Mystery of The Incarnation
T he one distinguishing mark of catholic Christian faith, is the story on which it hinges, where a tribal God, YAHWEH, seeks out his own, and establishes the convenant with the semitic tribe of Abraham, and brings about the singular event with cosmic consequences: the impossible and unthinking incarnation of the Divine into the material world. We think of Christianity as a modern, western faith, and forget its true origins in the Orient as a tribal faith, born firstly in the belief of one God, nameless and unknowable, whose nature is mysterious to men. Yahweh is indeed unique and alone; there is none like Him , as the Psalmist sings. The ancient Hebrews were fearful to profane this sacred name, and therefore, in their oral traditions and later on, scriptures, recorded this name but pronounced the word Adonai or Lord, in its place. Therefore, for thousands of years, the name would remain unspeakable, unknown, and almost forgotten. The word itself is a phrase, oddly created, which co...