Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas
John 1:1–18
REFLECT
“And the word became flesh,” writes Saint John in his Gospel. But what does this mean? Pope Benedict XVI explains, “The word ‘flesh,’ according to the Hebrew usage, indicates man in his whole self, the whole man, but in particular in the dimension of his transience and his temporality, his poverty and his contingency.” Jesus, the Son of God, assumes our human condition in its totality. He became like us in all things but sin. By taking on everything that belongs to humanity, he opens for us the way to know the Father, to be able to cry out as children of God.
PRAY
Almighty God, in the Nativity of your Son, you show the way for human salvation. By the mystery of your Incarnation, heal us from all that separates us from you. Amen.
LIVE
Rearrange your Nativity scene today. Take note of the postures, the humanity, of the figurines, and take the opportunity to meditate on the radical nature of the Incarnation.