John Seleden’s
FOR THE FEAST OF THE NATIVITY
Sermon 195
(1) Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is likewise the Son
of Man, Born of the Father without a mother, He created every
day; born of His Mother, without a father, He consecrated this
day; invisible in His divine nativity, visible in His human
birth, marvelous in both. Hence, it is difficult to determine to
which birth the Prophet referred when he said: 'Who shall
declare his generation?'[1]
It is difficult to judge whether Isaias spoke of that nativity
whereby, though never unborn, He had a co-eternal Father, or
that whereby He was born in time of the Mother whom He had
already made; or whether Isaias meant that nativity whereby He
was always born since He always existed. For who will declare
how Light is born of Light and how both constitute but one
Light; how God is born of God without increasing the number of
gods; how the statement is made that He was born, as if one were
speaking of an accomplished event when, in that nativity, time
neither elapsed, becoming past; nor progressed, becoming future;
nor was it present as though it were being made up to that
moment and was not yet completed? Therefore, who shall declare
this generation when what is to be declared remains superior to
the limits of time, while the speech of the one who makes the
declaration passes in time? And who will declare that other
generation of the Virgin, in which conception took place without
seed and in which parturition brought fullness to her when she
nourished but did not deprive her of integrity when she gave
birth? 'Who shall declare his generation' in
either or both of these nativities?
(2) This is the Lord our God; this Man, our Saviour, is the
mediator between God and man. Born of the Father, He created His
Mother; formed as Man in His Mother, He glorified His Father. He
is the only Son of the Father without woman's parturition; the
only Son of His Mother, without man's co-operation. Surpassing
all the sons of men in beauty,[2]
2 He, the Son of holy Mary and the Spouse of holy Church, has
made the Church like to His Mother, since He made it a mother
for us and He kept it a virgin for Himself. To the same Church
the Apostle says: Tor I have betrothed you to one spouse, that I
might present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.[3]
3 Elsewhere he says that our mother is not a handmaid but free,
and that the children of the desolate are more numerous than of
the one who has a husband, 3 The Church, then, like Mary, has
inviolate integrity and incorrupt fecundity. What Mary merited
physically, the Church has guarded spiritually, with the
exception that Mary brought forth one Child, while the Church
has many children destined to be gathered into one body by One.
(3) This is the day on which He by whom the world was made came
into the world; it is the day He became present In the flesh
although He was never absent in spirit; He was in this world and
He came unto His own; He was in the world but He passed without
notice because the light shone in the darkness and the darkness
grasped it not.'[4]
Therefore, He came in the flesh intending to cleanse the vices
of the flesh. He came, clothed in healing human clay, to cure
our interior eyes which our outer earthy vesture had blinded, so
that, with soundness of vision restored, we who had before been
darkness might become a shining light in the Lord,[5]
and so that the Light might no longer shine in darkness but
might be clearly envisaged by those perceiving it. For this
purpose, He came forth as a bridegroom from His bride-chamber
and 'hath rejoiced as a giant to run the way.'[6]
Comely as a bridegroom, strong as a giant; amiable and terrible,
severe and serene; beautiful to the good, stem to the evil
remaining in the bosom of His Father, He took possession of the
womb of His Mother. In this bride-chamber, that is, in the womb
of the Virgin, He united human to divine nature. The Word was
made flesh for us so that, coming forth from His Mother, He
might dwell among us[7]
and so that, going forth to His Father, He might prepare a
dwelling place for us. Therefore, let us joyfully and solemnly
celebrate this day; let us earnestly desire the Eternal Day
through Him who, though eternal Himself, was born in time for
us.
[1]
Isa. 53.8.
[2]
Cf. Ps. 44.3.
[3]
2 Cor, 11.2; cf. Gal. 4.26-28.
[4]
Cf. John 1.10-12,5.
[5]
Cf. Eph. 5.8.
[6]
Ps. 18.6.
[7]
Cf. John 1.14.
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Adoration of the Shepherds
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