Ordinary of the Mass
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Blessing of the Advent Wreath
We read in the Book of Wisdom:
"All were foolish who were in ignorance of God, who from
the good things seen did not succeed in knowing Him who Is,
and from studying
His works did not discern their Artisan: but instead either fire or wind ... or
the mighty water ... or the luminaries of heaven ...
they considered gods....
from these things let them realize how much more powerful is He who made
them....
For from the greatness and the beauty of created things, their Author,
by analogy, is seen" (Wisdom xiii: 1, 2, 4, 5)
Following this passage in the Old Testament Book of
Wisdom, and simply through natural reason, the Church has long held that it is
possible for man to know about God through his natural reasoning processes,
without the necessity of divine revelation. We can, know the Author of creation
by studying the evidence in what He has created.
Anyone who has taken an introductory philosophy course
will remember Saint Thomas Aquinas' five proofs of the existence of God. He
reminds us that by considering motion and causality and perfection, we must
realize that these things exist only with reference to the First Mover, First
Cause, and the All Perfect; that the Unnecessary beings in the world would not
exist if it were not for a Necessary Being; and that the order of things in the
physical universe demands an Orderer. All of these things, we refer to as God.
But, perhaps, it is not surprising that of those who study
Aquinas' "proofs"—while most will agree that these
"proofs" do indeed point to the existence of God, but if they are
already Christians they will notice that something is missing in this purely
rational approach to God. The idea of an "All Perfect Prime Mover and Orderer" seems a bit sterile. It seems okay if we think about God being
"out there" somewhere in eternity, but it lacks the warmth of the God
we know through the Gospels. And it lacks that warmth, precisely because lacks
the dimension of divine revelation that allows us to know God not only in
eternity, but as having entered human history in time and place.
The God of the philosophers lacks the warmth of the God
who was born in a stable during the reign of Caesar Augustus to Joseph and Mary;
the God who began His public life during the reign of Tiberius Caesar and Herod
the Great, when Annas and Caiphas held the high priesthood of the Jews; the God
who suffered under Pontius Pilate and rose from the dead on the third day. The
God of the philosophers seems unloving and unlovable when compared to the God
who experienced the human condition and moved amongst His people.
Christians are rather unique in this idea that our God
became man Incarnate. Among the religions that know God to be the one and only
God, we are certainly unique. The Jews and the Moslems know God as more than the
Prime Mover, but even as a personal God, their God is far off and removed. He
speaks only and occasionally through a few chosen prophets. The Jews enjoyed His
presence in the Pillar of Fire that led them to the Promised Land and then took
up residence in the Holy of Holies in the Temple. But none, other than
Christians, recognize that God became man of the Blessed Virgin by the
overshadowing of the Holy Ghost. None, other than Christians, recognize that the
same divine Holy Ghost dwells in the souls of those in the state of grace. None,
other than Christians, recognize that God dwells physically in the tabernacle on
the altar.
And today, even among Christians one can find some, or
perhaps even all of these relations between God and His people denied. The Mass,
the Sacraments, the Blessed Mother, even the historical reality of Jesus Christ
come under greater and greater attack as time passes. Even where these things
are given token acknowledgement, they often take a "back seat" to the
idea of religion being a social or philanthropic thing -- to the idea of
religion as being nothing more than thinking happy thoughts and getting to know
each other. For many, Sunday morning church is little more than a social
obligation; an opportunity to chat; an opportunity to impress neighbors and
business associates with a new suit or a fancy hat. Just ask yourself: How many
people do you suppose come to church on Sunday to worship God above all else.
How many do you suppose are focused on God once again visiting us, and being
with us, and offering Himself for us to the Father as He did two-thousand years
ago?
In a few days we celebrate Christmas—the birth of our
Lord Jesus Christ—perhaps even more than the Annunciation, the most notable
observance of the Incarnation. I would ask you to keep this feast in a holy and
Catholic manner; being, as it were, "a witness" before those who deny
the Incarnation, and particularly before those who would like us to deny the
Incarnation as well. Christmas is not about shopping, not about eating, not
about presents, not about drinking, not about reindeer. Christmas is not
"the holidays," nor "the season"—it is the Christ-Mass,
the Nativity, the birth of Jesus Christ to the Virgin Mary. It is not about
Santa Claus, or Chris Cringle, or Macy's and Gimbel's—it is about the birth
of Jesus to Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem, the Incarnation of God in the history
of His people.
The Incarnation sets us apart from all non-believers in a
profound and essential way. It is the Incarnation that makes God something more
than a force to be feared. It is the Incarnation that gives dignity and natural
rights to human beings. It is the Incarnation that raises us above the level of
physical creation, making us adopted sons and daughters of God. Without the
Incarnation there is no "peace on earth," and very few "men of
good will." Civilization depends upon it: Keep a holy Christmass in honor
of God's Incarnation.
