The Incarnation (2)

In the Incarnation, Our Lord's Divine nature joined together with our human nature, became true God and true man in one Person. God entirely a man and a man entirely God, there is no half and half. St Francis de Sales used iron and fire as an analogy to made us understand better: when you withdraws a hot iron plate after placing it into the furnace, one cannot say if the inflamed iron is fire or iron since they both so mixed together. It turned into a condition that can be described as iron is on fire and an iron fire, yet iron is still an iron in the fire and fire is still fire in the iron. In this Mystery, God made us physically see something that is beyond our human imagination and understanding - one who never dies can die, one who cannot feel sufferings can suffer, one who is Invisible and Almighty born into the world in a form of a babe that needs to be look after by human. Such sacrifice. Why does God spend such effort to do so? Why did Incarnation happen? You may say in order to die on the Cross for our salvation. It is true, but St Francis de Sales also said just a sigh or even a drop of tears from Our Lord would have unlimited price and merit, sufficient to redeem us all. Yet He did not wish to do so, rather our dear Jesus willed to go through countless pains and sufferings, from the moment of Incarnation, through His examples and later through His Words, to show and teach us how to live with reason and not our flesh's desires. Some may say, so to establish the Eucharist and dwell amongst us until the end of time. Also St Peter has said, through Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead, caused us to be born again to a living hope to an unfading reserved inheritance in Heaven for us. All these are so true. But ultimately, don't all these reasons point towards one thing: God's Love, for us. These were all done for our sake. You are being loved. This Christmas, let us put aside all those thoughts of busy shopping, visiting, dinner planning...for a while, and think about this true meaning of Christmas. Love Him back in this Christmas.

(References: • 1 Peter 1:3-4 • The Sermons of St Francis de Sales for Advent & Christmas, "The union of the Divine and human natures in Our Lord", 24 December 1620)