Brothers and Sisters,

From the beginning God is involved in the spiritual battle for planet earth. He reveals himself in His creation, and through history He has been involved especially through His relationship with the Hebrew people.

That relationship of revelation comes to its climax in His interaction with the Blessed Virgin Mary. The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews says, “In various times and in various ways God has spoken to our Fathers, but now he has spoken to us in his Son.” St. Paul says in Galatians, “In the fullness of time God sent forth his Son, born of a woman.”

The most fundamental tenet of our faith is the Incarnation of the Son of God. God the Creator of all, stepped into our realm of space and time, taking the form of a particular man at a particular time–taking His flesh from a particular woman. Emmanuel–God is With Us. This stupendous truth is the cornerstone of our faith, and everything else revolves around it and springs from it.

It is easy, however, to get so caught up in the busyness of life that we forget the foundations of our faith. We are busy doing so many good things, and we are involved in so many good causes, but if we forget the foundations of our faith, all the good things we do are empty.

We are reminded of the mystery of the incarnation at Mass each week. The liturgy is designed to draw us back, time and time again to the mystery of Christ the Lord–God with us. Through the Scriptures, the gospel, and the sacrifice of the altar we get our bearings again. We set our priorities and we renew our faith in this foundational truth–that “God was Man in Palestine, and lives today in bread and wine.”

Another way to renew our belief and enter more deeply into the mystery of the incarnation is to take Lent seriously. Through the Stations of the Cross, Eucharistic Adoration, Scripture study, prayer, and religious reading we embrace the true meaning of our faith.

This Lent go back to the sources. Ponder in a new way God’s love for our fallen race. Renew your wonder at his mysterious love and penetrate further into the mystery. Then, having kept a good Lent you will experience an even greater joy at Easter.

Your Pastor,

Fr. Longenecker