1. The Liturgy.
The feasts and seasons of the Liturgy are not celebrated in its historical context only. Christmas is not celebrated as a historical event. It is a reminder to all Catholics of an eschatological fulfilment of a mystery. This is called the eschatological dimension of the Liturgy.
2. Christmas is a continuation of Christ the King. It is a reminder on how to prepare for the General Judgment of God. With this difference; the Feast of Christ King is preparing souls for that last general judgment; while Christmas teaches the first steps in that preparation. This is clearly shown from the readings for all the Masses from the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time up to Christmas Day.
3. Christ the King tells us that the preparation for that General Judgment consists in, first, having perfect repentance. Secondly, having perfect Faith and, thirdly, having the beginnings of Charity. Christmas teaches us the first step towards that goal and this is how to have perfect Faith.
Perfect Faith is to know that Christ is God and man. All the information about Christ being man is found both in the Old and New Testament, like His human lineage from Adam to Joseph and Mary.
On the other hand, to know that Christ is God is a work of grace. This cannot be learned in the seminary or in a theological school. It cannot be learned through books and lectures. The dogma that Christ is God is an infuse knowledge that comes with the grace of God. It comes with unceasing prayer. Unless God gives us this knowledge we cannot have it.
Christ told Peter, referring to the fact that he knew Christ was the Son of God; 'no man has taught you this but My Father in heaven.' Most people do not know this. So they falsely think that just because they say Christ is God, that is what they believe. Even the devil can easily say Christ is God. In fact, he did so. So much so that Christ commanded him to be silent.
The Jews had a difficult time admitting that Christ was a man; they could only see that Christ was the son of Mary and brother of Jude. They could not believe that He was a descendant of King
David, from the side of Joseph, and Aaron the priest, from Mary's side.
All the more the Jews could not believe that Christ was God.
4. The problem of Christmas.
Because man does not believe that Christ is God who will return to earth and demand an account from every soul on this earth, whether Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, pagan, atheist, etc, we do not believe in Christmas.
But how did the shepherds and, later on, the Magi, know so well that Christ was man and God? By the grace of God that they deserve because of their humility.
5. What question is Christmas answering?
What must we do to have everlasting life according to the Liturgy. Like what Christ had been saying to the young rich man and to the apostles.
Christ had answered this question several times with the same identical answer which can be described in other words as; perfect repentance, perfect Faith and the beginnings of Charity.
6. Christmas is a lesson on perfect Faith. Christ is man and God.
On Christmas day, a man was born. Christmas emphasises the humanity of Christ. But even before the Gospel is finished, it immediately adds; His birth was by the power of the Holy Spirit. So He is, also a God. Then this belief in His humanity and Divinity begin to grow together from Christmas onwards until it reaches its perfection prelude to receiving the theological virtue of Charity.
This knowledge both of His humanity and Divinity must grow in the hearts and minds of the believer thus the birth of Christ as man and God is born again in the soul of man. Christmas is fulfilled again eschatologically in the souls of the believer.
As the knowledge of Christ as man and God grows within the soul of a person, the person must react to that Divine Presence the way the shepherds and the Magi have acted in the presence of Christ. What was their reaction? They beheld Christ as a human baby and then worshipped Him as a Divine Being. That is an act of mature Faith that saves soul.
7. Christmas is not celebrated as a historical event.
Christmas is celebrated as a fulfilment of eschatology. We are recalling how the natural knowledge of the humanity of Christ grows in the soul through natural studies.....together with the supernatural growth of the spiritual knowledge on the Divinity of Christ through the grace of God, in the soul of man as a result of a mature act of Faith. This is shown in the acts of the shepherds and the Magi together with the acts of Joseph and Mary. This is the Advent spirit, showing the beginnings of the infused theological virtue of Faith that saves, because it includes the beginnings of Charity as shown by the adoration of the shepherds and the gifts of the Magi.
