The gift of the Incarnation
by Rev. Robert A. Sirico, Acton Institute:
All of life is God’s gracious gift. This graciousness applies not only to ourselves and our neighbors, each of whom is made in His image and likeness, but applies as well to the whole of creation which was entrusted to the human family’s care and cultivation (Gen. 1:26-31).
This gracious gift, both of ourselves and the creation, was marred by our own disobedience, born of ingratitude, and resulted in our separation from that gracious Giver. Sin and death are the fruits of this separation. The remarkable thing is that, in the face of this primordial rebellion, God gives again. This time it is the gift of Himself in the divine person of his eternal Word or Logos, born of the Father before all ages, first born of all creation, “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Col. 1:19-20)
This is Christmas. In a sense gifts are the theme, indeed, the very reason for the season, but not the gifts that we often suppose. Above all, it is the gift of the incarnation, the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ born of the Virgin Mary in the town of Bethlehem as foretold by the prophets:
But you, O Bethlehem Eph′rathah,
who are little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days. (Micah 5:2)
All this was then first announced to humble shepherds by an angel of the Lord,
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