The birth of God in the soul, beyond time

THE ANGEL GABRIEL WAS SENT Missus est Gabriel angelus (Luke 1:26). 'In time the angel Gabriel was sent from God.' In what time? In the sixth month, John being then alive within his mother's womb. When anyone asks me why we pray or why we fast or do our work, I say it is so that God may be born in our souls. What were the scriptures written for, and why did God create the world and the angelic nature? Simply that God might be born in the soul. All grain nature means wheat, all treasure nature means gold, all begetting means man. As the philosopher says, no animal exists but has something in common with mankind in time. First of all, when a word is conceived in my mind it is a subtle, intangible thing; it becomes a true word when it takes shape in my thought. Later, as spoken aloud by my mouth, it is only an outward expression of the inner word. In the same way the eternal Word is spoken in the innermost and purest part of the soul, in the summit of her rational nature, and there this birth happens. Whoever has nothing more than a firm belief in and lively conviction of this will be glad to know how this birth comes about and what helps it along.

St Paul says: 'In the fullness of time God sent his Son.' St Augustine was asked what this fullness of time meant. It is the fullness, or end, of the day when the day is done: then the day is over. It is certain that there is no time where this birth happens, for nothing hinders this birth so much as time and created things. It is an obvious fact that time affects neither God nor the soul. If time touched the soul she would not be soul. If God were affected by time he would not be God. Further, if time could touch the soul, then God could not be born in her. The soul in whom God is born must have escaped from time, and time must have dropped away from her; she must be wholly one in will and desire.

Here is another fullness of time. If someone had the knowledge and the power to gather up the time and all the happenings of these six thousand years, and all that is still to come before the world ends besides, all this, summed up into one present now, would be the fullness of time. This is the now of eternity, when the soul knows all things in God, as new and fresh and lovely as I find them now, at this present moment. The narrowest of the powers of my soul is wider than heaven. To say nothing of the intellect, in which there is measureless space, in which I am as near to a place a thousand miles away as to the spot where I am standing this moment. Theologians teach that the angel hosts are countless, that their number cannot be grasped. But to one who sees distinctions apart from multiplicity and number, to him, I say, a hundred is as one. Were there a hundred Persons in the Godhead he would still see them as one God.

As for the angels: the angels, of whatever rank, assist and attend at God's birth in the soul; that is to say, they take satisfaction in it, they delight and rejoice in this birth. Nothing is brought about by the angels: the birth is due to God alone, and whatever serves it is a work of service. May God be born in us. So help us God.