Do you ever think of Christmas as adoption day?
When God sent His son, Jesus Christ, into the world, He began the reconciliation of
humanity to Himself. This relationship had been severed by the original sin of Adam and
Eve in the Garden of Eden. Through the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we
were redeemed, making us adopted sons and daughters of God the Father.
Listen to Saint Paul, writing to the Church in Ephesus, speak of our adoption.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace which he lavished upon us…In him, according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will, we who first hoped in Christ have been destined and appointed to live for the praise of his glory.”
Let’s Pray – Father of Grace and Mercy. You sent your son, our beloved Lord and Redeemer, into the world to reconcile us to you. Bless our Advent preparations as we await this ultimate gift, the gift that arrived on our adoption day. Amen.