01/05/2024
The Incarnation was the turning point of history. After Jesus came into the world as an infant, everything was set in motion for our redemption through his death and resurrection. Instead of counting years by any secular system or how long a king had ruled, Christian society began counting years from this pivotal moment. For us, this is AD 2024 – Anno Domini, in the year of our Lord, 2024. Our secular modern society also continues to recognize the Incarnation as the start of our calendar; even if some would have us use CE, or Common Era, instead of AD. The birth of Christ remains the beginning.
We should also recognize that the moment Jesus entered our own lives was a turning point that changed everything and set our lives in a definitive direction. Most importantly, the moment of your baptism claimed you as an adopted child of God and gave you new life in grace. For many of us, though, we can also remember a moment, or a series of moments, when we encountered God in a profound way for the first time and made a decisive choice to follow Christ. Just as God reached into human history to be born as a child in order to draw humanity back to himself, he reaches into our lives to bring us to himself, and our lives can never be the same after that encounter. When you face difficulties in your life as a follower of Christ, think back to those moments when God drew you close.
To read our daily Christmas reflections, please visit: https://www.kofc.org/en/who-we-are/our-faith/advent-reflections23.html