VATICAN - The Pope’s catechesis at the general audience: “The question continually asked in these two thousand years of Christian history has been… “why did God become Man? Love is the reason for Christ’s incarnation”

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - In the Christmas atmosphere of “deep joy for the birth of the Saviour", Pope Benedict XVI made the mystery of Christmas, “a mystery of light which men and women of every epoch can relive through faith”, the subject of his teaching at the general audience on Wednesday December 27 in the Paul VI Hall. “At Christmas God comes to dwell among us, he come for us and to remain with us - the Pope said -. The question continually asked in these two thousand years of Christian history has been… “why did God do this, why did He become Man?”. The angels’ hymn at Bethlehem helps us find the answer: "Glory to God in the Highest and peace on earth to men of good will". Other acclamations were added and the present day hymn was composed: “Inserted in the Celebration of the Eucharist, the Glory underlines the continuity which exists between Christ’s birth and death, between Christmas and Easter, inseparable aspects of the one and the same mystery of salvation”.
The Holy Father went on to explain the angels’ announcement to the shepherds: “The term "glory" (doxa) refers to God’s splendour which fills his creatures with grateful praise. Later St Paul will say: " the knowledge of God's glory, the glory on the face of Christ. " (2 Cor 4,6). "Peace" (eirene) is the fullness of the messianic gifts, salvation which, as the Apostle again says, is identified with Christ: "He is our peace" (Eph 2,14). Then we have the words "of good will". In ordinary language "good will" (eudokia), makes us think of the goodwill of people, but here it refers instead to God’s unlimited "good will" towards mankind. And here we have again the message of Christmas: with the birth of Jesus God has manifest his good will towards all men and women”.
Returning to the first question, "why did God become man?", the Pope explained “God’s glory is manifest … in the redemption of humanity, whom God so loved "as to give - as St John the evangelist writes- his only Son that all who believe in Him may not die but have eternal life". Love therefore is the ultimate reason for Christ’s incarnation… for us the Angels’ announcement is a call: "may there be" glory to God in the highest, "may there be" peace on earth among men and women whom He loves. The only way to glorify God is to build peace in the world by welcoming with humility and trust the gift of Christmas: love…this is the task which Christmas entrusts to us”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 28/12/2006, righe 28, parole 443)