The Word became flesh, the flesh of Abraham and his descendants, Athanasius writes in his “Treatise on the Incarnation”, one of the great ancient texts on that mystery. It’s the reading for today’s Feast of Mary, the Mother of God. 

“He had to take a body like ours. This explains the fact of Mary’s presence: she provided him with a body of his own, to be offered for our sake. Scripture records her giving birth, and says: She wrapped him in swaddling clothes. Her breasts fed him and were called blessed. Sacrifice was offered because the child was her firstborn. 

Gabriel used careful and prudent language when he announced his birth. He did not speak of “what will be born in you” to avoid the impression that a body would be introduced into her womb from outside; he spoke of “what will be born from you,” so that we might know by faith that her child originated within her and from her.

  By taking our nature and offering it in sacrifice, the Word was to destroy it completely and then invest it with his own nature, and so prompt the Apostle to say: This corruptible body must put on incorruption; this mortal body must put on immortality.

  This was not done in appearance only, as some have imagined. No, our Saviour truly became human, and from this has followed the salvation of humanity as a whole. Our salvation is in no way fictitious, nor does it apply only to the body. The salvation of the human being, soul and body, has really been achieved in the Word himself.

  What was born of Mary was therefore human by nature, in accordance with the inspired Scriptures, and the body of the Lord was a true body: It was a true body because it was the same as ours. Mary, you see, is our sister, for we are all born from Adam.

  The words of St John, the Word was made flesh, bear the same meaning, as we may see from a similar turn of phrase in St Paul: Christ was made a curse for our sake.  Humanity has acquired something great through its communion and union with the Word. From being mortal it has been made immortal; though it was a living body it has become a spiritual one; though it was made from the earth it has passed through the gates of heaven.

  Even when the Word takes a body from Mary, the Trinity remains a Trinity, with neither increase nor decrease. It is for ever perfect. In the Trinity we acknowledge one Godhead, and thus one God, the Father of the Word, is proclaimed in the Church

DECEMBER 20 Mon Advent Weekday Is 7:10-14/Lk 1:26-38 

21 Tue Advent Weekday [Saint Peter Canisius, Priest and Doctor of the Church]

Sg 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a/Lk 1:39-45 

22 Wed Advent Weekday 1 Sm 1:24-28/Lk 1:46-56 

23 Thu Advent Weekday [Saint John of Kanty, Priest] Mal 3:1-4, 23-24/Lk 1:57-66 

24 Fri Advent Weekday  2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16/Lk 1:67-79 

25 Sat THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD (Christmas) Solemnity 

Vigil: Is 62:1-5/Acts 13:16-17, 22-25/Mt 1:1-25 or 1:18-25 (13) Night: Is 9:1-6/Ti 2:11-14/Lk 2:1-14 

Dawn: Is 62:11-12/Ti 3:4-7/Lk 2:15-20 

Day: Is 52:7-10/Heb 1:1-6/Jn 1:1-18 or 1:1-5, 9-14 

26 SUN THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH

Sir 3:2-6, 12-14/Col 3:12-21 or 3:12-17/Lk 2:41-52

or, in Year C, 1 Sm 1:20-22, 24-28/1 Jn 3:1-2, 21-24/Lk 2:41-52

We begin reading St. Luke’s Infancy Account this week in our liturgy. I added a reflection on Luke’s account of Zechariah in the temple, which our Sunday readings displaced this year. Be sure to read the Old Testament readings that accompany Luke’s account. They provide the background for Luke’s story; without them we tend to read it too literally.

By neglecting the Old Testament readings we miss understanding New Testament sources like Luke.

I’m reading again Pope Benedict’s “Jesus of Nazareth: the Infancy Narratives” (Image Books 2012), a wonderful commentary on our readings for this week. Benedict engages Luke using the best of modern scripture scholarship (mostly German) and beautifully presents the meaning of Luke’s narrative. 

I remember the headlines when his book appeared: “Pope says the ox and the donkey weren’t around the manger at Christ’s birth.” Far from denying the facts of the Infancy Narrative, Pope Benedict makes them more understandable. The manger of Jesus is the Lord’s first throne, the humble temple where he comes to feed the poorest of the world.

“So the manger has in some sense become the Ark of the Covenant, in which God is mysteriously hidden among men, and before which the time has come for ‘ox and ass’–humanity made up of Jews and Gentiles–to acknowledge God.”

Until now, many of our Advent readings were taken from Matthew’s Gospel, which portrays Jesus teaching on a mountain (Isaiah’s favorite symbol) and working great miracles that benefit all who come. Jesus is the new temple, the new Presence of God, Emmanuel, God with us.  

This week Luke is the primary source for the our gospel readings.        

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For this week’s homily, please watch the video below.

Whenever we read Matthew’s gospel of the genealogy of Jesus, filled with so many unfamiliar names, many hard to pronounce, I am reminded of my mother.  She had a remarkable memory for relationships, whether her own family relations or how other people were related. Honestly, I often tuned out as she probed family trees with delight. After she died I realized I had lost connection with countless relatives and people she had firmly stored in her mind.

She wasn’t a professional genealogist, but she would be at home with the study of Jesus’ ancestry in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. She would want to know how all those people in the 13th century picture above were related.

The gospel genealogies are not mere formalities, official records proving Jesus’ human identity. Mary and Joseph would have made Jesus aware of these relationships as he grew up among the tight family units of Nazareth. The people of Nazareth knew where they came from.

Jesus would hardly be a protected child, kept safely away from others till his day would come. Jesus knew from the beginning he was part of the human family. His family tree was not just an army of saints, sinners were there for sure. They’re all part of the mystery of his Incarnation.

We will hear about some of his immediate family in the next few days of Advent– Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth and Zachariah, John their son. There were others too we will hear of when he begins his ministry. We shouldn’t be surprised that some of his first disciples were related to him.

Jesus was not an isolated individual, but the Word made flesh, firmly part of the human family he came to save.

Our Advent Preface says the Son of God assumed “the lowliness of human flesh” when he came among us, and so fulfilled the divine plan formed long ago.

How long ago? God plans are from all eternity, we believe. Our lowly “human flesh” finds it hard to discover God’s plan in time. 

In today’s gospel John the Baptist asks Jesus through his emissaries: “Are you he who is to come, or are we to look for another?” John was not altogether sure, some say. Jesus appeals to the Prophet Isaiah: “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.  And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.” (Luke 7:18-23)

In yesterday’s gospel the chief priests and leaders of the people are certainly not sure about Jesus and his authority. They hesitate about John too, but they’re afraid of the people. (Matthew 21: 23- 27) Before them, Ahaz, King of Judea, was not persuaded by the Prophet Isaiah and will not ask for a sign.

“Human flesh” finds it hard to discover God’s plan in time, our readings this week of Advent say.

The Advent liturgy proclaims the coming of Jesus Christ in the fullness of time. It measures time from the prophets and the history of Israel, which traces its beginnings to the Book of Genesis. The genealogy of Jesus will be proclaimed in our liturgy this Friday. 

Until recent times, the biblical timetable was the accepted norm in the western world for measuring geological history, even science accepted it. Now we have “Deep Time.” Science sees the world evolving over billions of years. 

It seems to me we have a task before us reconciling biblical time and “Deep Time.” Lowly human flesh finds it hard to discover God’s plan in time.