What reply did man make, man who felt affliction and knew nothing of
peace? How long will you keep saying "Peace, peace,” when there is no peace? And so the angels of peace weep bitterly, saying O Lord, who has believed our
report?
But now, at last, let men believe their own eyes, as all God’s
promises are to be trusted. So that they cannot escape the notice of even
troubled eyes, he has set up his tabernacle in the sun. Behold, peace is no
longer promised, but conferred; no longer delayed, but given; no longer
predicted, but bestowed. Behold, God has sent down to earth a purse bulging with
his mercy, a purse that at the Passion is torn open so that our ransom may pour out of it onto us. A small purse, perhaps, but a full one, for a child has been given us, but in him dwells the fullness of deity.
When the fullness of time had come, there came too the fullness of deity. He came in the flesh, so that he might make himself manifest at least to our earthly minds; so that, when this humankindness of his appeared, his lovingkindness
might also be acknowledged. Where the humanity of God appears, his benevolence can
no longer be hidden. In what way, indeed, could he have better commended his benevolence than by assuming my flesh? Indeed, my flesh, and not Adam’s as it was
before the fall.
What greater proof could he have given of his mercy than by taking upon himself that very thing which needed mercy? Where is there such perfect benevolence as this: for our sake the Word of God became perishable, like the grass which withers? O Lord, what is man, that you make much of him or pay him any heed? Let man infer from this how much God cares for him. Let him know from this what God thinks of him, what he feels about him. Man, do not ask about your own sufferings; but about what God suffered. Learn from what he was made for you, how much he makes of you, so that his benevolence may show itself to you from his humanity.
The less he made himself in his humanity, the more has he shown
himself in his benevolence. The more he humbles himself on my account, the more
powerfully he elicits my love. The goodness and humanity of God our Savior
appeared, says St Paul. The humanity of God shows the greatness of his goodness,
and he who has added humanity to the name of God gave great proof of this goodness.