"The only ultimate reason for Bethlehem is Jerusalem; the only reason in God's
mind for becoming a Child was so that He might, as man, die on the Cross. In
a word, the mystery of Christmas is the mystery of God's unfathomable love that
wants to suffer. God took on human flesh so that He might be able to endure
pain. That is the mystery of Christmas, the mystery of God's love, in order
that loving, He might endure the Cross.
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What is the mystery of the Eucharist? It is the same. You would think that
God's love would have been satisfied with His becoming man and as man living,
suffering and dying for our sins. And having once died, rising from the dead
and returning as man to the Father from whom He came. But no, the mystery of
God's love is that He invented a way of showing His love for us not only by
being with us and near us but God even invented a way of being inside of us.
All of this tells us a lot about what love means.
Love wants to show that it loves. It is not satisfied with sentiments
or words.
Love wants to prove its love in deeds; better, it wants to show its
love in
pain. Love wants to be near the one it loves, to be united with the
one it loves.
All of this is hidden behind the mystery of the Eucharist, made
possible by
the mystery of Christmas, because these two mysteries are really one.
The Eucharist is merely an extension, a continuation, of what happened
2000 years ago in Bethlehem. Because Mary gave birth to the Son of
God, we now
have the Flesh of the Son of God near us, with us, and when we receive
Him in
Communion, within us.
Finally, what is the lesson? The lesson of Christmas and the Eucharist must
be obvious by now. God does nothing in vain. He did not choose to become man
nor does He remain man in our midst except that He wants to evoke from us something
of the same kind of love that He showed during His life on earth and still shows
us in His life in the Eucharist. Jesus Christ gives us His Flesh and Blood to
adore, worship and nourish our souls on, so that we might live with His life.
What He wants us to do therefore, and this is the lesson, is to love Him as
He has been loving us..."
(Father John A. Hardon, S.J. from Christmas and the Eucharist)
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