On the Feast of the Nativity, Sixth Sermon

On every day and at every season, dearly beloved, the birth of our Lord and Savior from the Virgin mother comes to the minds of the faithful who meditate on divine things, so that the mind may be roused to acknowledge its Maker, and, whether it is busy with the groans of supplication, or the shouts of praise, or the offering of sacrifice, may turn its spiritual sight to nothing more often or more trustingly than this: that God the Son of God, begotten of the Father who is eternal with him, was also born by a human birth. But no day brings this birth, which heaven and earth are to adore, home to us more than this one, when, with the early light still shining new on the world, the brightness of this wonderful mystery breaks in on our senses. For the angel Gabriel’s conversation with the astonished Mary, and her conception by the Holy Spirit, as wonderfully promised as it was believed, seem to come back not only to our memory but before our very eyes. Today the Maker of the world was born of a Virgin’s womb, and he who made all natures became the son of the woman he had created. Today the Word of God appeared clothed in flesh, and what had never been visible to human eyes began to be tangible to our hands as well. Today the shepherds learned from the voices of angels that the Savior was born in the substance of our flesh and soul. And today the pattern for proclaiming the good news was laid down beforehand by the leaders of the Lord’s flocks, so that we too may say with the army of the heavenly host: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will.” [a]

So then, that infancy, which the majesty of God’s Son did not disdain, grew with the years into mature manhood. And when the triumph of his suffering and resurrection was complete, all the acts of lowliness he had taken on for our sake came to an end. Yet today’s festival renews for us the holy childhood of Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary, and in adoring the birth of our Savior we find that we are celebrating the beginning of our own life. For the birth of Christ is the source of life for the Christian people, and the birthday of the Head is the birthday of the body. Every one who is called has his own place in the order, and all the sons of the church are separated from one another by spans of time. Yet the whole body of the faithful, born in the font of baptism, is crucified with Christ in his suffering, raised again in his resurrection, and placed at the Father’s right hand in his ascension; and in the same way they are born with him in this birth. For any believer, in whatever part of the world, who is reborn in Christ breaks off from the old path of his original nature and passes into a new man by being reborn. He is no longer counted of his earthly father’s stock but among the seed of the Savior, who became the Son of Man so that we might have the power to be the sons of God. For unless he had come down to us in this lowliness, no one would reach his presence by any merits of his own. On this point, do not let earthly wisdom wrap the hearts of those who are called in darkness, and do not let the frailty of earthly thoughts rise up against the loftiness of God’s grace, for that frailty will soon return to the lowest dust. At the end of the ages what was ordained from all eternity is fulfilled. Now that the realities are present and the signs and figures have ceased, the law and prophecy have become truth. And so Abraham is found to be the father of all nations, and the promised blessing is given to the world in his seed. Nor are they only Israelites whom blood and flesh begot; the whole body of the adopted enters into possession of the inheritance prepared for the sons of faith. Do not be troubled by the quibbles of foolish questions, and do not let the working of God’s word be scattered by human calculation. With Abraham we believe in God, and “do not waver through unbelief,” but “know most surely that what the Lord has promised he is able to perform.” [b]

