At the Incarnation, God did the impossible: He became fully human while remaining fully divine. Without sexual relations (Mt 1:20, 25), Mary, God's mother, conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. A star (Mt 2:2) and choirs of angels (Lk 2:13) announced Jesus' birth. Jesus' Incarnation was a greater event than the astounding release of the Israelites from their exile in Babylon, and the release from Babylon was greater than the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt (Jer 23:7-8). Thus the Incarnation was greater than both of these awesome events.

The Incarnation was the turning point in human history. In fact, we date human history as before the Incarnation (B.C.) and after it (A.D.). We pray about the Incarnation in the Creed, the "Hail Mary," the "Angelus," and the first joyful mystery of the rosary. We celebrate the Incarnation on March 25, the feast of the Annunciation, and at every Christmas season. We are now in the fifth of six years of preparation for celebrating the two thousandth anniversary of the Incarnation.

We are called to be incarnational in our history, prayer, and celebrations. We are called to be Christmas Christians intensely and always. Praise Jesus, God made man, the Word made flesh!

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Ralph J. Lawrence, June 1, 1997

Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, June 9, 1997