Dear Friends in Christ,
God is One of Us. As I was reflecting on St. Matthew’s account of the incarnation of God, Joan Osborne’s 1995 hit song, “One of Us”, came to mind. In the chorus verse of the somewhat theologically controversial song, she sang repeatedly, “What if God was one of us?” What if he were a “slob” or a “stranger on the bus,” what if he were just a regular Joe? Today’s Gospel account answers the questions in the affirmative, God is indeed one of us, a person with an identity, son of Joseph, son of David and Mary, the ever virgin. He took on our humanity through the “yes” of simple people and was born in an obscure place in Bethlehem. His name, according to the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14, is Emmanuel, meaning “God is with us” (Mt 1:23).
God stoops low to conquer (apology to Oliver Goldsmith). In becoming one with us, taking up our humanity, born into the squalor and obscurity of the stable in Bethlehem, he demonstrates his love and humility, and so saves us. His love, because all he did was for our benefit, not his; it was a selfless giving. Humility, because the creator chooses to inhere our flawed human nature and poverty to show us the way to truth and life. God’s oneness with us came about because ones like us, Joseph and Mary, chose to listen and comply with the divine will despite the difficulty that came with their YES! A woman who is yet to live with her husband suddenly becomes pregnant. A man who had no intimate union with his betrothed is asked to be the father of the child she is pregnant with. God had to depend on free will fiats from Mary and Joseph to become one of us and with us, and to save us. This is a testimony to the power of trusting in God in all events of our lives, no matter the trials that accompany them.
We will come to the end of the Advent season on Wednesday, and by sunrise, begin the celebration of the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ in a couple of days. The great solemnity will sneak up on us, so to speak. As a result of the nearness, I want to anticipate the solemnity by wishing you all a Merry Christmas! It will be my seventh Christmas with our loving and growing parish, and I look forward to it with the excitement of children gathered around the Christmas tree, opening their presents. The joy at the Family Bingo last Sunday and at the Advent meditation and adoration with Mark Forrest this past Monday, on a snowy, freezing evening, are pleasant signs of greater things to come as we properly enter the Christmas season. Let’s keep the Christmas spirit in sight in the few days left of Advent. Seek to be one with God who became one with you on Christmas Day.
Have a Holy Advent and Merry Christmas, friends!
In His Hope and Will,
Fr. Alayode Bernard, OP
God is One of Us. As I was reflecting on St. Matthew’s account of the incarnation of God, Joan Osborne’s 1995 hit song, “One of Us”, came to mind. In the chorus verse of the somewhat theologically controversial song, she sang repeatedly, “What if God was one of us?” What if he were a “slob” or a “stranger on the bus,” what if he were just a regular Joe? Today’s Gospel account answers the questions in the affirmative, God is indeed one of us, a person with an identity, son of Joseph, son of David and Mary, the ever virgin. He took on our humanity through the “yes” of simple people and was born in an obscure place in Bethlehem. His name, according to the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14, is Emmanuel, meaning “God is with us” (Mt 1:23).
God stoops low to conquer (apology to Oliver Goldsmith). In becoming one with us, taking up our humanity, born into the squalor and obscurity of the stable in Bethlehem, he demonstrates his love and humility, and so saves us. His love, because all he did was for our benefit, not his; it was a selfless giving. Humility, because the creator chooses to inhere our flawed human nature and poverty to show us the way to truth and life. God’s oneness with us came about because ones like us, Joseph and Mary, chose to listen and comply with the divine will despite the difficulty that came with their YES! A woman who is yet to live with her husband suddenly becomes pregnant. A man who had no intimate union with his betrothed is asked to be the father of the child she is pregnant with. God had to depend on free will fiats from Mary and Joseph to become one of us and with us, and to save us. This is a testimony to the power of trusting in God in all events of our lives, no matter the trials that accompany them.
We will come to the end of the Advent season on Wednesday, and by sunrise, begin the celebration of the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ in a couple of days. The great solemnity will sneak up on us, so to speak. As a result of the nearness, I want to anticipate the solemnity by wishing you all a Merry Christmas! It will be my seventh Christmas with our loving and growing parish, and I look forward to it with the excitement of children gathered around the Christmas tree, opening their presents. The joy at the Family Bingo last Sunday and at the Advent meditation and adoration with Mark Forrest this past Monday, on a snowy, freezing evening, are pleasant signs of greater things to come as we properly enter the Christmas season. Let’s keep the Christmas spirit in sight in the few days left of Advent. Seek to be one with God who became one with you on Christmas Day.
Have a Holy Advent and Merry Christmas, friends!
In His Hope and Will,
Fr. Alayode Bernard, OP
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