The Seventh Day of Christmas

The Seventh Day of Christmas

1 John 2:18-21; Psalm 96:1-2, 11-13; John 1:1-18

And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14

Merry Seventh Day of Christmas!

“It is the last hour,” John says.  For many that equates to “the holiday is almost over”.  We will go back to normal living as if nothing sensational had occurred.  Imagine if the shepherds had felt this way.  Only one week after an angelic visitation and finding a baby in a manger, they now return to normal living as if nothing special had happened.  That is how the world treats Christmas.  It should not be so among us.  Each Christmas should have the effect of bringing us closer to the Christ Child and the mystery of the Incarnation.  It should transform our souls little by little so that we become more like the One we adore.

If it was the last hour, according to John, when Christ came into the world, what must our time be but the last minutes?  Then let us not waste a single one of them.  It is still Christmas for the Christian.  Let us ponder its deep mysteries and enter more fully into them.

I can think of no better place to do that than the opening chapter of St. John’s Gospel.  There, we find this great mystery on display as a wonderful masterpiece of art.  We enter with St. John into his own prayer regarding the Word.

St. Jerome says that when St. John was asked to write his Gospel he agreed on the condition that those who made the request would fast and pray with him.  After such a time he began to write, “In the beginning was the Word…”

Now let us join with St. John as he reaches the apex of his meditation. “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son, full of grace and truth.”

The Word was in the beginning with God and was, in fact, Himself God.  He was eternally the Word, the only begotten Son.  In time He became flesh- the Man, Jesus.  When God wanted to provide a means of salvation He Himself became that means.  No other was capable.  Abraham was not.  Moses was not.  David was not.  Elijah was not.  John the Baptist was not.  Only the Word-Become-Flesh was.

Jesus is God With Us- Emmanuel!  He is not only God above us, or God before us, or God around us.  He is now with us.  He has made a way to live within us.  He made His dwelling among us.  When we want to know what God is like we look at Jesus.  If we ever doubt the mercy or the love of God, we look to Jesus.  Who came to Him and was refused?  Who left without receiving what they asked?  Our Lord is more ready to give than we are to receive.  Only our unbelief bars the way.  Thus the reason for a healthy meditation on the Incarnation.  Its intended effect is to decimate our doubts and bring us in faith into the heart of God.

“We saw his glory,” John says.  What glory?  Was there glory surrounding the babe in the manger?  We often depict it that way but there probably wasn’t anything of the kind.  Was there glory when the humble carpenter began to teach, or even to heal?  No.  He was often mocked.  Was there glory on a cross?  Yes, but not visible to the world.  Then where?  First, at the Transfiguration.  Second, in the Resurrection.  Third, at the Ascension.  But John speaks of more than that.  He refers to what they saw.  They beheld Him in faith and that opened their eyes to the glory that was before them.  The same is true for us.  We behold Him in glory when we enter into prayer in the deepest faith.  God waits to show us His glory.

This is no mere “ordinary” glory.  It is the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son.  Think of it- here was the Son of God clothed in flesh.  The ordinary person could not see the difference.  So John relates, “He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him.  He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him.”  But those who did recognize Him- “he gave power to become children of God.”

Our Lord comes to us in all His glory “full of grace and truth”.  With fullness of grace He is ever ready to dispense all the grace we need.  Full of truth, every word He teaches is trustworthy.  He has promised eternal life to those who believe in Him.  He told us He is preparing a place for those who are His.  He will come again to take us to Himself and then we will be with Him in the deepest, most intimate love forever.  No romance was ever greater than the divine romance. 

This is Christmas.  And nothing else really is.  One can have the trappings- the tree, the decorations, the music, the gifts, the food, and even family.  But only the one who has entered into the deep mystery of the Incarnation truly experiences Christmas.

So I invite you to join me as we continue our journey.  We are only seven days into a twelve day excursion.  Let us not stop short.  Our Lord has so much more awaiting us.  For each day of Christmas comes with its own unique gifts, as the famous song says.  What does He have for you today?  Let’s find out!

Merry Christmas!