Nativity Jan. 6/97 St. John 1.1-14

Enmeshed in my Flesh

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit

Dear Beloved brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ who is born and revealed unto us this day: Jesus Christ Our Lord, the God through whom all things were made, the Savior that Our Father promised of old by the prophets, the Light who disperses our darkness, the Word of comfort, the sacrifice of forgiveness and mercy, our only hope for Life now and forever , our very Life itself, this Christ is, TODAY, here in the flesh. Let us exult with fear and joy, with fear,because our sin necessitated His arrival; but also with joy, because of the deliverance, forgiveness, mercy and life that His birth and revealtion in the flesh brings us. Bless, praise and hightly exalt Him now and forevermore.

That is the Gospel, the comfort and the unshakable word that St. John proclaims in today's Gospel. Now let us explore the depth of this mystery .

The fathers of the church expressed this mystery in the form of paradox. A paradox is a statement that appears or seems to contradict itself.

The fathers have said, He who has no mother in heaven is born without a father on earth. The laws of nature are set aside, not for the sake of

awe but for your benefit and good. The God who is spirit and truth now takes on flesh and becomes incarnate. The Word puts on a body. The Invisible is now visible, the unseen is now beheld. The One who no hand can touch is now handled, held and received. The Son of God becomes the Son of Man. Not because He can, but because for us He must, to become your life, your hope, your resurection, your salvation.

In this paradox is revealed the kindness and the love of God toward all mankind,toward you. This is the grace ofGod appearing now before you. This is the Gospel in which you have hope and by which you were saved, are being saved and shall be saved. This is all that really matters in life.

The paradox continues to shine through the darkness.

Christ is born so that we might be re-born. The Son of God becomes man so that the children of men might be called sons of God. God puts on our nature so that we might commune in His divine nature. He who

is above all things, lowers Himself to us by taking on all that we are; our poverty , our weakness, our suffering, our death, all things so that He might lift us up from the depths of our despair , raising our humanity to live and reign with Him. God takes on flesh and blood so you, in your flesh and blood, might put on and take God into yourself.

Own the mystery! Revel in this great compassion of your God and Lord! T ake to heart this grace of God that descends to the earth, that rests in the cave in Bethlehem, that desires to be born in you, enmeshed in your flesh.

TODAY, our gracious and compassionate God makes the impossible possible.

TODAY, not only does the Son of God take on flesh, but He chooses to dwell in your flesh.

TODAY, God is born of a woman so that you might be born of God.

TODAY, the Word of God becomes more than sounds, more than a hope or promise.

TODAY, He is flesh and blood.

TODAY, He is one of you, one with you, one in you.

To be united to this God in the flesh, this Jesus and Savior, you in His Body and His Body in you, combined in a gracious and unfathomable union so that God's promises become true.

The father's call this union perichoresis, a greek word meaning "indwelling," a mystery by which we are clothed with Christ, the Incarnate God.

TODAY, God in you and you in God. It is this "indwelling" of God in us and we in Him that makes possible Theosis, divinization, becoming by grace what God is by nature, Christlikeness.

Because that is the only way you can ever hope to receive and drink down and be immersed in the kindness and love of God. To have this Jesus, this Savior, washed over you, to be drowned in His death, to have His holy and immaculate birth sanctify your sinful and death-riddled birth that is the only way you become an heir of heaven. And to have this Lord and God dwell in your flesh, to have His flesh and blood be your daily food and drink, to have His life now lived in your lifeuthat is the only way you can live both now and in the life that is lived through death.

Christ is born so that we might be reborn. The Word of God becomes flesh so that we might have Him living in and through our flesh.

And so now we are justified. Now we are saved. Now we are truly helped.

TODAY, we are comforted. Not with the comfort and help we thought would really be comforting and helpful. Not with the salvation that we hoped comes about because of our right deeds and decisions. But now we are comforted and helped, sanctified and saved by God's work, by the Spirit's outpouring upon us whereby the Father's Son lives and makes His dwelling in and through us.

And now we too can join the angels in song, boldly crying out saying "Holy Holy Holy Lord of Hosts heaven and Earth are full of your glory ." Now we too can shout for joy with the whole earth. Now we too can rejoice with the only rejoicing that befits God's gift of His Son. By receiving Him in His Gospel Word and Gospel Supper, havning become children of God, we worship him together with all the saints glorifying the One Godhead, the Father and the + Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages, amen.

5 January 1998

St. Mary Armenian Church 200 West Mount Pleasant Avenue Livingston, New Jersey 07039	Phone: 973-533-9794 FAX: 973-992-0458 Email: info@myarmenianchurch.org