The Savior, then, dearly beloved, is born not of fleshly seed but of the Holy Spirit, in such a way that the condemnation of the first transgression did not touch him. And so the very greatness of the gift bestowed demands of us a reverence worthy of its splendor. For, as the blessed apostle teaches, “we have received not the spirit of this world but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things given us by God.” And that Spirit can be rightly worshiped in no other way than by offering him what we have received from him. But in the treasures of the Lord’s generosity, what can we find so fitting to the honor of the present feast as the peace that the angel choir first proclaimed at the Lord’s birth? For it is peace that brings forth the sons of God. It is the nurse of love and the mother of unity, the rest of the blessed and our eternal home, and its proper work and special office is to join to God those whom it takes out of the world. That is why the apostle urges us on to this good end, saying, “Being justified therefore by faith, let us have peace toward God.” In this brief sentence nearly all the commandments are summed up, for where true peace is, there can be no lack of virtue. But what is it, dearly beloved, to have peace toward God, except to want what he commands and not to want what he forbids? For human friendships look for likeness of soul and sameness of desires, and different habits can never reach full harmony. How, then, will anyone share in God’s peace who is pleased with what displeases God, and wants to take delight in what he knows offends God? That is not the spirit of the sons of God; such wisdom is not acceptable to the noble family of the adopted. That chosen and royal race must live up to the dignity of its new birth. It must love what the Father loves and disagree in nothing with its Maker, or the Lord may say again: “I have begotten sons and raised them up, but they have scorned me. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s manger, but Israel has not known me, and my people have not acknowledged me.” [c]

Great is the mystery of this gift, dearly beloved, and this gift exceeds all gifts: that God should call man son, and man should name God Father. By these terms we see and learn the love that reached so great a height. For if, in natural families and earthly households, those born of noble parents are brought low by the faults of evil company, and unworthy offspring are put to shame by the very brilliance of their ancestry, what end awaits those who, through love of the world, are not afraid to be cast out of the family of Christ? But if men win praise when their father’s glory shines again in their descendants, how much more glorious it is for those born of God to regain the brightness of their Maker’s likeness and to show in themselves the one who begot them, as the Lord says: “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” We know indeed, as the apostle John says, that “the whole world lies in the evil one,” and that the devil and his angels, by their schemes, make countless attempts either to frighten man by adversity as he struggles upward or to spoil him by prosperity. But “greater is he who is in us than he who is against us.” Those who have peace with God, and are always saying to the Father with their whole hearts, “Your will be done,” can be overcome in no battle and hurt by no assault. For when we accuse ourselves in our confessions and refuse the spirit’s consent to our fleshly cravings, we stir up against us the hostility of him who is the author of sin. But we secure a peace with God that nothing can destroy, by accepting his gracious service, so that we may not only surrender ourselves in obedience to our King but also be united to him by our free will. For if we are of one mind with him, if we want what he wants and disapprove what he disapproves, he will finish all our wars for us. He who gave the will will also give the power, so that we may be fellow workers in his works, and with the exultation of faith may sing that prophetic song: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defender of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” [d]

Those, then, who “are born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” must offer to the Father the oneness of mind of peace-loving sons. All the members of the adopted family must meet in the Firstborn of the new creation, who came to do not his own will but the will of him who sent him. For the Father, in his gracious favor, has adopted as his heirs not those who are at odds with one another, nor those unlike him, but those who are one in feeling and affection. Those who are remade after one pattern must have a spirit like the model. The birthday of the Lord is the birthday of peace. For so the apostle says: “He is our peace, who made both one,” since, whether we are Jews or Gentiles, “through him we have access in one Spirit to the Father.” And this above all is what he taught his disciples before the day of his suffering, which he had foreordained of his own free will, saying, “My peace I give to you; my peace I leave to you.” And so that the character of his peace would not escape notice under the general term, he added, “not as the world gives do I give to you.” The world, he says, has its friendships, and brings many who are apart into loving harmony. There are also minds that are equal in vices, and likeness of desires produces equal affection. And if perhaps some are found who take no pleasure in what is low and dishonorable, and who shut unlawful agreements out of the terms of their friendship, yet even these, if they are Jews, heretics, or pagans, belong not to God’s friendship but to this world’s peace. But the peace of the spiritual and of catholics, coming down from above and leading upward, refuses to hold communion with the lovers of the world. It resists every obstacle and flees from harmful pleasures to true joys, as the Lord says: “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” That is, if what you love is below, you will go down to the lowest depth; if what you love is above, you will reach the topmost height. May the Spirit of peace lead and bring us there, whose wishes and feelings are at one, and who are of one mind in faith and hope and love. For “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God,” who reigns with the Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen. [e]