Advent Meditation~By St. Alphonsus de Liguori (December 9)

[Dawn Marie]

THE MYSTERIES OF THE FAITH

THE INCARNATION

Discourse by Saint Alphonsus de Liguori

December 9, 2014

 

Discourse 10

 

“The Eternal Word from being Innocent becomes as it were Guilty”

 

Consolamini, consolamini, popule meus, dicit Deus, vester.

 

“Be conforted, be comforted, my people, saith your God.”---- Is. xi. I.

 

Previous to the coming of our Redeemer, the whole unhappy race of mankind groaned in misery upon this earth; all were children of wrath, nor was there one who could appease God, justly indignant at their sins:  “Behold, Thou art angry, and we have sinned: . . . There is none that riseth up, and taketh hold of Thee.”  Yes, because it is God Himself who has been offended by man: man, being nothing but a miserable creature, was unable, by whatever extent of chastisement, to make atonement for the injury offered to an infinite majesty: there was need of another god to satisfy the Divine justice. But such a god did not exist, neither could there be found any besides the one God alone: on the other hand, the person offended could not make satisfaction to himself; so that ours was a desperate case.

 

But take comfort, take comfort, O men, saith the Lord by the mouth of Isaiah: 

“Be comforted, be comforted, my people, saith your God; for her evil is come to an end.”

And the reason is, because God Himself hath discovered a way of saving man, while at the same time His justice and His mercy shall both be satisfied:  Justice and peace have kissed.  The Son of God has Himself become man, has taken the form of a sinner, and loading His own shoulders with the burden of satisfying for mankind, He has made full compensation to the Divine justice for the penalty merited by men, by the sufferings of His life and of His death; and thus the opposite claims of justice and of mercy have been paid.

Has Jesus Christ, then, from being innocent become guilty, to free men from eternal death? That is to say, has He chosen to pass for a sinner? Yes, the love which He bears to mankind has brought Him even to this pass. Let us consider Him in this state; but let us first beg light of Jesus and Mary to profit by it.