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Jesus: Incarnation and Atonement

- RCIA

The Incarnation of Christ means that we profess that God has become human without ceasing to be God. These teachings can be summarized in the following points:
- At the time appointed by God, the only Son of the Father, the eternal Word, that is, the Word and substantial Image of the Father, became incarnate; without losing his divine nature he has assumed human nature.
- Jesus Christ is true God and true man, in the unity of his divine person; for this reason he is the one and only mediator between God and men.
- The Incarnation is therefore the mystery of the wonderful union of the divine and human natures in the one person of the Word (CCC 479-483).
The atonement of Christ describes how his passion, death, and resurrection overcome the powers of sin and death in our world. These teachings might be summarized in the following points:
- Jesus freely offered himself for our salvation. Beforehand, during the Last Supper, he both symbolized this offering and made it really present. (CCC 621)
- Our salvation flows from God's initiative of love for us, because "he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins" (I Jn 4:10). (CCC 620)
- Christ, "the first-born from the dead" (Col 1:18), is the principle of our own resurrection, even now by the justification of our souls (cf. Rom 6:4), and one day by the new life he will impart to our bodies. (CCC 658)
Recommended Reading

Incarnation
Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church, #422-570
For a down to earth reflection, check out Michael Himes' introduction to the Incarnation in The Mystery of Faith
For a more historical exploration, read Monika Hellwig's "Jesus, Savior and Son of God" in Understanding Catholicism
What does the Incarnation have to do with your prayer life? Renowned retreat leader Anthony DeMello talks about meditation on the life of Christ in Contact with God
Atonement
Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church, #571-667
There is no more approachable account of the atonement than C.S. Lewis's "The Perfect Penitent" in Mere Christianity
Want something else to read on the paschal mystery? Check out Monika Hellwig, "The Death of Jesus, Our Liberation," from Understanding Catholicism
Here's Jon Stotts' take on why Jesus had to die.
As with all Catholic teachings, the mystery of the cross isn't just a theory -- it's a reality that we must live and pray. One of the most widely used Catholic methods of contemplating the paschal mystery is the rosary, a form of prayer that uses several distinct vocal prayers to lead us into a period of quiet meditation. Learn how to pray the rosary here or here. Read more about the spirituality of the rosary here. Need a rosary? Head to St. Mary's Bookstore downtown. It's a little tough to get started with this prayer form, but once you figure it out, you'll have a time-tested means of entering into communion with God whenever you have a couple of minutes to spare.
Weekly Meditation: Think About Jesus, the Word Incarnate

Becoming a Catholic is about responding to God with your whole life in union with others who are responding with their whole lives. Two millenia ago, God took on the full life of a human man; in doing this, God invites us to take on the life of the Triune God. We are about Jesus Christ: He is the center of everything that we do, say, and believe. We are his people, we accept that he is trustworthy and we believe that his is the way to true and lasting happiness.
- Take a minute to remember how you learned about Jesus. What stories and lessons shaped your understanding of him? How did you envision your relationship to him? Was he a god far removed from earthly stuff? A stern teacher? A big brother? A compassionate listener? Something else?
Catholics believe that whatever it is that you’re seeking, you will find in this good news of Jesus Christ. Every kind of question we can ask about the significance of what we say or do has its answer in this gospel. And perhaps you’ll experience it more fully through coming into union with his people, the Church, who are his body.
- Take another minute and try to put the "good news" in your own words. What hope have you found in the gospel? What is Jesus promising to bring you in your own life that matters so much to you? Peace? Clarity? Eternal life? Something else?
The RCIA process is about determining whether the Catholic Church offers you a place to respond to Jesus Christ. It’s about learning about Jesus, and learning about his people, and learning about yourself, and figuring out how we all work together.
- What are the most Christ-centered beliefs, practices, rituals, or people you've encountered in the Catholic Church so far? Take a final minute to turn these recollections into a prayer of gratitude and desire to God.