The incarnation is at the heart of our faith, and what we celebrate in this season. Over the course of Christian history, it fell to a number of saints to help establish the truth of God-become-human. That effort was often a bitter struggle, resulting in great hardships.
In the fourth century, the Arian heresy tore the young church apart, as the teaching of the priest Arius denied the divinity of Christ. Thousands followed Arius, including many bishops. Standing against Arianism was Athanasius, first as a deacon at the Council of Nicea, and later as bishop of Alexandria. The Creed we pray today bears, in part, the stamp of the work of Athanasius and his colleagues. In his defense of Christ’s divinity, Athanasius faced great opposition and suffered exile five times.
In today’s Gospel Jesus’ authority is called into question by the chief priests and scribes as he teaches in the temple. They are not ready to accept his divine mandate. He silences his opponents with a clever argument. Athanasius witnesses to Christ by his preaching, writing, and silent suffering in exile. We, too, can find a variety of opportunities to profess our faith in Jesus.
—adapted from the book Advent with the Saints: Daily Reflections
by Greg Friedman, OFM
