Nicklow MARY: Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word. Carsen Babich NARRATOR 1: And the angel departed from her. Maria Palios 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! Jonathan Brannan FRIEND 3: Oh she was! And she was betrothed to a man named Joseph. And he was pretty special too! Madeline Moran NARRATOR 2: Then Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, and said, Kaitlyn Zelatis ANGEL 1: Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child she is carrying is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. 3
Madeline Moran NARRATOR 2: All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and His name shall be called Emmanuel which means, God with us. When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him. Yanni Trimikliniotis NARRATOR 3: 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. Vasile Sotiropoulos 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. Niko Krinos 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. Vasile Sotiropoulos JOSEPH: Oh, thank you. We will make the best of it, with God s help. Yanni Trimikliniotis NARRATOR 3: 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 4
Toula Trakas NARRATOR 4: 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 Zach Chandler VISITOR 4: This is an amazing story. I can t believe that Mary had to give birth to Jesus in a cave. How sad! Mia Findlay FRIEND 4: It s not really sad. It shows his humility. Just wait til you hear how this news of His birth was spread. Toula Trakas NARRATOR 4: 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, Elaina Pierroutsakos ANGEL 2: Do not be afraid. I have news of great joy! Abby Moran ANGEL 3: This news is for you and all people! Eleni Katzaras ANGEL 4: For today a Savior is born to you in the city of David! Arianna Karounos ANGEL 5: Yes, a savior, who is Christ the Lord! Sofia Camene ANGEL 6: You can see Him there and know Him by this sign Elle Hidremichael ANGEL 7: You will find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. Lydia Pierroutsakos ANGEL 8: He will be lying in a manger in a cave used as a stable. 5
Leora Fallon NARRATOR 5: 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 Maria Nicklow VISITOR 1: Those angels were beautiful! Nicholas Akrotirianakis FRIEND 1: Angels surround us all the time! They are God s messengers and our guardians. Leora Fallon NARRATOR 5: After the shepherds saw and heard the angels and praising the Lord, the angels disappeared from sight. Demetri Camene 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! PJ Zelatis SHEPHERD 3: Come on let s see this thing which the Lord has made known to us. THREE SHEPHERDS TOGETHER: Let s go! John Palios NARRATOR 6: 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. Alex Findlay DRUMMER BOY 1: newborn king too! Maybe we can go see this George Xenick DRUMMER BOY 2: We have no gift to bring to Him, at least not something that is fit for a king. 6
Makis Crassas DRUMMER BOY 3: I know what we can do! We can play our drums for Him. He will love that. The Little Drummer Boy John Palios NARRATOR 6: And when the shepherds saw Him they made it widely known the saying which had been told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them. Katerina Sotiropoulos VISITOR 2: I m starting to understand how all of these people were chose to offer their unique gifts to Jesus. Jonathan Brannan 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. Maria Palios VISITOR 3: You mean you are telling me that they traveled for TWO years and didn t even know what they would find? Jonathan Brannan FRIEND 3: Just watch this next scene and you will understand Calliope Kafantaris NARRATOR 7: 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, Niko Bavaro 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. Demetri Passalaris HEROD: King of the Jews?? I don t know who you are speaking about. Let me consult with my Bible Scholar. (TO 7
BIBLE SCHOLAR) Can you tell me where the King of Israel - the Christ as they call Him - is to be born? Andrew Thatcher 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. Calliope Kafantaris NARRATOR 7: Then Herod devised a plan and sent the Wise Men to Bethlehem and said, Demetri Passalaris 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. Andrew Patrascoiu NARRATOR 8: 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. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts. We Three Kings Genaro Scarfogliero BALTHAZAR: It is the King of Glory! We have traveled a long way to greet him. Gryfon Borgeas-Beach MELCHIOR: Let us worship Him! We bring you gifts. Niko Bavaro GASPAR: I bring you gold, fit for a king. Genaro Scarfogliero BALTHAZAR: I bring you precious incense, fit for a God. 8
Gryfon Borgeas-Beach MELCHIOR: I bring you perfumed myrrh, for your burial. Elizabeth Xenick NARRATOR 9: 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. Zach Chandler 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. Mia Findlay 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 9