The Incarnation

We spoke earlier about why we believe in the God of Christianity. We learned that our faith teaches us about a God who is so close to his creation. He created out of love. And by his love he sustains creation in existence. Modern cosmology suggests that creation started with a "Big Bang" according to the theory. The cosmos came out of nothing. And we can still detect today the echo of the first moments of the "Big Bang" (through the cosmic microwave background radiation). Modern science supports our faith that God created all out of nothing. And our faith says that God not only created everything out of nothing, and out of love, but also that he himself is LOVE. Eternal love. Our one God the Trinity is love. The Father loves the Son and the Son loves the Father and the Holy Spirit is the bonding love between the Father and the Son. Since God is love, he created us out of love, and is full of love towards us. He took the initiative to save us from our sins and to get us fulfilled in him by his outpouring grace. He entered history to save us. The incarnation of Christ is the event in which God becomes one of us "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" The incarnation is not only the work of Christ, the Son. In the annunciation, the archangel Gabriel tells Mary that "the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you." We see how the Holy Trinity is involved in the incarnation. It is a marvellous event for humanity. The incarnation starting with Mary's pregnancy is the beginning of God being one of us and enduring our human resistance to him to the point of death- a death in which he frees us from sin and selfish disobedience. Christ's resurrection into glorified life is the result of his enduring love to no end. But note that God does not save us in spite of ourselves. He does not force us to live in his presence. He is almighty and all-powerful, yet he chooses in love to give us the freedom to respond to his invitation freely. And the human person who responded perfectly to his invitation is the Virgin Mary. This is why she was chosen to be the mother of his Son. Mary said to the Archangel "Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord." Her response to the invitation is echoed again at the wedding in Cana. "Do whatever he tells you," she advises the servants. In the incarnation God invites humanity to share in his kingdom and a beautiful response is given by Mary. Mary is therefore the second Eve who through her obedience, the result of disobedience of the first Eve was annulled. Mary is the mother and the archetype of the church, which is the seed of the kingdom of God. May the Lord grant us his peace through Mary's prayer.