Many Jewish people believe this rather paradoxical expression: “The remedy precedes the injury.” In Hebrew ( הקדמת תרופה למכה ) the literal translation is “get in front of it while you still can.” What does this mean and how does it relate to the seasons of Advent and Christmas?

On December 25, believers celebrate two profound mysteries: a virgin birth and a triune deity. Again, in the Hebrew language, and in the minds of most logical thinkers, these two concepts are “mishegos” which means “crazy, useless ideas that make no sense.” How can a virgin give birth to a child? Absurd! And how can her child also be the second of three persons who are united into one God? Unthinkable! Consequently the “reason for the season” becomes a conundrum and what should be a cause for emotional joy could turn into irrational blues instead.

The “cure” or “enlightenment” for these mental quandaries lies in the four weeks prior to Christmas, namely the season of Advent.

The “injury” that has plagued humankind since Adam and Eve is “sin.” Their original “fault” and “fall” was their deliberate disobedience to God’s command. They chose to follow their own will and we inherited their wrongdoing—a tendency to prefer our way over God’s way. The only one who could rescue us from sin and save us by restoring us to God’s original plan was God. The Divine Creator would have to become a human creature in order to suffer, die, and rise again to restore fallen humanity to new life.

Mary, the new Eve, would have to surrender her will by saying yes to God’s plan. “Let it be done to me according to your word.” Jesus, the new Adam, is the second person of the Trinity, and therefore both divine and human—God and man. Echoing the surrendering words of his mother, Christ foregoes his desire to have the cup of crucifixion and death pass away when he says to his Father, “Not my will, but Thy will be done.”

In order for God, a divine being, to become a human being, meant having the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, descend upon the virgin Mary so that the holy one to be born would be the son of God and our savior. Hence the Advent “solutions” precede and help us understand the Christmas dilemmas of a virgin who can give birth to a Son who is truly human and also the second person of a truly divine, triune God. As a result, “Advent enlightenment” dispels ahead of time what nonbelievers see as those unreasonable “Christmas blues.”

Blessed Advent and Merry Christmas to all.

Holy Homework: Following the example that Jesus and Mary gave us when they surrendered their desires and followed the will of God, let’s add our sincere promise that we shall give a Christmas gift to God by doing the same. Let’s begin each day in December with this short but heartfelt prayer: Thy Will, not my will, be done.

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