_ T s ^ t t h THE CATHOLIC HOUR 1 1" A N D THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH BY REV. EUGENE BURKE, C.S.P. A talk entitled "And The Word Was Made Flesh" delivered on the Catholic Hour on December 26, 1954 by Rev. Eugene Burke, C.S.P., produced by the National Council of Catholic Men in cooperation with the National Broadcasting Company. This is the last in a series of four talks entitled "In His Likeness." YOUR generous contributions, no matter how small, make THE CATHOLIC HOUR broadcasts possible. National Council of Catholic Men 1312 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Washington 5, D. C. A N D T H E W O R D W A S M A D E FLESH My Dear F r i e n d s : P e r h a p s t h e w a r m e s t and loveliest expressions of t h e Christian t r a d i t i o n a r e to be f o u n d in t h e celebration of t h e Christmas season. Every land t h a t has been touched at all by Christianity h a s given a rich setting to t h e incidents t h a t s u r r o u n d t h e b i r t h of Christ. Melodies and songs h a v e f l o w - ed f r o m this celebration which a r e capable of evoking a whole series of rich h u m a n responses to all t h a t t h e Babe of B e t h l e - hem, h a s come to represent. C e n t u r y - o l d customs and p r a c - tices h a v e g r o w n u p which a r e expressive of some of the d e e p - est, tenderest of all our Chris- tian values. Each of us h a s a whole t r e a s u r e - h o u s e of m e - mories of this season t h a t h a v e served to enrich and even e n - oble our lives. F r o m childhood to m a t u r i t y these memories bind us to those w e love and those whose affection w e h a v e shared. Into it all h a s been i n - terwoven t h e ideals of peace a n d good will and t h e oneness of t h e h u m a n family and not even t h e loss of belief or t h e r a n k e s t commercialism h a v e been able to destroy these Chris- tian realities. A n d yet, a t f i r s t glance, t h e r e would seem to be b u t little p r o - portion and correspondence b e - t w e e n t h e actual event and t h e enormous impact t h a t it has had f o r centuries on t h e lives and h e a r t s a n d minds of men. An i n f a n t b o r n in f a r off J u d e a of a simple and u n k n o w n J e w i s h maiden. A nativity stripped of every comfort a n d convenience. A stable its scene because t h e r e is no room in t h e inn. A tidings announced only to a f e w s h e p - h e r d s on t h e J u d e a n plains. Yet these a r e t h e v e r y incidents t h a t in a r t and poetry, in song and music h a v e captured our i m a - gination and become t h e loveli- est a n d most vital p a r t s of our spiritual tradition and heritage. And a stranger to historical Christianity might v e r y well ask why. And t h e answer I should say is t h a t underlying all this w a r m Christmas tradition is t h e rec- ognition t h a t h e r e in the flesh is expressed t h e very h e a r t of t h e Christian vision of m a n and m a n ' s purposes. The words w e use, t h e customs we follow all spring f r o m t h e fact t h a t h e r e at Bethlehem we believe is vis- ible a new beginning in t h e h i s - tory of h u m a n i t y . F o r to t h e b e - lieving Christian, the b i r t h of Christ is t h e g r e a t m o m e n t of m a n ' s history a n d he stands in a w e and joy b e f o r e it knowing t h a t h e r e is t h e summit of which all h u m a n loves a r e b u t a reflection — God so loved t h e world t h a t He sent His only begotten Son to redeem it. It is this t h a t is t h e tiding of great joy as t h e angels say "For you is b o r n today in t h e town of David a Saviour w h o is Christ t h e Lord." Bethlehem is tteacSdifJof! a t once t h e r e f o r e t h e glad t i d - ings of Christianity and t h e vis- ible and striking manifestation of its c e n t r a l mystery. For w h e n t h e believer kneels b e f o r e t h e crib a n d seeks to c a p t u r e its meaning h e knows t h a t h e is face to face w i t h t h e mystery of God m a d e m a n . T h a t it is a t r e m e n d o u s m y s - t e r y no believing Christian would deny. T h a t is h a s been looked upon as sheer folly w e h a v e ample testimony. History is filled w i t h t h e words and deeds of those who h a v e f o u n d it a scandal a n d a stumbling block. But t h a t it is central and essential to t h e Christian view of m a n a n d of t h e world a n d of h u m a n history is inescapable. For w h e n w e say w i t h St. J o h n t h e Evangelist t h a