Incarnation

In the Creed we proclaim that God became enfleshed in this world. During the Christmas season we celebrate the birth and incarnation of Jesus. Our nativity scenes remind us that Jesus humbled himself, in contrast to those who were grasping for more when they were already created in the image of God. Part of being incarnate means that mankind perceives and interacts with the world through our senses. We perceive and encounter God through our senses not just words and ideas in the abstract. The incarnation was not just a onetime experiment that God tried. The incarnation is ongoing. God continues to be present in the person of Jesus, in the Eucharist, and in the body of believers. We reflect on the reality that when “we ask this through Christ our Lord” we truly pray through the person of Jesus, his real presence in the Eucharist and also though his presence in the community of the Church. This challenges us to think about how we are called to respond to the prayers of others, how we should pray knowing that the word was made flesh and dwells among us.