January 2012

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ!

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

"It was necessary that God should take flesh and die so that we might have new life... " St. Gregory Nazianzen

What kind of father would not sacrifice himself for his child? What kind of father would not visit his daughter in her affliction? What kind of father would not move heaven and earth to rescue his son from danger? What kind of God could observe the deterioration of his creation without acting to restore it?

The Christian message is that God is the kind of god who is even greater and more loving than we can imagine. He has sacrificed himself for us, he has visited us in our affliction, has rescued us from death, and embraced his creation all in the Person of his Incarnate Son Jesus Christ. God's love would not permit him to remain aloof from us. Doing the "impossible" the Divine Son took on himself our nature. Spirit and matter became one, justice and mercy embraced each other, heaven bowed low to kiss the earth. All the divisions that afflict humanity are resolved in his hypostatic union. Love always finds a way to do the impossible. With God nothing is impossible.

This is the uniqueness of the Gospel. Neither the contemplation of God in nature, nor the reading of holy books, nor adherence to a code of law has the power to unite us body, mind, and soul with our Loving Father. An Incarnation was necessary to break down all the walls of division between humanity and the Divine. Only God could do this and he has in Christ.

This is what we celebrate at Christmas: Love made flesh. In our celebration is our participation. May you and your families enjoy the blessings of the Incarnate One throughout this Christmas Season.

Christ is Born,

Fr. Antony Hughes