why it matters so much

St Hilary of Poitiers talks to us today in A Year with the Church Fathers about why it's so important for us to contemplate the incarnation.

He says that we need to think about the mystery of God, the ultimate Beyond, which we cannot begin to grasp or contain, becoming a little baby, grasped and contained in swaddling clothes. We need to ponder this, because it enables our faith to grasp what God is doing all of it for.

When we start to realize a little bit about how God went from phenomenal cosmic power to itty bitty living space, we start to see the same work in the opposite direction. God came to dwell among us, as one of us... so that we can grow to be like Him, and live with Him in eternity. He went from immense power to helplessness... so that we can grow from being helpless to being able to do all things in Christ who strengthens us. With God, we learn, all things are possible - and apart from Him, we can do nothing.

It's a simple lesson - but one so richly profound that we can spend our entire lives pondering it, and never come close to the depths found therein. But we can be thankful.

God, thank You for coming to live among us - so that one day we can come live with You.