The Word of God cannot be reduced to a single idea or concept, for the Word of God is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. There is a strong tendency to reduce this term, Word of God, and to reduce it to Sacred Scripture. Sacred Scripture is one of the principal meanings of Word of God but not the only one. Wife is one important aspect of me as a person. But wife is not solely who I am.
Similarly, Christ is more than Sacred Scripture, and we must get a handle on Who we are welcoming at Christmas so as to then understand how to prepare for Him. Different visitors to my house receive different levels of preparation. The neighbor unexpectedly stopping by for something does not get the same welcome as the planned visit of the Bishop of Grenada. In this talk, we will explore the term Word of God, and based on this understanding, proceed to prepare for a more fruitful Advent through fasting.
The Person of Christ is encountered in the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ is the community of believers who have certain marks or characteristics of belief and worship, orandesand praxis. The Church can be determined by the four marks: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. The Body of Christ can also be thought of as having three pillars: Sacred Scripture, The Magisterium, and Tradition. Combining these various points of view allows us to understand that the Word of God comes to us through Sacred Scripture, and additionally the Sacraments, Liturgy, Creation, and the saints.
Christ redeemed man body and soul, and at His Ascension, He took His resurrected Body into heaven. His Body was not cast off as a shell having done its duty, but was integral to the Person of Christ. Similarly, the Christian should expect a real bodily experience to understanding the Word of God. The liturgy and Sacraments informs the Christian life in a visible way with the knowledge that Christ redeemed all of time. The liturgical calendar with the various seasons calls to mind this very fact in a real and concrete manner.
The liturgical calendar gives to man a real bodily access to the Body of Christ. The changing of times and seasons is part of the human experience, and the liturgical calendar reminds us that Christ’s entry into time was a real historical event. The birth of Christ is of particular significance. Christ is the Logos, who was with God from all eternity. He enters into History to do for Man what man cannot do for Himself namely save man and reunite Him to the other. Christ brings Man a means to a relationship with God.
As it is true of human life, there are certain times that require more reflection due their significance than others. The birth of a child into a family requires great preparation, while other events not as much. Advent is the time of expectant waiting for the birth of a child. As the Child is God, great care should be shown in the anticipation of such an event. And as this event forever changed the course of humanity, it is fitting to recall the event annually, through a calendar.