Father John A. Hardon, S.J. Archives

Fr. Hardon

Christmas, 1998 - Fr. Hardon's Letter

by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.

Only Our Lord knows how best to thank you for your kindness and generosity. We are just one year away from the annual vigil for the 2,000^th Anniversary of Our Lord becoming man.

Everything in our lives depends on our faith in God becoming man. When His mother told the angel, "Be it done to me according to your word," the infant creator of heaven and earth became man. No human language can explain how important was this event. When God became man, the infinite creator became a finite creature without ceasing to be God.

By His gift of Himself God took on our human limitations. He could now suffer as we suffer. He could now become hungry as we become hungry. He could become thirsty as we could become thirsty. He could now be offended, as we could be offended. He could now experience the limitations of our human nature, as we experience our limitations as human beings. Yet all the while God never ceased to be God.

How we need this reminder of our faith today in a world, that has gone literally mad, in its own, self-appraisal. Never before in the history of mankind have we more needed our faith in God Incarnate. It is our faith that keeps us sane in a world that is literally lost its mind and pride.

There is no way I could answer all your letters personally. What I am doing, however, is trying to make up for what I can do personally. I am offering the Sacrifice of the Mass for all of you personally on New Year's Day. My prayer is that Our Lord will bless you and your family with an abundance of His grace in this life and life everlasting and life to come. You remain daily in my intentions at the altar. I am asking you to remember me to Our Lord.

Very sincerely yours in Christ,

John A. Hardon, S. J.