Lux Lucet

Q. How did Christ humble himself in his conception and birth?

A. Christ humbled himself in his conception and birth, in that, being from all eternity the Son of God, in the bosom of the Father, he was pleased in the fullness of time to become the son of man, made of a woman of low estate, and to be born of her; with diverse circumstances of more than ordinary abasement.

How different is the mind of Christ from that of fleshly man! From all eternity, the second person of the Trinity had agreed to humble himself. He freely chose to be born of a woman, to be born under the law, to suffer and to die. And that, not for those who loved him, but for his enemies.

Who would do such a thing? Certainly not I. In my flesh, I would react with anger at the merely slight to my personal dignity, forget about humbling myself for someone else. But Christ willingly laid aside his glory and died to save me, a child of wrath by nature.

Glory to God in the highest! For he who has the preeminence willingly emptied himself that he might redeem us, who were dead in our trespasses and sins.