WHY DID THE SON OF GOD BECOME MAN?

Pope Benedict XVI, in the General Audience speech of Dec. 19, 2017 said: “In Bethlehem, the Light which brightens our lives was manifested to the world; the way that leads us to the fullness of our humanity was revealed to us. If people do not recognize that God was made man, what is the point of celebrating Christmas? The celebration becomes empty.” Hence, the question above: Why did the Son of God become man?

The Compendium of the Catechism, n. 85 gives us a concise answer to the above question:

“For us men and for our salvation, the Son of God became incarnate in the womb of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. He did so to reconcile us sinners with God, to have us learn of God’s infinite love, to be our model of holiness and to make us “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4)”

We must be convinced and be grateful as well that through the Incarnation of his only-begotten Son, God has shown us his unbounded love.

• St Augustine asks: Why did the Lord come, if not to show his love for us? His is a Father’s love, for God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law …so that we might receive adoption as sons.

Jesus comes to this earth not only to save us, but also to to fill us with graces, to show us the path to heaven, to be our model of holiness making Himself everything for us.

• St John Chrysostom portrays him as saying to us: I ask no payment at all for what I am giving you. I would rather be in debt to you, because you will put me in your debt by taking everything I have to offer. To what can this honour be compared? I am your father, brother, spouse, home, food, clothing; I am your root and foundation. I am everything your heart desires. Do not think you lack anything. I will even be your servant: “I have come to serve and not to be served.” I am your friend, your member and head, your brother, sister and mother. I am all things; all I desire is the intimacy of your love. Look at me, impoverished for you, a beggar for you, crucified for you, buried for you. In heaven I stand in God’s presence on your behalf. On earth I am his envoy to you. And you are everything to me: my brother and co-heir, my friend and member. What more could you want?

This outpouring of God’s goodness and infinite love should make us grateful and eager to respond. Mother Mary and St. Joseph, help us to correspond generously and constantly to God’s love for us.

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