The Incarnation

O living Bethlehem! there is a word which heaven gave thee for these moments; take it up, and let it be thy ceaseless prayer; 
Come, Lord Jesus! Come!

The incarnation is the most substantial act to ever occur in human history. St. Athanasius, the 4th-century Bishop of Alexandria and defender of Nicene orthodoxy, wrote in his pivotal work, On the Incarnation: “For He alone, being Word of the Father and above all, was in consequence both able to recreate all, and worthy to suffer on behalf of all and to be an ambassador for all with the Father. For this purpose, then, the incorporeal and incorruptible and immaterial Word of God entered our world” (On the Incarnation, 2.7-8). Athanasius understood that God incarnate changed everything as only God could. When the Word (2nd Person of the Holy Trinity, God) became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14) God opened the door to eternal life.

The Incarnation made God accessible and knowable in the flesh. As a child born in lowly estate, God offers himself by living and being with us. Jesus is not distant, but intimately connected with us and all his creation. The writer of Hebrews says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15 ESV).

Athanasius again says, “The Savior of us all, the Word of God, in His great love took to Himself a body and moved as Man among men, meeting their senses, so to speak, half way. He became Himself an object for the senses, so that those who were seeking God in sensible things might apprehend the Father through the works which He, the Word of God, did in the body” (3.15).
For Christians eternal life in assured through the life Jesus lived and the way he died. We are blessed to know what comes next, but we are also called to live this blessing in our earthly lives even as Jesus lived his.

We gather for worship and fellowship in thanksgiving for the call to worship and gather, as Athanasius says, “Worship, then, the Savior “Who is above all” and mighty, even God the Word, and condemn those who are being defeated and made to disappear by Him. When the sun has come, darkness prevails no longer; any of it that may be left anywhere is driven away” (8.55).

Christ came and brought with him grace, forgiveness, and love; these are the things to share with one another, especially at Christmas. We live daily in the light of the Incarnation, blessed to know and share the love of Christ with one another—as is our calling. As blessed Athanasius said, “Now, therefore, when we die we no longer do so as men condemned to death, but as those who are even now in process of rising, we await the general resurrection of all, “which in its own times He shall show,” even God Who wrought it and bestowed it on us” (2.10). 

As you enter into the Incarnation celebration this year, pray to be touched by the Holy Child and to be transformed by his love.       
The Son of God has become small to make us great; 
He has been given to us so that we may give ourselves to Him. 
He has come to show us His love so that we can respond with ours. 
Let us receive Him with affection. 
Let us love Him and turn to Him with all our needs.

- St Alphonsus de Liguori, Meditations on Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany   

Lord Jesus,
Caress me with Your tiny hands,
embrace me with Your tiny arms
and pierce my heart with Your soft, sweet cries. 
Let Your goodness Lord appear to me,
that I made in your image,
conform myself to it.
In m) own strength
I cannot imitate Your majesty, power,
and wonder nor is it fitting for (me) to try.
But Your mercy reaches from the heavens
through the clouds to the earth below.
You have come to me as a small child,
you have brought me the greatest of all gifts,
the gift of eternal love.
Caress me with Your tiny hands,
embrace me with Your tiny arms
and pierce my heart with Your soft, sweet cries. 
                                                -St. Bernard of Clairvaux- 
 
I am praying you have a restful and blessed Incarnation celebration,
Fr. Bill+