The Word Became Flesh: Reflections for Advent and Christmas

Friends, Advent is the liturgical season of vigilance or, to put it more mundanely, of waiting.

During the four weeks prior to Christmas, we light the candles of our Advent wreaths and put ourselves in the spiritual space of the Israelite people who, through many long centuries, waited for the coming of the Messiah: “How long, O Lord?” (Ps. 13:1).

The fundamental message of Christmas, on the other hand, is that the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Zechariah, etc. have come true—but in the most unexpected way: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14).

Jesus of Nazareth is not simply one more in a long line of prophets, not one more wisdom figure, not just another religious hero; rather, he is what Isaiah and his prophetic colleagues longed for: God himself in the flesh, come to rule.

This year, Word on Fire’s new meditation book—which includes reflections, poems, and prayers from across two thousand years of Catholic history—will draw you more deeply into the mysteries of the Advent and Christmas seasons.

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