Reclaiming the Reason for the Season

It has indeed been a long time since I posted last. This situation however presents me with the perfect time to post again.

We are now just about at Christmas. For us as Christians, the advent season which almost complete is for preparation for the celebration of Christmas. That is to prayerfully prepare for the profound mystery of Word Incarnate coming into the world in Bethlehem.

I write this in part, because I am most guilty of not prayerfully prepairing myself to recieve and celebrate this mystery. Luckily for me, I had one of the times where the right things were discussed at the right time.

In this case it was a discussion on the Incarnation taken from the sermons of St. Leo the Great. In these sermons, the great pontiff brings to life the mystery and majesty of Christ's entry into the world. He does while imploring the faith to act on and deepen their understanding of the mystery.

And so now, touched by the sword of Truth, I am now graced to write this. It is my blessing to say that by God's grace, I will have a deeper apprecialtion for the Blessed Lord's nativity. And in writing this, I hope that it will encourage all.

With such a short time to go, it is important for us all to prayerfully prepare ourselves to receive the mystery of the savior's birth in Manger. Likewise you should bring us to prayerful meditation of the nativity during the Christmas season to come.

The way we start is by remembering what the season is all about. It is simply put about Christ. In these sermons, St. Leo reminds us who the Christ child is. To paraphrase the great saint (although if I incidentally direct quote him, there will be citation at the end of this), Christ is the Word who "in the beginning was with God and is God. (John:1,1)" He tells us that Christ becomes human without losing any of His divinity.

Indeed it is. Christ by His design deined to become human. In one sermon St. Leo tells us that to defeat the work of Satan, Christ had to become human. He had to be the creature born free of original sin. In so doing defeating the fall.

And there's more. In fact it so much and so packed that I think the best plan is to read them for yourselves. Leo unravels the mystery of God becoming man. That Christ took flesh but remained divine. And yet being human, elivates our very nature. And most importantly he urges us to act upon and meditate on the message of Christmas.

So what do we conclude? We must remember that at the heart of Christmas is Christ. That it is His birth we laud. It is His first act of humility. Once again I paraphrase St. Leo, that Christ had to be Divine to be our remidy and human to be our example. Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is the message we are to carry. This is the message to meditate on. Christ, Son of the Living God was born of the Virgin Mary on Christmas Day. All praise and honor to Him.

So now, despite this being all too brief, please let us reclaim the reason for the season.

Resources: http://newadvent.org/fathers/3603.htm (sermons 21-23 were of particular help) (sermons 21-29 are Christmas sermons)