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
The Liturgy of CHRISTMAS.
1. The Liturgy.
The feasts and seasons of the Liturgy are not celebrated in its historical context only. Christmas is not celebrated as a historical event. It is a reminder to all Catholics of an eschatological fulfilment of a mystery. This is called the eschatological dimension of the Liturgy.
2. Christmas is a continuation of Christ the King. It is a reminder on how to prepare for the General Judgment of God. With this difference; the Feast of Christ King is preparing souls for that last general judgment; while Christmas teaches the first steps in that preparation. This is clearly shown from the readings for all the Masses from the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time up to Christmas Day.
3. Christ the King tells us that the preparation for that General Judgment consists in, first, having perfect repentance. Secondly, having perfect Faith and, thirdly, having the beginnings of Charity. Christmas teaches us the first step towards that goal and this is how to have perfect Faith.
Perfect Faith is to know that Christ is God and man. All the information about Christ being man is found both in the Old and New Testament, like His human lineage from Adam to Joseph and Mary.
On the other hand, to know that Christ is God is a work of grace. This cannot be learned in the seminary or in a theological school. It cannot be learned through books and lectures. The dogma that Christ is God is an infuse knowledge that comes with the grace of God. It comes with unceasing prayer. Unless God gives us this knowledge we cannot have it.
Christ told Peter, referring to the fact that he knew Christ was the Son of God; 'no man has taught you this but My Father in heaven.' Most people do not know this. So they falsely think that just because they say Christ is God, that is what they believe. Even the devil can easily say Christ is God. In fact, he did so. So much so that Christ commanded him to be silent.
The Jews had a difficult time admitting that Christ was a man; they could only see that Christ was the son of Mary and brother of Jude. They could not believe that He was a descendant of King
David, from the side of Joseph, and Aaron the priest, from Mary's side.
All the more the Jews could not believe that Christ was God.
4. The problem of Christmas.
Because man does not believe that Christ is God who will return to earth and demand an account from every soul on this earth, whether Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, pagan, atheist, etc, we do not believe in Christmas.
But how did the shepherds and, later on, the Magi, know so well that Christ was man and God? By the grace of God that they deserve because of their humility.
5. What question is Christmas answering?
What must we do to have everlasting life according to the Liturgy. Like what Christ had been saying to the young rich man and to the apostles.
Christ had answered this question several times with the same identical answer which can be described in other words as; perfect repentance, perfect Faith and the beginnings of Charity.
6. Christmas is a lesson on perfect Faith. Christ is man and God.
On Christmas day, a man was born. Christmas emphasises the humanity of Christ. But even before the Gospel is finished, it immediately adds; His birth was by the power of the Holy Spirit. So He is, also a God. Then this belief in His humanity and Divinity begin to grow together from Christmas onwards until it reaches its perfection prelude to receiving the theological virtue of Charity.
This knowledge both of His humanity and Divinity must grow in the hearts and minds of the believer thus the birth of Christ as man and God is born again in the soul of man. Christmas is fulfilled again eschatologically in the souls of the believer.
As the knowledge of Christ as man and God grows within the soul of a person, the person must react to that Divine Presence the way the shepherds and the Magi have acted in the presence of Christ. What was their reaction? They beheld Christ as a human baby and then worshipped Him as a Divine Being. That is an act of mature Faith that saves soul.
7. Christmas is not celebrated as a historical event.
Christmas is celebrated as a fulfilment of eschatology. We are recalling how the natural knowledge of the humanity of Christ grows in the soul through natural studies.....together with the supernatural growth of the spiritual knowledge on the Divinity of Christ through the grace of God, in the soul of man as a result of a mature act of Faith. This is shown in the acts of the shepherds and the Magi together with the acts of Joseph and Mary. This is the Advent spirit, showing the beginnings of the infused theological virtue of Faith that saves, because it includes the beginnings of Charity as shown by the adoration of the shepherds and the gifts of the Magi.
