Villa La Paz Newsletter December 2018

Incarnation: Christian Theol.
Effectuation of the hypostatic union through the conception of the Second Person of the Trinity in the womb of the Virgin Mary
Hypostasis: Christian Theol.
the union of the wholly divine nature and of a wholly human nature in the one person of Jesus Christ (in full hypostatic union)
Kenosis: Christian Theol.
the voluntary abasement of the Second Person of the Trinity in becoming man
Webster’s New World Dictionary
Third College edition

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things came to be through Him and without Him nothing came to be. What came to be
4 through Him was life, and this life was the light of the human race,
5 the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, the glory of the Father’s only son full of grace and truth.
John 1:1-5, 14

What we are in fact celebrating is the awe inspiring humility of God, and no amount of familiarity with the trappings of Christmas should ever blind us to its quiet but explosive significance. For Christians believe that so great is God’s love and concern for humanity the He Himself became a man. Amid the sparkle and the color and music of the day’s celebration we do well to remember that God’s insertion of Himself into human history was achieved with an almost frightening quietness and humility. There was no advertisement no publicity, no special privilege; in fact the entry of God into His own world was almost heartbreakingly humble. In sober fact there is little romance or beauty in the thought of a young woman desperately looking for a place where she could give birth to her baby. I do not think that Mary complained, but it is a bitter commentary upon the world that no one would give up a bed for a pregnant woman – and that the Son of God must be born in a stable.
J.B. Phillips
From Watch for the Light:
Readings for Advent and Christmas

A priest in France was so full of joy at the sight of a nativity scene that he found his heart melting. “Who can describe the joy of the feast of Christmas,” he asked. Then, moved by the Holy Spirit, he wrote a homily that described three acts of humility that were at the heart of this great feast. The first act of humility was God’s plan for His son to take on our human nature and become a man like us in all things but sin. The second act of humility was Jesus coming to us as a helpless baby entrusted to the care of two human beings. The third act of humility was God’s decision to have His Son born into poverty. That priest was St. John Vianney, known as the Curé of Ars, the patron of all priests.
The Word Among Us
Meditation
Advent, 2016

If you should ask me the ways of God, I would tell you that the first is humility, the second is humility, and the third is humility.
St. Augustine of Hippo

We seldom consider the humility of God. We hear of His omnipotence, His omniscience, the fact that He is infinite being and, being its creator, pervades the entire universe. These attributes do not imply humility. And yet, the fact that we know of God only through His creation and through the humility of His Incarnation and not through beholding his majesty and glory, and that He has given us free will to love or reject Him, denotes incomparable humility. The kenosis of God in the Incarnation, in becoming man and in sharing our joys and sorrows was not motivated by man’s sinfulness but by God’s goodness and His unconditional and infinite love for His creation. In loving His creation He wanted to become a part of it. We are impressed by the vastness and order of the universe, the natural wonders we see in our world, the beauty of the arts and sciences, all of which speak to us of God. But do we see Him in the poor, the homeless, the addicted, the intellectually challenged, the sick elderly and others who are considered useless to society, for surely they show us the face of God, perhaps even more so that the rest of the created order since He so identifies with them and entered our world as one of them. How can we move past the superficial aspects of our less fortunate brothers and sisters and see the divine spark in them and recognize that each is a tabernacle in which the Spirit of God dwells and as such possess an inalienable dignity. For most of us it is not easy, since we first notice the filth, the shabbiness, the empty facial expression and hopeless demeanor. “Better not to get involved,” we think to ourselves and move on. We are afraid to reach out, afraid to be drawn into their world, afraid to realize that what we do to the least of our brothers and sisters we do to Him. But we must become involved. We must be beacons of God’s unconditional love to a broken world. We must be broken and given to the world just as God was when He hung on a cross. Only in serving others will we know the fullness of joy.

It is another mark of God’s humility that He depends on us to continue His work on earth and we, not He, receive the praise.

Be careful not to give credit to yourself for anything; if you do you are stealing from God, to Whom alone every good thing is due.
Saint Vincent de Paul

Our children mirror the humility of God. They are totally dependent on us as God once was totally dependent on His human parents. They reach out to us for love, as our God reaches out to us. Let us love them, nurture them, and ensure their future. What we do to them, we do to Him.

O Lord Jesus Christ, make me worthy to understand the profound mystery of your holy Incarnation, which you have worked for our sake and for our salvation. Truly there is nothing as great and wonderful as this, that you, my God should become a creature so that we could become like God. You have humbled yourself and made yourself small that we may be made mighty. Blessed are you, O Lord, Who came to earth as one of us.
Blessed Angela of Foligno

My gratitude to you for making the care of our children possible is inexpressible. Thank you for sharing with us during the past year. May your Christmas be blessed and joyous and your New Year fulfilling and prosperous. We love you and wish you God’s peace.