Sin entered the world because of pride and the disobedience of the first man. With sin came corruption and the perversion of the created order. God promised to send a Redeemer to bail man and with him creation from the pitiable state into which he had fallen. The Redeemer would be the complete antithesis of sin and everything pertaining to sin.
The fulfillment of God's promise of a Redeemer came ushered in by people whose lives were to be the exact opposite of pride and disobedience. They were, in a way, to mirror and reflect the Promised One Himself. Thus we have St John the Baptist, the Messiah's precursor, whose humility was astounding as was his dedication to the task assigned him by God. From its humble condition, even Bethlehem-Ephrathah, "Too small to be counted among the clans of Judah" would play an important role. It was ordained by God to be the birthplace of the Savior.
Most of all, we have Mary, possessed, like St John the Baptist, of an exceptional and astounding humility to accept something that she perhaps hardly understood. Assured by an angel, she bowed in full obedience to the will of God: "let it be done to me according to thy word".
Attached to their respective and particular calling, both Mary and John the Baptist
would likewise mirror the sacrifice of the Messiah. John the Baptist would end up losing his head and Mary would have her heart pierced by seven swords, indicative of the pain and anguish she had to suffer with her Son.
The sacrifice of Jesus is the reason of the Incarnation, the cause of our Christmas joy, as we rejoice at the thought that God can be such a loving Father not to spare Hos Only Begotten Son but sent Him to us to that, freed from sin and death, we can have His life to the full and have it for all eternity.
Frf JESS A ENCISO
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment