The eternity of Christ is a stunning thing to contemplate: that this manual laborer who stands before us with dirty feet, calloused hands, and a rough up-country accent is, in fact, a being who has existed from all eternity in the blinding light of the heart of God, sharing completely in His glory and showing forth the express image of the Holy One who hurled all the galaxies into being. It just a bit much to take in. It’s no wonder the Son “emptied Himself” in becoming human and dimmed His splendor so that we could see Him with our mortal eyes. We humans cannot bear very much Reality and He is Reality itself. Just something to think about…
Mark P. Shea is a popular Catholic writer and speaker. The author of numerous books, his most recent work is The Work of Mercy (Servant) and The Heart of Catholic Prayer (Our Sunday Visitor). Mark contributes numerous articles to many magazines, including his popular column “Connecting the Dots” for the National Catholic Register. Mark is known nationally for his one minute “Words of Encouragement” on Catholic radio. He also maintains the Catholic and Enjoying It blog and regularly blogs for National Catholic Register. He lives in Washington state with his wife, Janet, and their four sons.