(Picture: Prior Michael with his parrot, Harley)
The onward march of time provides new perspectives as we march along with it. It has been a surprising and sobering thing for me to realize that as I have aged, I have, despite all intentions to the contrary, gradually turned into my father. My two brothers have managed not to do so somehow, at least not as much. But my sister has turned into my mother and sympathizes with my chagrin at this transformation. It’s not bad, mind you. It’s just a surprise. But it shouldn’t be. After all, there is both the genetic inheritance of some traits and there is the way he raised me. Like father, like son. Like mother, like daughter.
And so that brings me to Christmas. As Isaiah prophesied, “For a child* is born to us, a son is given to us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.” A child, a son, who is our brother, human like us in all things but sin. God He was and is, but still His mother Mary had to change His diapers. The man the world knew as His father taught Him his trade, of a carpenter. Jesus built things just like Joseph did. He handled a saw, hammer & plane just like Joseph taught him. And Jesus has taught us how to live as human beings. As Christians, we are supposed to be like Him; to do justice and what is right, and to love kindness and mercy, and to live humbly with our God. But it is much more than that.
Jesus has told us “The Father and I are one.” (John 10:30) And again, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9) And also: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him & make our dwelling with him” (John 14:23).
As adopted children of God, we become heirs, co-heirs with Jesus Christ, of the universal kingdom of God. We are not servants or slaves, but we are of the same family with all the rights and privileges pertaining thereto. And so it is revealed to us that if we become like Jesus, we in fact become like God, just like the Father.
The Eastern Catholic Church and the Orthodox make much of this doctrine of theosis. In the west we call it “divinization,” which sounds just a little bit heretical, almost Mormon. But it is not heresy; it is quite true. In the Offertory of the Mass, as the priest pours a little water into the chalice of wine just before he blesses and thanks God for it, he prays “By the mystery of this water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity.” This is the wonder we celebrate at Christmas. God became human so that we might become like God. In the new year about to begin, and forever after, may we act & become more and more like God, our Father.
Merry Christmas!
Click here to read Chrismas Wishes from other monks