“God is with us.”
Isaiah prophesied, “An ox knows its owner, and an ass, its master’s manger; but Israel does not know, my people has not understood.” [1] The creator of the world is coming but no one knows. All citizens have been summoned by the census but the one citizen and reason for the census is not accounted for.
“The Father’s only Son, conceived as man in the womb of the Virgin Mary, is ‘Christ,’ that is to say, anointed by the Holy Spirit, from the beginning of his human existence, though the manifestation of this fact takes place only progressively: to the shepherds, to the magi, to John the Baptist, to the disciples.” [2] Each Monday at Vespers the Church prays, “God has given us the wisdom to understand fully the mystery, the plan he was pleased to decree in Christ. A plan to be carried out in Christ, in the fullness of time, to bring all things into one in him, in the heavens and on earth.” [3] At the time of His birth, men did not count Jesus as Divine.
In today’s introit we pray, “Skies, let the Just One come forth like the dew, let him descend from the clouds like rain. The earth will open up and give birth to our Savior.” The Son of God comes forth not as a thunderstorm or downpour, but rather gently as dew and rain. This image of dew fall is a reminder of the manna that fell like dew to nourish the Israelites as the wondered in the desert. This image of dew is also used in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass when the priest prays, “You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the fount of all holiness. Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.” [4] As the earth opened up and gave birth to our Savior, may our hearts open up and receive this birth with urgency and joy.
Slowly men began to recognize and accept the Jesus as their Savior through Divine revelation. In the same way, many men do not recognize Jesus today, even though He has been completely revealed. Each Christian has been given the gift of Grace, which enables him to have Faith in Jesus as Lord. In the soul of each person, the plan to fully understand the mystery of Christ is fulfilled by Christ Himself and takes place in the “fullness of time” of each person’s life. The Christian is called to evangelize, as one who hears and believes after finding the Savior, proclaiming Christ’s life to all.
“Let us contemplate our blessed Lady, and her faithful spouse Joseph, leaving the city of Jerusalem, and continuing their journey to Bethlehem, which they reach after a few hours. In obedience to the will of heaven, they immediately repair to the place where their names are to be enrolled, as the emperor’s edict requires. There is entered in the public register, Joseph, a carpenter of Nazareth in Galilee. To his name, there is, doubtless, added that of Mary, spouse of the above-named Joseph. Perhaps they enter her as a young woman, in the ninth month of her pregnancy. And this is all! O Incarnate Word! Thou art not yet counted by men! Thou art upon this earth of Thine, and men set Thee down as nothing! And yet, all this excitement of the enrollment of the world is to be for nothing else but this, that Mary, Thy august Mother, may come to Bethlehem, and there give Thee birth! O ineffable mystery! How grand is this apparent littleness! How mighty this divine weakness! But God has still lower to descend than merely coming on our earth. He goes from house to house of His people: not one will receive Him. He must go and seek a crib in the stable of poor dumb beasts. There until such time as the angels sing to Him their hymn, and the shepherds and the Magi come with their offerings, He will meet ‘the ox that knoweth its Owner, and the ass that knoweth its Master’s crib!” (Is.1:3) O Savior of men, Emmanuel, Jesus! We, too, will go to this stable of Bethlehem. Thy new birth, which is to-night, shall not be without loving and devoted hearts to bless it. At this very hour, Thou are knowing at the doors of Bethlehem, and who is there that will take Thee in? Thou sayest to my soul in the words of the Canticle: ‘Open to me, my sister, my beloved! For my head is full of dew, and my locks of the drops of the night!’ (Song of Songs 5:2) Ah! Sweet Jesus! Thou shalt not be refused here! I beseech Thee, enter my house. I have been watching and longing for Thee. Come, then, Lord Jesus, come! (Revelation 22:20)” [5]
In the Incarnation, Jesus takes on the form of his creation and is unrecognized in His Divinity by men. May the Incarnate Word help us decrease in the eyes of men, and increase in the eyes of God! Jesus became little upon entering Earth, may we become little and so enter the Kingdom of God and thus fit through the eye of the needle. [6]
[1] Isaiah 1:3
[2] CCC - 486
[3] Ephesians 1:8-10
[4] The Order of the Mass, Eucharistic Prayer II
[5] Abbot Gueranger, O.S.B.; The Liturgical Year; Book I, Advent
[6] Matthew 19:24