An Advent Prayer for December 8

The Mystery of Burning Charity

St. Angela of Foligno  (13^th century)

 

O my God! make me worthy to understand something of the mystery of the burning charity which is in You, which impelled you to effect the sublime act of the Incarnation!

which brings to man, with the outpouring of love,

the assurance of salvation.

How ineffable is this charity!

Truly there is no greater than this, that the Word was made flesh in order to make me like unto God!

You became nothing in order to make me something;

You clothed Yourself like the lowliest slave

to give me the garments of a King and a God!

Although You took the form of a slave,

You did not lessen Your substance, nor injure Your divinity,

but the depths of Your humility pierce my heart and make me cry out:

O incomprehensible One, made comprehensible because of me!

O uncreated One, now created!

O Thou who art inaccessible to mind and body,

become palpable to thought and touch, by a prodigy of Thy power!

 

St. Angela’s prayer focuses on the mystery, the amazing gift of the incarnation.  The Almighty God a baby.  Most of us have heard the story so many times that we don’t stop to think of the magnitude of that act, so Angela does it for us.  At first reading, I was put off a bit by the language she used.  It seemed extreme, excessive, but as I sat with her prayer, it struck me – the incarnation was extreme, it was excessive.  As John reminds us (1 John 3), this was love lavished upon us.

After all, God could have been satisfied with the angel messengers, with the prophets and their attention-grabbing actions.  He could have kept on with the temple sacrifices and the details of the law.  But instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love (as Peterson reminds us), God sent his Son. For us.    

Prayer Focus: the grace of God