Fourth Sunday of Advent "This Is How ......"

Homily Fr. Raymond 

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Sent: Sun, 19 December, 2010 15:07:50
Subject: Fourth Sun Advent

THIS IS HOW......                                            

“This is how Jesus Christ came to be  born”.  St Mathew begins his account of the Christmas story with these simple words.  But when we look into the depths of the mystery of the incarnation we find that we can apply this same phrase to the opening of any chapter in the long history of salvation, from the story of the garden of Eden to the last trumpet of judgement itself.  

When God first threw the planets into space it was to support our own insignificant little orb because that was where he intended to make his abode among us.........
“This is how Jesus Christ came to be  born”.
When he first set about making this planet a beautiful garden for Adam and Eve to live in it was to create a human family into which he could be born......... 

“This is how Jesus Christ came to be  born”.

When he directed the lives of the patriarchs down the centuries it was to set aside a suitable lineage from which the messiah could come. .........
“This is how Jesus Christ came to be  born”.

When he led Israel out of Egypt and into Palestine it was to establish a people and a homeland for the Messiah .........
“This is how Jesus Christ came to be  born”.

All of history before the first Christmas was planned to lead up to it and all that has happened since flows from it.