THE WORD BECAME FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US
Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch
Bible Texts: Isaiah 52:7-10; Hebrews 1:1-6; John 1:1-18
Dear friend, today, we celebrate the profound mystery of the Word made flesh, the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. This is the mystery that lies at the heart of our Catholic faith, one that unites heaven and earth and transforms human history. The readings for this Christmas day invite us to contemplate the theological depth of this mystery: how God, in his infinite love, chose to reveal himself fully and personally in Jesus Christ. From Isaiah’s prophecy to the prologue of John’s Gospel, we are drawn into the story of a God who desires to dwell among his people, not as a distant ruler, but as Emmanuel - “God with us.”
Isaiah’s prophecy in the first reading is a declaration of joy and salvation: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings, announcing peace, bearing good news” (Isaiah 52:7). This passage reflects the long-awaited hope of Israel, a people yearning for redemption. The prophet announced the coming of God’s reign, a reign marked by peace, joy, and restoration. The Lord’s act of salvation is described as so monumental that it caused the ruins of Jerusalem to break into song and all nations to behold his glory.
This promise found its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, whose birth is the definitive act of God’s intervention in history. Christ is the messenger of peace who brings not just temporary relief, but eternal salvation. His coming inaugurates a kingdom where sin and death are defeated, and humanity is restored to its original dignity. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, “The Word became flesh to make us ‘partakers of the divine nature’” (CCC 460). The Incarnation is the beginning of the new creation, where all things are reconciled in Christ.
In the second reading, the author of the Letter to the Hebrews presents the Incarnation as the culmination of God’s revelation. “In these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son” (Hebrews 1:2). This passage highlights the unique and unparalleled role of Jesus Christ in salvation history. In times past, God revealed himself through prophets, but in Christ, he reveals himself fully and definitively. The Son is described as the “refulgence of his glory and the very imprint of his being” (Hebrews 1:3).
What this means is that in Jesus, we encounter the fullness of God. The Incarnation reveals the divine plan: to unite humanity with divinity. Christ, as both true God and true man, bridges the infinite gap between the Creator and his creation. Through his birth, life, death, and resurrection, he accomplished what no prophet or angel could achieve - the redemption of humanity.
The Gospel of John began with a profound theological statement: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). John’s prologue takes us back to the foundation of all things. The Word, or Logos, is the eternal Son of God, through whom all things were created. The Incarnation, then, is not an afterthought or a response to sin; it is the fulfillment of God’s eternal plan.
When John says, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” (John 1:14), he uses the language of the Old Testament tabernacle. Just as God’s presence dwelled with Israel in the Ark of the Covenant, so now he dwells with us in an even more intimate way: in the person of Jesus Christ. This is the mystery of the Incarnation: the infinite God takes on human flesh, not as a distant observer, but as one who fully enters into our human experience. He does this to restore us to communion with the Father. As St. Athanasius famously wrote, “The Son of God became man so that we might become God” (De Incarnatione, 54).
Dear friend, on this holy day, we celebrate a love so profound that God himself became one of us. The Incarnation is the mystery that defines our faith: the eternal Word entering time, the infinite God embracing human frailty, and the Savior restoring us to communion with him. Let us, like the shepherds, approach the manger with wonder and gratitude. And let us proclaim with joy: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
Merry Christmas, and may the light of Christ illuminate your heart and home🙏🏿
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