“Weakness is assumed by strength, lowliness by majesty, mortality by eternity, in order that one and the same Mediator of God and men might die in one and rise in the other—for this was our fitting remedy. Unless He was God, He would not have brought a remedy; and unless He was man, He would not have set an example.” – Pope Leo I Christmas Sermon
During the last full week of Advent, we heard this Gospel reading twice. When I read it, I began to deeply reflect on the Incarnation. I went to St. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae to reflect on this mystery more deeply, and I was comforted and inspired by what I found.
The Gospel
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
He had no relations with her until she bore a son,
and he named him Jesus.
The Core Message
This is the second time this week that we have heard this exact Gospel. The Church wants to emphasize its significance leading up to Christmas. God chose the Incarnation to bring about faith, hope, and charity in us.
Connection to Aquinas: ST III, q. 1: The fitness of the Incarnation
Why does God reveal Himself to us through the Incarnation?
The first article for this question is, “Whether it was fitting that God should become incarnate?” Aquinas states:
“…that by visible things the invisible things of God should be made known”
So, God is revealing His invisible Self to us in the visible Incarnation. Incredible! My heart leaps at the thought that not only can the flesh of God be seen, but it can also be received by us in the Holy Eucharist!
Aquinas elaborates further on this point:
“But, as Damascene says (De Fide Orth. iii, 1), by the mystery of Incarnation are made known at once the goodness, the wisdom, the justice, and the power or might of God … for there is nothing greater than for God to become incarnate . . .’”
Aquinas, drawing on St. John Damascene, explains that God shows His goodness, wisdom, justice, and power all at once in the Incarnation; He does so, not by force, but by becoming one of us.
God loves us so much that He became like us so that He can dwell with us.
Was the Incarnation necessary for our salvation?
Article 2 states: Whether it was necessary for the restoration of the human race that the Word of God should become incarnate?
In short, Aquinas clearly explains that:
“…it was necessary for man’s salvation that God should become incarnate.”
God could have chosen many other ways to ensure our salvation, but He specifically chose the Incarnation. Augustine states, “…there was not a more fitting way of healing our misery.” Wow! I think we would all agree that, sometimes, life is downright miserable. Our fallen nature makes misery unavoidable. What we need to combat misery is three things: faith, hope, and charity. The theological virtues are what the Incarnation brings.1
I especially love how Augustine explains God’s love and gift of hope for us here:
“Nothing was so necessary for raising our hope as to show us how deeply God loved us. And what could afford us a stronger proof of this than that the Son of God should become a partner with us of human nature?”
God sent His Son in human form to give us faith, hope, and charity, and to show us how deeply He loves us!
Reflections for Catechists
- What does it mean for Christ to be called “Emmanuel?” How can I open my heart so He can dwell in me?
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Let us ponder the meaning of the Incarnation as Aquinas writes about it in this second article. How can we continue to grow our faith, hope, and charity in the days leading up to Christmas and throughout the entire Christmas season?
