The Lord's Advent

Sed Deus omnipotens, qui hominem ad imaginem suam condidit, noluit illum in sua deformitate aeternaliter perire, misit Filium suum, qui etiam apparuit inter homines speciosus forma prae filiis hominum, ut hominem quem potestate suae divinitatis mirabiliter formaverat humanitatis suae praesentia misericorditer reformaret, et de informi forma formosam in formam transformaret. Susecpit Dominus formam servi, ut reconciliaret nos Deo Patri. In nostra carne visibilis voluit apparere, ut ad amorem invisibilium ipso duce possemus redire. O magnae pietatis indicium! O ineffabile divinae misericordiae sacramentum! Omnipotens Deus hominem decrevit redimere, et redimendo homini etiam se corporaliter ostendit, et ipse, ut ita dixerim, fugitivi sui vestigia subsequens, ad redimendum quem amiserat hominem locus venit. Si enim appellari locus nequaquam Conditor posset, Deum laudans nequaquam Psalmista dixisset: Filii servorum tuorum inhabitabunt ibi. Ibi enim non dicimus, nisi cum specialiter locum designamus. Conditor etenim noster cum sit omnium rerum locus, sed illocalis, veniens in mundum, non habuit proprium locum in terris, sicut ipse dixit: Filius autem hominis non habet ubi caput reclinet. Et secundum Lucam evangelistam, positus est in praesepio, quia non erat integerimae genitrici ejus locus in diversorio. Quis vidit unquam tale? Quis audivit huic simile? Tanta enim erat in assumpta humanitate humilitas, quanta in divina majestate sublimitas. Quam sublimis in suis, quam humilis in nostris, in praesepe jacebat, in coelo residebat. Jacens in sinu matris, sedens in dextera Patris. Cum esset Dei Patris ante tempora unicus, factus est Virginis tempore Filius. Non amittens quod erat, factus est quod non erat. Factus est particeps moralitatis nostrae, ut nos vitae suae participes faceret. Odilo Cluniacensis Abbas, Sermo I, De Nativitate Domini Salvatoris Source: Migne PL 142.992b-993a

But almighty God, who made man in His own image, 1 unwilling that he should perish eternally in his deformity, sent His Son, who appeared among men, fair before the eyes of men, 2 so that man whom the power of His divinity had wonderously formed He reform by the merciful presence of His Humanity, and transform unformed form into fairest form. The Lord took up the form of a servant, 3 that He reconcile us with God the Father. He wished to appear visible in our flesh that with Him leading we be able to return to the invisible love. O sign of great piety! O ineffable mystery of Divine mercy! Almighty God decreased to redeem, and for the redemption of man showed himself corporally, and He, as I might say, following the path of His fugitive, for redemption came to the place into which He had expelled man. If indeed it is possible to name a place where the Creator is not, the Pslamist not at all praising God, when he said: 'The sons of your servants dwell there.' 4 For 'there' we do not say, unless we designate a specific sort of place. Our Creator, who is in every place, but unbound by place, coming into the world, does not have His place on the earth, as He said: 'The Son of Man has nowhere to rest His head.' 5 And according to Luke, He was placed in a manger, because there was no place for His immaculate mother in the inn. 6 Who has seen such a thing? Who has heard the like? For so great was His humility in the assumpton of humanity, as is His sublimity in His Divine majesty. As sublime as He is in Himself, so He was humble in ourself, being laid in a manger, in heaven residing, laying in the lap of His mother, sitting at the right hand of the Father. When He was one with the Father before time, He is made the Son of the Virgin in time. He does not lose what He was, being made what He was not. He is made a participent of our mortality, that He might make us participents of His life. Saint Odo of Cluny, from Sermon 1, On The Nativity of The Lord 1 Gen 1.26 2 Ps 41.3 3 Philip 2.7 4 Ps 101.29 5 Mt 8.20, Lk 9.58 6 Lk 2.7