"No greater wonder could be accomplished than that God should become man." So writes St. Thomas Aquinas in his commentary on the Gospel of John. This statement follows a lifetime spent pondering the question of why God became man. If Aquinas fully acknowledges that the Incarnation marks an article of faith, that is, a doctrine that is accepted as true only by an act of faith, he was nonetheless convinced that the mystery of the Incarnation is not only in accord with human reason, it is deeply attractive to the human spirit. To consider the Incarnation a mystery that evokes great "wonder" is to recognize a deep beauty and coherence that is part and parcel of God's having become man.
In today's age, which tends to regard articles of faith as irrational and the Incarnation, in particular, as a myth, Thomas Aquinas has a valuable perspective that merits our close consideration.
This lecture was given by Paul Gondreau (Providence College) on September 11, 2018 to the University of Oklahoma chapter of the Thomistic Institute.
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