Hecker Christmas Sermon, Part I: God became Man

The following is an edited version of a sermon delivered by Father Hecker on Christmas Day 1870. It is the only surviving sermon of Hecker on the subject of Christmas. It is provided herein three sections over three weeks as a part of the Hecker Reflections during the Advent/Christmas season.
– Father Paul Robichaud, CSP

God became man to facilitate man’s love for God. For had God become an angel and made himself visible to us, we would have been bound to love him just as much as we are bound to love him as a man. However, this would have been more difficult for resemblance begets love. Thus when we seek to attract the attention of another or win their love, we seek to resemble them in our dress, our conduct, our speech and in all things. Just as a mother prattles with her child to gain attention and awaken its affection, so Christ takes the form of a servant being made in the likeness of men to captivate our hearts.

Christ was really truly man and being man bound us to love him not only by the law of resemblance, but by the strongest of ties. For it is the law of nature that “like loves like.” Birds love birds. Beasts love beasts, man loves man. God as man can bind us to himself with cords of common sympathy, calls forth a spontaneous devotion and awakes the deepest and warmest affections of our hearts.

God is shrouded in our common humanity. Christ is our brother who we can approach with feelings of confidence and affection. When the Indians go out to hunt the buffalo, they cover themselves with buffalo skin. By this device they lose their fear of the animal and are allowed to approach near enough to shoot them. So Our Blessed Lord approaches us without awaking our fears, covers himself with our humanity and captivates our hearts with the fire of his divine love. O blessed hunter of the hearts of man! O goodness and kindness of our God and savior.