Jesus Christ Incarnate: The Reason for the Season
Christmas is one of the most important days of the Church year, second only to Easter itself. Celebrating the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is the culmination of the mystery of the Incarnation, the feast of God becoming flesh. It is a uniquely Christian teaching, the Divine choosing to become one of us.
CCC 484: “The Annunciation to Mary inaugurates "the fullness of time", Gal 4:4. the time of the fulfillment of God's promises and preparations. Mary was invited to conceive him in whom the "whole fullness of deity" would dwell "bodily". Col 2:9. The divine response to her question, "How can this be, since I know not man?", was given by the power of the Spirit: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you." Lk 1:34-35
The Incarnation of Jesus Christ, the act of the Son of God taking on human nature in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is one of the key mysteries of the Faith. Belief in the Incarnation is a distinctive and indispensable sign of the Christian Faith. But though we do not meditate on the death of Jesus at this time of the Liturgical Year, dying was his most important mission. For Christ is rightly called the Savior and Redeemer of all people, the completion of God’s plan of salvation that had unfolded throughout the Old and New Testaments.
CCC 525: The Christmas mystery: “Jesus was born in a humble stable, into a poor family. Lk 2:61. Simple shepherds were the first witnesses to this event. In this poverty heaven's glory was made manifest. Lk 2:8-20.The Church never tires of singing the glory of this night: The Virgin today brings into the world the Eternal. And the earth offers a cave to the Inaccessible. The angels and shepherds praise him. And the magi advance with the star. For you are born for us, Little Child, God eternal!”
CCC 526: “To become a child in relation to God is the condition for entering the kingdom. Mt 18:3-4. For this, we must humble ourselves and become little. Even more: to become "children of God" we must be "born from above" or "born of God". Jn 3:7; 1:13; 1:12; cf. Mt 23:12 Only when Christ is formed in us will the mystery of Christmas be fulfilled in us. Gal 4:19. Christmas is the mystery of this "marvelous exchange."
With the Incarnation of Christ, the fulfillment of all the covenants of God and the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament was at hand. Yet, except for a select few, the world little noticed the Birth and early life of Christ. It would not be until the beginning of his public ministry that attention would be drawn to the man of Nazareth, who would impress the crowds with the clarity of his teachings and his message of love.
It was only after a long period of living the ordinary life of a first-century Jewish carpenter that Christ would emerge to begin the mission for which he had been sent by the Father: that of redeeming the whole world through his own Death and Resurrection. Christ was true God and true man, a man like us in all ways but sin, and yet the only Son of God. This truth would be revealed only gradually, and even his Apostles would not grasp immediately.
The Blessed Virgin Mary, who is rightly called the Mother of God, was a woman of singular holiness and virtue. Her consent to bearing the Son of God – “let it be done to me according to your word” – is a model for us of total submission to the will of God.
CCC 975: "We believe that the Holy Mother of God, the new Eve, Mother of the Church, continues in heaven to exercise her maternal role on behalf of the members of Christ" (Paul VI, CPG § 15).
We look to her and her husband, St. Joseph, as exemplars of the Christian family and of the kind of holiness we must seek for ourselves in hopes of someday attaining eternal life with God.
The liturgical season of Christmas begins with the vigil Masses on Christmas Eve and concludes on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. During this season, we celebrate the birth of Christ into our world and into our hearts and reflect on the gift of salvation that is born with him, including the fact that he was born to die for us.
Merry Christ mas(s)
Deacon Gerry Flamm
“Today, on this day of grace, in a special way I am calling you not to live a life striving for earthly goals and not to seek peace and joy in earthly things, because in this way darkness takes over your life and you do not see the meaning of your life. Little children, open the doors of your hearts to Jesus, permit Him to take over your entire life so that you may begin to live in God’s love and mercy. My children, only with Jesus in your hearts will you come to know the true goal of your life and long for eternal salvation. I am blessing you with my motherly blessing.”
