Advent Meditation~By St. Alphonsus de Liguori (December 2)

[Dawn Marie]

THE MYSTERIES OF THE FAITH

THE INCARNATION

Discourse by Saint Alphonsus de Liguori

December 2, 2014

 

Discourse 3

 

So, then, for us miserable worms, and to captivate our love, has a God deigned to become man?  Yes, it is a matter of faith, as the Holy Church teaches us:  "For us men, and for our salvation, He came down from Heaven. . .  and was made man."  Yes, indeed, so much has God done in order to be loved by us.

 

Alexander the Great, after he had conquered Darius and subdued Persia, wished to gain the affections of that people, and so went about dressed in the Persian costume.  In like manner would our God appear to act; in order to draw towards Him the affections of men, He clothed Himself completely after the human fashion, and appeared made man:  "in shape found as a man."  And by this means He wished to make known the depth of the love which He bore to man:  "The grace of God our Saviour hath appeared to all men." 

 

Man does not love Me, would God seem to say, because he does not see Me.  I wish to make Myself loved:  "He was seen upon earth, and conversed with men."

 

The Divine love for man was extreme, and so it had been from all eternity:  "I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore have I drawn thee, taking pity on thee."  But heretofore it had not appeared how great and inconceivable it was.  Then it truly appeared, when the Son of God showed Himself a little One in a stable on a bundle of straw:  "The goodness and kindness of God our Saviour appeared."  The Greek text reads: "The singular love of God towards men appeared."  St. Bernard says that from the beginning of the world had seen the power of God in the creation, and His wisdom in the government of the world; but only afterwards, in the Incarnation of the Word, was seen how great was His mercy."  Before God was seen made man upon earth, men could not conceive an idea of the Divine goodness; therefore did He take mortal flesh, that, appearing as man, He might make plain to men the greatness of His benignity."

 

And in what manner could the Lord better display to thankless man His goodness and His love?  Man, by despising God, says St. Fulgentius, put himself aloof from God forever; but as man was unable to return to God, God came in search of him on earth."  And St. Augustine had already said as much:  "Because we could not go to the Mediator, He condescended to come to us." "I will draw them with the cords of Adam, with the bands of love."  Men allow themselves to be drawn by love; the tokens of affection shown to them are a sort of chain which binds them, and in a manner forces them to love those who love them.  For this end the Eternal Word chose to become man, to draw to Himself by such a pledge of affection (a stronger than which could not possibly be found) the love of men:  "God was made man, that God might be more familiarly loved by man."

[Alley]

:)

[Dawn Marie]

"Man does not love Me, would God seem to say, because he does not see Me.  I wish to make Myself loved:"

Simply incredible; the heart melts at the contemplation of these words.  The love of God for His miserable creatures is mind blowing.