The feasts and seasons of the Liturgy are not celebrated in its historical context only. Christmas is not celebrated as a historical event. It is a reminder to all Catholics of an eschatological fulfilment of a mystery. This is called the eschatological dimension of the Liturgy.
2. Christmas is a continuation of Christ the King. It is a reminder on how to prepare for the General Judgment of God. With this difference; the Feast of Christ King is preparing souls for that last general judgment; while Christmas teaches the first steps in that preparation. This is clearly shown from the readings for all the Masses from the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time up to Christmas Day.
3. Christ the King tells us that the preparation for that General Judgment consists in, first, having perfect repentance. Secondly, having perfect Faith and, thirdly, having the beginnings of Charity. Christmas teaches us the first step towards that goal and this is how to have perfect Faith.
Perfect Faith is to know that Christ is God and man. All the information about Christ being man is found both in the Old and New Testament, like His human lineage from Adam to Joseph and Mary.
On the other hand, to know that Christ is God is a work of grace. This cannot be learned in the seminary or in a theological school. It cannot be learned through books and lectures. The dogma that Christ is God is an infuse knowledge that comes with the grace of God. It comes with unceasing prayer. Unless God gives us this knowledge we cannot have it.
Christ told Peter, referring to the fact that he knew Christ was the Son of God; 'no man has taught you this but My Father in heaven.' Most people do not know this. So they falsely think that just because they say Christ is God, that is what they believe. Even the devil can easily say Christ is God. In fact, he did so. So much so that Christ commanded him to be silent.
The Jews had a difficult time admitting that Christ was a man; they could only see that Christ was the son of Mary and brother of Jude. They could not believe that He was a descendant of King
David, from the side of Joseph, and Aaron the priest, from Mary's side.
All the more the Jews could not believe that Christ was God.
4. The problem of Christmas.
Because man does not believe that Christ is God who will return to earth and demand an account from every soul on this earth, whether Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, pagan, atheist, etc, we do not believe in Christmas.
But how did the shepherds and, later on, the Magi, know so well that Christ was man and God? By the grace of God that they deserve because of their humility.
5. What question is Christmas answering?
What must we do to have everlasting life according to the Liturgy. Like what Christ had been saying to the young rich man and to the apostles.
Christ had answered this question several times with the same identical answer which can be described in other words as; perfect repentance, perfect Faith and the beginnings of Charity.
6. Christmas is a lesson on perfect Faith. Christ is man and God.
On Christmas day, a man was born. Christmas emphasises the humanity of Christ. But even before the Gospel is finished, it immediately adds; His birth was by the power of the Holy Spirit. So He is, also a God. Then this belief in His humanity and Divinity begin to grow together from Christmas onwards until it reaches its perfection prelude to receiving the theological virtue of Charity.
This knowledge both of His humanity and Divinity must grow in the hearts and minds of the believer thus the birth of Christ as man and God is born again in the soul of man. Christmas is fulfilled again eschatologically in the souls of the believer.
As the knowledge of Christ as man and God grows within the soul of a person, the person must react to that Divine Presence the way the shepherds and the Magi have acted in the presence of Christ. What was their reaction? They beheld Christ as a human baby and then worshipped Him as a Divine Being. That is an act of mature Faith that saves soul.
7. Christmas is not celebrated as a historical event.
Christmas is celebrated as a fulfilment of eschatology. We are recalling how the natural knowledge of the humanity of Christ grows in the soul through natural studies.....together with the supernatural growth of the spiritual knowledge on the Divinity of Christ through the grace of God, in the soul of man as a result of a mature act of Faith. This is shown in the acts of the shepherds and the Magi together with the acts of Joseph and Mary. This is the Advent spirit, showing the beginnings of the infused theological virtue of Faith that saves, because it includes the beginnings of Charity as shown by the adoration of the shepherds and the gifts of the Magi.
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