t " t h e Word w a s m a d e flesh a n d d w e l t amongst u s " w e m e a n in t h e f u l l literal sense of t h e words t h a t t h e Son of God, t r u l y God, has j o u r n e y e d f r o m eternity to time and in t h e scriptural phase "has his t e n t among us." We a f - f i r m and believe t h a t "God t h e everlasting and Almighty h a s become a child and lies in t h e m a n g e r . " Folly a n d nonsense say m a n y — blasphemy, a r r o - gance, say others. B u t those of us who a f f i r m t h e reality of this u n i q u e and t r e m e n d o u s histori- cal event and k n e e l b e f o r e it say simply "I believe" k n o w i n g t h a t our power to say it is not of m a n b u t of God and God's grace. We know t h a t t h e living God a n d His i n f i n i t e love is not s u b - ject to nor circumscribed by our limitations and dictates as to how He shall a p p e a r among us. We a r e sure t h a t He Who m a d e t h e world and ourselves can e n - t e r into creation w h e n and as He will. And knowing t h e t r e - mendous resources of h u m a n love w e a r e sure t h a t t h e i n - f i n i t e depths of divine love i n - finitely transcend h u m a n possi- bilities or imagination. More t h a n this w e k n o w t h a t t h e history of m a n is m a r k e d by a clear consciousness of his need of redemption. For t h e n o r m a l m a n h a s a real, even if a t times an obscure sense of spiritual reality. He is conscious too of t h e evil and misery of a life t h a t is enslaved to sensual i m - pulse and self interest. More- over in his r e a l m o m e n t s of i n - sight t h e n o r m a l m a n is a w a r e t h a t h e h a s contributed to t h e flood of h u m a n evil b y s e l f - glorification a n d t h e will to power and avarice a n d lust. Again, no m a t t e r h o w h e tries h e cannot escape t h e m y s t e r y of pain a n d death. How t h e n o v e r - come and t r a n s f o r m these conditions of h u m a n existence so as to actualize his highest a n d noblest aspirations? This is t h e f u n d a m e n t a l religious p r o b - lem which is as m u c h a p a r t of t h e history of m a n as m a n h i m - self. One m a y of course chal- lenge this view as belonging to t h e past. B u t " t h e past is simply t h e record of t h e experience of h u m a n i t y a n d if t h a t experience testifies to a p e r m a n e n t h u m a n need t h e n t h a t need m u s t m a n i - f e s t itself in t h e f u t u r e no less t h a n in t h e past."' Hence it is f i t t i n g t h a t God Who m a d e us b u t a little lower t h a n Himself and crowned us w i t h honor and glory and m a d e us in His own likeness — it is f i t t i n g t h a t He should be m i n d - f u l of us and in His i n f i n i t e love reach out to f i l l t h a t need. And t h e f a i t h of living and h i s t o r i - cal Christianity is t h a t He did j u s t t h a t — as St. P a u l w r i t e s to t h e Galatians: "So too w h e n w e w e r e children w e w e r e e n - slaved u n d e r t h e elements of t h e world. B u t w h e n t h e f u l - ness of t i m e came God sent His son b o r n of a w o m a n u n d e r t h e law t h a t w e m i g h t receive t h e adoption of sons. And because you a r e sons of God h a s sent t h e spirit of His son into our h e a r t s crying Abba F a t h e r . So t h a t h e is no longer a slave, b u t a son a n d as a son a n heir also t h r o u g h God." It is this conviction t h a t is t h e loving source of t h e Christmas gospel. It is t h e social and his- torical implications of this t h a t a r e t h e v e r y s t r u c t u r e of living Christianity. F i r s t of all it is this central t r u t h of Christianity m a d e m a n i f e s t a t Bethlehem t h a t sets J e s u s Christ a n d His teaching in an entirely d i f f e r e n t category f r o m such t h i n k e r s and religi- ous leaders as Socrates a n d Buddha. T h e contrast He sets b e f o r e t h e world is not merely moral. It is not t h e contrast b e - t w e e n flesh a n d t h e spirit or t h e sensual a n d t h e spiritual, b u t r a t h e r b e t w e e n this world and t h e next, b e t w e e n t i m e a n d eternity, b e t w e e n t h e kingdom of God and t h e kingdom of t h e world. Because t h e only begot- ten Son of God h a s become m a n t h e n m a n is b r o u g h t into h i s - torical and effective r e l a t i o n - ship w i t h t h e world of divine purposes and values. By r e a - son of this h e can a n d does look beyond t h e world of m a n and his works. H e is introduced i n - to a r a n g e of reality t h a t t r a n - scends t h e f i n i t e a n d temporal world to whieh t h e state and t h e economic order belong. F o r Christ by reason of His n a t i v i t y is a living bridge b e - t w e e n t h e two worlds. He brings the spiritual order into t h e world of m a n a n d opening t h e door of t h e spiritual world to man. The word of God m a d e flesh becomes t h e principle of a n e w order a t once historical like m a n a n d e t e r n a l like God. Time a n d eternity, t h e visible a n d t h e invisible, t h e spiritual and t h e material, flesh and spirit, a r e united i n living fashion and m a d e capable of f u l f i l l i n g t h e divine purpose of history. Man h a s t h e living t e s - timony of God's own word t h a t h e is engraced w i t h a n e t e r n a l destiny — t h a t h e is t h e object of t h e visible a n d effective bodying f o r t h of God's love. He knows now t h a t h e stands in a relationship w i t h God t h a t transcends all accidents of b i r t h or politics or economics. In St. P a u l ' s ringing words: "For you a r e all t h e children of God t h r o u g h f a i t h in J e s u s Christ. F o r all you who h a v e been baptized into Christ h a v e p u t on Christ. T h e r e is n e i t h e r J e w nor Greek, t h e r e is n e i t h - er slave nor f r e e m a n , t h e r e is neither male nor female. For you a r e all one in J e s u s Christ." Yet t h e f u l l significance of t h e Word m a d e flesh—of God become m a n is not realized sim- ply by stating t h a t t h e living God h a s entered into h u m a n history. It also calls f o r t h e f u r - t h e r a f f i r m a t i o n t h a t by His e x - istence in t h e world, by His life, teaching a n d death He brings actual redemption to m a n . It is t h e a f f i r m a t i o n t h a t so highly does God r e g a r d m a n t h a t His own Son sacrificed His life t h a t m e n might h a v e t h e power to meet a n d conquer sin. In t h e words of St. P a u l to t h e Phillipians: "Christ Jesus Who though He was b y n a t u r e God, did not consider being equal to God a t h i n g to b e clung to b u t emptied himself t a k i n g t h e n a - t u r e of a slave and being m a d e like unto men. A n d appearing in t h e f o r m of m a n He humbled Himself becoming obedient to death, even u n t o t h e d e a t h of t h e cross." It is this reality of God's r e - demptive design t h a t f u l l t i d - ings of great joy comes to us: "Today is born to you in t h e town of David a Saviour who is Christ t h e Lord." Because t h e r e f o r e Christ is t h e son of God His redemptive w o r k h a s i n f i n i t e and t o t a l v a l u e b e f o r e God. But because He is not merely m a n b u t t h e m a n , t h e n e w A d a m t h e head of m a n - kind t h e f i r s t - b o r n among m a n y b r e t h r e n t h e n He is also our b r o t h e r and so He mediates f o r all of us t h e great high priest "always living to m a k e i n t e r - cession for us." Because He is our brother, because b y t h e will of God He is t h e n e w h e a d of h u m a n i t y called to redemption t h e n as St. Thomas says, " t h e passion of Christ belongs to us really as though w e ourselves had s u f f e r e d it." For t h e Christ of history and t h e r e f o r e t h e Christianity of Christ face u p f r a n k l y and w i t h o u t f e a r to t h e f a c t of sin. It recognizes sin f o r w h a t it is — t h e only essential evil—for only sin can t h w a r t t h e e t e r n a l destiny of man. Clearly and effectively Christ recognizes — as history also evidences—that when m a n is l e f t to himself moral e x a m p l e alone does not suffice to overcome t h e weight of selfishness and p r i d e and lust of h a t r e d and cruelty t h a t m a r k s t h e t o r r e n t of h u m a n custom. Christ t h e r e f o r e sheds His blood u n t o t h e remission of sin and as He tells His disciples, " F e a r not little flock I h a v e overcome t h e world." It is also f r o m t h e standpoint of t h e word m a d e flesh and His r e d e m p t i v e purposes t h a t t h e believing Christian views t h e world h e knows t h a t since God Himself h a s e n t e r e d into history t h a t h e as a Christian cannot s u r r e n d e r t h e responsibility of his e a r t h l y citizenship, f o r t h e kingdom of God is w i t h us a n d in us. By reason of t h e I n c a r - nation h e knows t h a t J e s u s Christ became a citizen of t h e world without ceasing to be God. Hence he knows t h a t as a contemporary F r e n c h w r i t e r has p u t it: " t h e world is a r e a l work of a good God and has a r e a l v a l - ue—Man's task is not to l i b e r - ate himself f r o m t i m e b u t to liberate himself t h r o u g h time; not to escape f r o m t h e world b u t to accept it. Thus t h e world t h a t t h e Christian accepts is t h e order and b e a u t y and good will f r o m t h e beginning and visibly expressed in Christ. What h e protests is t h e whole mass of evil and disorder and d e f o r m i t y introduced by sin. The question for him is not w h e t h e r t h e world is good or evil b u t w h e t h - er t h e world is sufficient to i t - self and w h e t h e r it suffices." And h e r e t a u g h t by t h e spiri- t u a l experience of h u m a n i t y and t h e revelation of God t h r o u g h His Son become m a n t h e Chris- t i a n knows t h a t it is not. For he knows as St. P a u l tells t h e Ephesians: "God has m a d e k n o w n to us t h e m y s t e r y of His will according to His good pleasure. A n d this His good pleasure He purposed in Him to b e dispensed in t h e fulness of t i m e : to reestablish all things in Christ both in h e a v e n and those on e a r t h . " It is in t h e light of all this t h a t Bethlehem becomes an i n - escapable personal challenge to t h e believing Christian. This t r e m e n d o u s t r u t h can m a k e no effective contribution to our lives and needs unless each of us strives w i t h all his powers to realize it in his j u d g m e n t s and choices and attitudes. It is t h e realization t h a t t h e starkness and poverty and bareness of Bethlehem are not m e r e w i n - dow-dressing, b u t t h e direct e x - pression of God's word to m a n . God and t h e things of God do not come clothed in t h e t r a p - pings of. power and glory and ambition and t h e values of t h e spirit are not dependent on things b u t on f a i t h and love. The working of t h e power of God unto salvation calls upon us to realize t h a t t h e world does not suffice b u t t h a t only t h r o u g h humility and poverty of spirit do our h e a r t s and minds open to t h e love of God a n d its vis- ible manifestation at B e t h l e - hem. Here alone is t h e wisdom which is foolishness to those who do not believe a n d t h e strength which is weakness to t h e worldly. For Bethlehem is open only to t h e h u m b l e and contrite of h e a r t and to t h e m alone is addressed t h e lovely words of t h e Apostle J o h n in his f i r s t epistles. "I w r i t e of w h a t was f r o m t h e b e g i n - ning w h a t we have heard, w h a t w e have seen w i t h our eyes, w h a t w e h a v e looked upon and our hands h a v e h a n d l e d : of t h e Word of Life. And t h e Life w a s m a d e k n o w n and w e h a v e seen and now t e s t i f y and announce to you t h e Life e t e r n a l which was w i t h t h e F a t h e r and has a p - peared to us. W h a t w e h a v e seen and h a v e h e a r d we a n - nounce to you in order t h a t you m a y h a v e fellowship w i t h us and t h a t our fellowship may b e w i t h t h e F a t h e r and w i t h His Son Jesus Christ. And these m a y rejoice a n d our joy m a y things w e w r i t e to you t h a t you be f u l l . " The musical featu res for this series were pre- sented by St. Bonaventure Chorus of Cincinnati, Ohio, under the direction of Mr. Omer Westendorf. THE CATHOLIC HOUR 193Q—Twenty-fifth Y e a r — 1 9 5 5 THE CATHOLIC HOUR on the air for over 24 years, has brought every phase of life, every religious and moral truth, to the American public. The National Council of Catholic Men in cooperation with the National Broadcasting Company and its affiliated stations, inaugurated this popular program on March 2, 1930. At the beginning only 22 network stations carried these messages of truth to the people. Now, on each Sunday of the year, the CATHOLIC HOUR is heard throughout the United States and in over 10 foreign countries. The CATHO- LIC HOUR has distinguished itself as one of the most popu- lar radio programs of the times. An average of 100,000 letters from the listening audience are received each year, about 20% of which come from those of other faiths. Mail from the frozen lands of the Arctic and the jungles of Brazil gives some indication of the far-reaching value and influence of these CATHOLIC HOUR programs. 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