Holding fast to grace

I tell you again: for your sake, God became man.  

You would have suffered eternal death, had he not been born in time. Never would you have been freed from sinful flesh, had he not taken on himself the likeness of sinful flesh. You would have suffered everlasting unhappiness, had it not been for this mercy. You would never have returned to life, had he not shared your death. You would have been lost if he had not hastened to your aid. You would have perished, had he not come. - from a sermon by St. Augustine, bishop

I love St. Augustine. When he was converted from his profligate life, he became a well-suited witness to God's grace and mercy. Knowing he had no place to claim for his own in Christ, be merely accepted the place which Christ himself purchased for him. He would have eagerly replaced "you" and "your" with "I" and "mine" in this sermon had he been giving his own testimony rather than an exhortation. He goes on:

Let us then joyfully celebrate the coming of our salvation and redemption. Let us celebrate the festive day on which he who is the great and eternal day came from the great and endless day of eternity into our own short day of time . . . .

For what greater grace could God have made to dawn on us than to make his only Son become the son of man, so that a son of man might in his turn become son of God? 

Ask if this were merited; ask for its reason, for its justification, and see whether you will find any other answer but sheer grace.

I have quoted this last section in the past without commenting further on it. It seems so self-sufficient. But it is good to remember that nothing else we seek from God is so great as this gift that so many disdain, indeed which even we, the (so-called) faithful (for God alone is faithful; indeed, our faith is a gift from God) sometimes take for granted. We reject the perfect Gift of himself which God has given in our longing for some other gift which we deem more estimable.

On this eve of Christmas, in the holy season when I write these words, or on whatever day it may be when you read them, let us instead embrace the unfathomable grace which allows us to be what we could never deserve to be, precious children of our loving, holy God.