On a Christmas Eve, St. Francis de Sales shared this keen insight about the Incarnation: “God has made us see that which otherwise the human mind could hardly have imagined or understood, that is, that God was man and man God: the immortal, mortal, the one incapable of suffering, suffering.”
Francis de Sales later added this forecast: “Patriarchs and Prophets longed ardently for Him and by this longing raised to heaven their petition for the Incarnation of the Son of God.”
However, only when God was ready and had properly prepared His creation, did God decide through His divine wisdom to enter human history. Providing his people with manna, in the desert, pre-figures the Incarnation of the Word, i.e., God prefigured the Eucharist. In the Incarnation we see the embodied God in His own Person, and in the Eucharist, we see Him again, in a different manifestation.
God decided that He would send his Son, born of a woman and under the law to rescue those others born under the law, so that they may receive adoption. A day Yahweh long cherished in His heart. Thomas Merton defines this day in these words: “In emptying Himself to come into the world, God has not simply kept in reserve, in a safe place, His reality and manifested a kind of shadow or symbol of Himself. Instead, God emptied Himself and is all in Christ.”
And Jesus is born from the flesh of Mary, His mother, God’s incarnate son. It is this Jesus, the one who raised from the dead all past, and future brothers and sisters of the same flesh. Jesus is Mary’s son too, chosen to fulfill this dream that these adopted children might enjoy new life in heaven. With her “Yes,” Mary brought God into time. As one author wrote: “She brought the word into the bright light of day.”
With the birth of her son, God no longer concealed his face from His chosen people. Rather, when people saw Mary’s son Jesus, they saw their God directly, the world’s creator walking along their footpaths and pathways. Jesus Christ, Mary’s son, now becomes the way, the truth, and the life leading his followers in their daily lives to the Father.
With her positive response, Mary gave an unconditional informed consent in full: “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Mary trusts God entirely and without consideration of how her situation with Joseph might be fixed. God spoke through his angel messenger. That was enough for Mary. If God stands behind this request, then God is also behind the response. Mary knew that Joseph and her family too will be behind her decision and respond with their “yes.”
The mystery of the incarnation rests on the firm foundation of obedience, the Son of God receiving His body from Mary to fulfill His Father’s will. As such, the human manifestation includes Mary and the betrothed Joseph whom she loves. These two holy people who hear the will of God, transmitted by the angel’s ministry, comply because they trust in God’s promises.
As we can see, when God asks any of His creation to do a task, the path to fulfillment is not always clear, or easy. This is because God waits, to hear our trust in His committed love for his creation. With Mary’s “Yes” guaranteed, she will be the mother of the Savior, and thereby Jesus and the trinity are celebrating the first day of the new era of creation.
Fr. Richard DeLillio, OSFS
For more reflections by Fr. Dick, visit his blog Live Today Well
