“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).
I have been reflecting on God.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).
And I have been reflecting on what it means to have the HUMANITY of Man for the Divine Person of God the Son…
You see, when Christ was born, the manger was filled with his Physical being. His humanity came right in with the animals in that place, with the humans who interacted with Him – the Magi who brought Him gifts and the Shepherds who came at the beckoning of an Angel to give Him homage, and of course, His Holy Parents… God was there in complete HUMAN FORM. He was a Man-Child and like any other Man-Child, He was completely vulnerable to all the threats and sufferings of this world. He cried when He was hungry and He experienced being tired and uncomfortable.
He – who created all things and is ABOVE all things – made Himself lowly to FILL the manger with that physical presence of Himself as God the Son made Man.
And then – when He had suffered and died on the Cross to redeem the world, and after He rose from the dead, His tomb was empty… And that is also something upon which to consider… After all, when He ascended into Heaven, God took with Him His HUMAN Form. It was God the Son and God the Son Made Man – a MAN, albeit a perfect Man, but a Man nonetheless – who ascended into Heaven.
And what does this mean – for God the Son and for the Blessed Virgin (who is the only other being to ascend into Heaven body and soul)? Well, it means that Christ’s perfect Body – in its glorified state – lives in Heaven. And this is the same with the Blessed Virgin. It is not the body that we know with aches and pains and problems – it is the Body as God originally intended it to be had we never sinned and never corrupted His plan for us (which is why the Blessed Virgin, who was sinless) could be assumed into Heaven.
And what this really means is that God is also MAN for eternity. He could have chosen to become an Angel, which is far greater than a human being. And yet, God so loves us, that He chose to become one of us – to enter into the history of His creatures – by becoming Man. And when He ascended into Heaven He took His humanity with Him. And this means that He loves us so much that for all time He will be Human and God...
Saint Josemaria wrote in “The Forge” at 30, “Marvel at God's magnanimity: He has become Man to redeem us, so that you and I - who are absolutely worthless, admit it! - may come to know Him and trust Him.”
And here – on this patch of earth, inside this weak skin of ours – Here is the Word Made Flesh…
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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