He had to take on human form so that he could represent us.

Wednesday, 1/16/13

The Feast of the Epiphany is ten days behind us, but its message is still strong with the Church. Yes, God has deemed to come to us in human form. What a wonderful thing!

Four days ago, at the feast of the Baptism of Jesus we were marveling at that voice from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son.” Four days from now, at the marriage at Cana, that Son will reveal his glory by the creative act of changing water into wine.

Today’s reading from the Letter to the Hebrews gives us two of God’s reasons for sending us the Son in human form.

First, the Son had to take on human form so that he could be one of us, acting as a representative of humanity: “He had to become like his brothers and sisters” that he might be our high priest.

Secondly, he had to be “tested through what he suffered” because it was only by his experiencing the range of human suffering that he could be truly sympathetic with us.