GOSPEL MATTERS: The Purpose of Christmas
Dr Christine Wood, Director of the Office of Evangelisation & Catechesis
At the heart of the Christmas mystery lies a profound truth: the purpose of the Incarnation is for humanity to become partakers of the divine nature.
St Gregory of Nazianzus famously stated, “God became man so that we might become God.” Christmas is not merely a celebration of Christ’s birth, but an invitation to enter into his own divine life. At Christmas we celebrate this wonderful divine exchange.
The Christian message of divine transformation contrasts sharply with the views of secular thinkers like Daniel Dennett, a prominent philosopher and cognitive scientist. Dennett, known for his atheistic views, argues that human consciousness and morality are byproducts of evolutionary processes, with no need for divine intervention.
Dennett writes, “Human beings are not divine; they are simply an evolved species of animal… there is nothing about us that is fundamentally different from other animals.” For Dennett, the idea of humans undergoing divine transformation is an unfounded myth.
On the contrary, Pope Benedict XVI offers a deeper understanding of the human person and God’s revelation. In his encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, Pope Benedict writes, “The Christian message… is that God has shown Himself to us in Christ, so that we may know Him and in knowing Him, be transformed.”
The Incarnation is not an abstract myth but a divine reality that offers humanity the opportunity for true transformation.
Joseph Ratzinger writes, “God reveals Himself not as an abstract idea or distant figure but in the form of a person, as love made flesh.” This love, made manifest in Jesus Christ, is the key to humanity’s transformation and divinisation.
Scripture testifies to this divine invitation: “[Christ] has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature” (2 Pet 1:4). Through the Incarnation, Christ opens a reality far beyond human limitations, offering us communion with the divine.
The contrast between the views of humanity from the secular humanist (or atheist) and the Christian could not be starker. Christmas is not just an historical event; it is a call to divine transformation. While thinkers like Dennett see humanity as limited to the material world, Christianity offers a vision where humanity is invited to share in the divine life.
This is the true purpose of Christmas: to invite us into union with God and transform our lives through His love. How will you respond to this divine invitation?
Wishing you and your families a blessed Christmas!