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The Incarnation
“For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son: that whosoever believeth in him may not
perish, but may have life everlasting.” – John 3:16

In this meditation St. Ignatius wants us to consider the Incarnation (God in the flesh). He wants us to
consider the greatest even in human History, that even which split history in two. He wants us to come
and adore Our Lord in his nativity. He wants us to behold today what so few were privilege to behold
back then. What all the great saints and prophets of the O.T. had desired to look upon. The redeemer
incarnate. In order so that we make come to a deeper and more intimate knowledge of Our Lord.

Serving God purely out of the fear of Hell it’s can still lead us to save our souls, but that alone, will
never allow us to become great saints. It’s only by coming to love our Lord more deeply that we will
become saints. But to love him is know him. And to know Him is to love Him.

In order to be filled with a deep spirit of faith St. Ignatius directs our attention to Our Lord. Hence
purpose of this meditation is know and love Our Lord more intimately and more intensely.

Point 1 (Persons) Read Luke 1 (The preacher).

I. Intro – Prayer – Prelude-- an interior knowledge of Our Lord that I may love
Him more and follow Him better.

a. Focus on the senses, a “looking” at a certain mystery of the Faith, through the
optic of Persons, Words, Actions. For each one, we consider Men of the world,
the Triune God, and the subject of contemplation. (You are a fly on the wall).

Live the event. Read and reread the Scriptural passages during free time.

b. First Prelude – Look down on the world, see how men were losing their souls,
making a world full of sin and wickedness. Meanwhile, God determined in His
mercy from all eternity to send His Son to redeem mankind. When the time comes,
the angel Gabriel is sent to Our Lady. Christ is then born “at the fullness of time”.
(Massa Damnata).

c. Second Prelude – Composition of Place: scan all over the world, the houses, the
peoples, the races. Finally, look at Our Lady at her house, in her room, in Nazareth of
Galilee, a humble town.

The immense number of angels in heaven worshiping God. Listen then to what the 3 Divine Persons say
“These people are blind and without salvation, Who shall we send? and who shall go for us? – Here then the
loud cry of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity as His majestic voice fills the heavens with an emphatic
“Behold, Send Me, I shall go to redeem these people from their sins”.
 Men are completely oblivious of what is going on and are busy in their sinful ways. Meanwhile,
God is accomplishing the greatest event in the entire history of the world: the Incarnation. When
Our Lady says “Yes,” what happens? God empties Himself, taking the form of a man, and enters
the womb of a lowly virgin, yet the greatest of His creatures! How does Our Lady feel? She has
God within Her! For nine months! He Who created Her, and She is to be His Mother; He is to
resemble her precisely. How we should imitate the sentiments of Our Lady when we receive Our
Lord in Holy Communion! What are our dispositions? What a gift this is!

Sentiments of Christ at the Incarnation:

“Wherefore, when he cometh into the world he said: Sacrifice and oblation thou wouldest not: but a
body thou hast fitted to me. Holocausts for sin did not please thee. Then said I: Behold I come. In the head of
the book it is written of me that I should do thy will, O God.” – Heb 10

The oblation, the internal immolation of Himself to the Father .

On earth picture, men in living in ignorance and contempt of God. Pictures also those who claim to be living
for God having become blind in their own conceit and thus having become ignorant of law and it’s purpose.
Yet behold as you see there in the midst of all this a remnant. Among these a most eminent women, the
BVM. Behold as she contemplates the scriptures which she had learned to recite from her childhood. Picture
the angelic salutation – That salutation upon which Our Salvation depended and still in a certain manner
depends (Mary is Mediatrix of all graces). Behold the humble and thought filled reaction of BVM “fiat
mihi”. Behold as She who is the Regina Angelorum is saluted by St. Gabriel (the power of God). – Here use
words of St. Luke’s gospel quote some of them.

d. The Triune God in Heaven, looking on the earth, so many going to Hell

Our Lady – a young girl, absolutely pure: beautiful and simple. She is nothing in the
eyes of the world, living in a remote village. God is about to send a messenger to a
lowly girl in a remote village, to ask her to become the Mother of God, God Almighty
making a request of a teenage girl and sending an angel to ask her! Look upon her: she
is perhaps kneeling in prayer, praying that God will send a Messias to redeem the world.
She is perfectly recollected, a picture of sanctity. You could look at her all day.

Isaias 7:14 “A virgin shall conceive” – Sign of Gods mercy and Power.

The Annunciation – A scene which numerous artist have tried to capture for us – Fra Angelico,
William Boug. – Caravaggio, .

II. Men are blaspheming and cursing, vulgar, lewd. God, however, is saying, “Let us
redeem mankind.” Angel Gabriel gets a plane ticket to Nazareth. See the
conversation between the angel Gabriel and Our Lady! She is so taken up with God
that the presence of the angel does not startle her. She deals with Him as with an
equal. She had the purity of an angel, while on earth, a heart fix on God.

She is only disturbed by the praise of the angel. She is so recollected as to immediately come
to the crux of the issue: would she be able to maintain her virginity that she has promised to
God? Her question is perfectly phrased. She knows the prophecies of Isaias, she knows that
she will have to suffer greatly. But she does not hesitate; if this is what God wills, be it done
unto me according to His word. No false humility here. She accepts then all of the sufferings
that will come to her.

Angels in adoration to Our Lord in this humble cave.

The Angel appears to the Shepard’s. Shepard’s regarded as nothing by people. God wishes to manifest his
incarnation to insignificant of the earth. He wants to call the sick so they may be called to enter into the plan
of salvation. They behold sanctity incarnate and His mother.

Bread of heaven is born in (Beth - lehem) the house of bread.

What the world can not contain is here before you in the manner of a child for you to adore!

The annunciation of the Angels, to the Sheppard’s-

The Animals present – Cows and donkey, present to adore him, since it was they who were idolatrous adored
in the Old Testament – Adoration of the Golden Calf – All of creation comes as it were bend it’s knee, while
so many continue on oblivious of the this profound reality.

Blindness of the Pharisees -

The magi – 3 Pagans come to adore him. There complete trust in providence - Expound on this point – They
leave all behind to come and pay homage to this king of kings.

For the first time in history we have peace in the entire world for born is the king of peace.

a. Consider the behavior of Our Lord and Our Lady. What humility and goodness! How far
we are from imitating them; how much happier and better we would be if we conformed
our lives to their examples.

How does Christ in to the world? Does he worry about what he is going to where? Is mother
going to find good enough cloths for him? Are his relatives going to be around? What people
are going to say about the fact that his parents are poor? That there not up-to-date with the
Jones, etc?

b. Colloquy – I will speak to the Trinity, the Divine Word, and Our Lady, according
as I am moved. I will ask for the grace to imitate and follow Our Lord, incarnate
for us.

Prayer:

Kneel down in simple adoration of the incarnate word at the crib of Bethlehem. Mention to him your
past ingratitude and your present desires to live a life in conformity to Him. Express your gratitude for
his infinite mercy. Turn to Our Lady and ask her to be your mother and beget Christ in you also.
Express your gratitude and love to her for having thus lead you to see your own nothingness and the
great goodness of God. Turn also to St. Joseph and Ask of him that docility which he had in following
the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.