John 1:14

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.

Yesterday we talked about the difference between faith in Christ and “spirituality.” Today we note something central to true Christian faith: belief in the Word Made Flesh.  St. John places so much emphasis on this that he actually warns his flock that anyone who denies that Jesus has come in the flesh is antichrist.  Catholic faith has followed his lead ever since, pounding home the reality that Jesus did not just zip on a man suit and then strip it off again as soon as he could.  Rather, Jesus became and remains man for all eternity, joining his divine nature to our human nature and taking our humanity up to participate in the life of the Blessed Trinity.  This being so, if we run across religious systems which call us to reject or repudiate our humanness, we can be sure that they are false and destructive.  For God has chosen to reveal himself in a human way and call us more deeply into our humanity.  That, indeed, is why God hates sin: it destroys our humanness.  Today, thank God for sending his Son to be made flesh for us and to reveal—-through that humanity, not in spite of it—-his grace, truth, and glory.