Windows M edia A udio file

Prepared by: Richard G. Pazcoguin UST Institute of Religion

Our Lords human existence began when the Blessed Virgin Mary gave her Fiat to the Angel Gabriel during the Annunciation.

The Holy Spirit shall come upon you and the power of the Most high will overshadow you. Hence, the holy offspring shall be called Son of God Luke 1:35
Unlike us, whose human existence was made possible through the union of our parents, Jesus conception in the Blessed Mothers womb was through the miraculous intervention of the Holy Spirit.

Incarnation to become flesh. The belief that for the salvation of the world, the Son of god, while remaining fully divine, became truly and fully human. (2001:Collins and Farrugia) The fact that the Son of God assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it. (Catechism of the Catholic Church)

The Catechism of the Catholic Church cites four reasons for the Incarnation. The Word became flesh: TO SAVE US BY RECONCILING US WITH GOD. TO MAKE US REALIZE GODS LOVE TO BE OUR MODEL OF HOLINESS TO MAKE US PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE.

God did not turn a blind eye to the miseries of humanity. Although these miseries have been caused primarily by our sinfulness, He took the initiative of repairing our brokenness by sending us His Son.

We are incapable of saving ourselves. We have hurt God so badly that we are rendered powerless to cause our own salvation. Only God has the power to deliver us from sin and its implications.
The Son of God became man, so that by assuming our nature, he may say sorry to the Father on our behalf. Sacred Scriptures tell us that the Father sent His Son to be the Savior of the world.

Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as the savior of the world. 1 John 4:14

The song More than Words tells us that love is more than just saying I love you. Love is manifested through the actions of the lover. Surely the Incarnation was not absolutely necessary. God is not bound by any form of necessity. However, there was a relative necessity on our part. God wants us to realize the immensity of His love through ways known to us. He said I love you to us by sending us His only Son.

For God so loved the world that he gave us his only Son
John 3:16

This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us first and sent us his Son as an expiation for our sins. 1
John 1:10

TAO LANG AKO. This is often our excuse for giving-in to temptation.

Now Jesus challenges us:

Matthew 11:29

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.

Jesus Christ is the triumph of humanity over human weakness. The Bible says that he was tempted in every way, yet without sin. (Heb. 4:15) In the person of Jesus, we learn that human nature is not a hindrance to holiness.

That we may fully become Gods children, we have to be partakers of his nature. Humanity is humanity, and divinity is divinity. These two used to be opposed to each other.

Jesus Christ is the meeting point of humanity and divinity. By becoming like us, we became like him.
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Sonthat we might receive adoption. As proof that you are children, God sent the spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, Abba, Father! Galatians 4:4-6 Adopted as we are, God gave us his very life by infusing us with the Spirit of His Son.

The ORASYON is one of the beautiful religious traditions of Filipinos, which sadly is becoming obsolete. The world used to stop at 6:00 pm for that is the time when the Filipino household pauses to pray together the Angelus the prayer which commemorates the Lords Incarnation. The Angelus is prayed at 6 in the morning, at 12 noon and at 6 in the evening. Throughout the day, this prayer reminds us that Gods loved for us is so immense that He decided to go through our human struggles. This prayer reminds us also that as He became like us, we must strive to be like him, and Our Lady is our model, whose obedience paved the way for the Incarnation. If we will be obedient to Gods will like her, then God shall continue to be incarnate through us.

THE ANGEL OF THE LORD DECLARED UNTO MARY AND SHE CONCEIVED BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. HAIL MARY BEHOLD THE HANDMAID OF THE LORD, BE IT DONE UNTO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD.

HAIL MARY
AND THE WORD BECAME FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US. HAIL MARY

Pour forth, we beseech You, o Lord, Your grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ Your Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His passion in cross, be brought to the glory of His resurrection, through the same Christ, our Lord. Amen. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

CBCP Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education (trans)

Manila: ECCCE and Makati: Word and Life Publications, 1994

CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (English translation for the Philippines)

Gerald OCollins and Edward G. Farrugia

A CONCISE DICTIONARY OF THEOLOGY

Quezon City: Claretian Publications, 2001