The Incarnation Season: the birth of a saving hope

by Michael Summerfield

Capturing the meaning of Christmas is elusive. A few years ago a homemade card that I received expressed it well: "We have seen the compassion of our God and have come to know in ourselves the birth of a saving hope." The Church invites us into an extended celebration of the incarnation season: Advent culminates in a glorious celebration of Christmas followed by the feasts of the Holy Family; Mary, Mother of God; Epiphany; and the Baptism of the Lord.

God made an extraordinary effort to become present to us because something very important was at stake. Twelfth century mystic William of St. Thierry had a keen insight into the love of God when he wrote: "you first loved us so that we might love you-not because you needed our love, but because we could not be what you created us to be, except by loving you." God’s compassionate care for us gives meaning and direction to our lives.

What led Father Raymond E. Brown, an eminent scripture scholar, to describe the birth of the Messiah, as recounted by Luke and Matthew, as "the essential Gospel story in miniature"? From the beginning it was clear that Jesus was the Son of God whose life and death and resurrection revealed him as Savior. The infancy narratives mark the transition from the Old Testament to the Gospel.

Certainly, God had been revealed long before in the experience of humankind for thousands of years. With the birth of Jesus, God became present to us in a new way. As the newborn Son of God, Jesus evoked two reactions. The magi, who were Gentiles, represented those who believed in Jesus and came to pay him homage. King Herod and all the chief priests, the people in authority, are pictured as rejecting the Son of God as a threat. So it has always been when the Good News is revealed, proclaimed, and lived.

As Matthew sets the scene, Mary and Joseph had little time to adjust to their new responsibilities as parents. Who were their visitors from the east? In the ancient world, the title magi, Raymond Brown explains, was "loosely applied to men adept in various forms of secret lore and magic." They interpreted dreams and may have been astrologers, as their interest in the star would indicate. As they journey to Jerusalem and then five miles south to Bethlehem, they are enlightened. The gifts of the magi were symbolic, not really appropriate for an infant. Gold is symbolic of virtue; frankincense, of prayer; and myrrh, of suffering. Brown notes, "in these magi Matthew sees an anticipation of Jesus’ promise: ‘Many will come from East and West and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven’ (8 :11)."

Can we see ourselves in the magi’s searching for Jesus? How many of us have found what we are looking for as we try to uncover the divine in our human encounters?

In Luke’s account, the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem are the ones who proclaim the good news of salvation. Like the magi, the shepherds will discover that their message is accepted by some and rejected by others. They proclaimed what they had learned from an angel: "To you this day there is born in the city of David a Savior who is Messiah and Lord" (2:11). What event could be more praiseworthy, then or now, than the birth of the Messiah?

The story of Joseph’s dream and the journey of the Holy Family to the safety of Egypt before returning to Nazareth may seem far removed from our experience. But we live in an increasingly mobile society. We may still be searching for a place to set down roots. Our journeys, even unexpected side trips, can be fulfilling if we begin to understand God’s messages and seek to do God’s will.

Each of the feasts of the incarnation season is an unwrapping of God’s gift to the world. We end our celebration by marking the Baptism of the Lord. When Jesus appears at the beginning of his adult ministry, we learn what his mission is to be and how we are called to share in it. We, too, have been claimed as beloved sons and daughters of God and anointed for service by the Holy Spirit. Baptism points to the sacred dimension of life. Jesus’ lived example mandates a concern for our brothers and sisters-those close at hand and around the world. The law of love requires a response. We must go against the grain and reject emphasis on individual freedom when the general welfare is at serious risk. Private convictions are not enough. We must be a force for changes in public policy and the workplace.

Christmas appeals to the heart, and that is as it should be. If we have an affectionate relationship with our God, then all that we have been taught about God or experienced in life and prayer will mean more as we celebrate these glorious holy days.

Michael Summerfield ministered in the Diocese of New Ulm for 15 years. He writes for Basilica and Celebration publications with an interest in Biblical Spirituality.