The Lord, in the Human nature He took upon Himself and glorified during
His life in the world, was, and forever is, the very embodiment of Innocence:
“The Lamb of God.” Throughout His life He continually submitted His Human
nature – even, finally, His body itself – to the Divinity from which it was
begotten, until in the end the Human and the Divine had become entirely One
in Him.
The Divine was thus made accessible to us in our natural lives more fully
and with more power to touch our feelings and influence our thoughts than
ever before. “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of Him who
brings good tidings, who proclaims peace....who proclaims salvation, who says
unto Zion, Thy God reigns!” (Isaiah 52:7)
May each of us, as we pick up the sacred volume and once again read the
stories of the Lord’s birth, be inspired anew by the eternal truth and timeless
beauty of them. When we are affected by the warmth of love, the gentle light
of truth, the sphere of peace, and the simple beauty of these ancient tales, they
then testify, not just to the Lord’s birth long ago, but to His eternal presence
with us. The stories of His advent thus become the means for a renewal of it in
our lives today.
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise....”
(WEO)
new church virtues: trust in providence
The teachings of the New Church tell us many things about Divine providence
– what it seeks to accomplish and how it works – which are not to be found
elsewhere, and this knowledge is a great help in learning to trust in it, and in
cooperating with it.
The full title of the volume about providence in the Writings – Angelic
Wisdom Concerning Divine Providence – reminds us of how unique and
wonderful the truths revealed in this book are: they let us in on the wisdom
of the angels!
First of all, we are told what providence is exactly. And a realistic
expectation of providence keeps us from having our faith in it shaken every
time something goes badly for us, or some disaster is reported in the news.
Providence is the operation of Divine love by means of Divine wisdom
to prepare us for a life of eternal happiness in heaven. This is the goal of
providence, not just for us to have an easy time in this world. Providence looks
to what is infinite and eternal because it comes from the Divine and thus has
the infinite and the eternal in it. (Arcana Coelestia 5264)
The Lord in His providence does not just bring us to heaven eventually,
but seeks to bring heaven to us, incrementally, every day, in each event and
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