Day Sixteen: Hypostatic Union, Part Three

There is something to be said about having a working vocabulary when it comes to theology. The words we use help us to reflect on and to understand the beliefs we have. Without the right words, we cannot contemplate the Truth that God reveals to us, and without contemplation, we cannot fully encounter God, not with our intellect, at least. To put it simply, to begin to know God, we have to start talking about Him. Maybe the first step I take with my students is to help them develop that language so they can start that conversation.

St. Senan's Catholic Church in Shanagolden, Co. Limerick, Ireland. The Hypostatic Union may also suggest to us the reality of the Real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. (photo P. Smith)

Students will be able to define Hypostatic Union and explain why it is necessary that Jesus is both fully human and fully divine. I tell students that they need to remember the following:

• God made us in His image and likeness of perfect Love.
• We sin and reject that image and likeness; we prefer to define Love ourselves.
• We do not know how to Love perfectly or to be Loved perfectly.
• God wants a relationship with us so He can teach us how to Love again.
• He becomes incarnate to make this happen.

With that basis, we define Hypostatic Union as “…with reference to the Incarnation to express the revealed truth that in Christ one person subsists in two natures, the Divine and the human.” (Newadvent.org). The Hypostatic Union means that the one person, Jesus of Nazareth, possesses a Divine nature and a Human nature. All other humans have one nature: Human. The Father and the Spirit have one nature: Divine. Jesus has two natures, simultaneously.

I ask the question directly: “Why do you think this has to be True? Think in terms of the True nature of humankind, Love, sin, and relationship.” Usually, my students can start coming up with statements like: “He has to be fully human because if He wasn’t then True Love would be impossible for all of us.” I also hear things like, “He must be Fully Divine, otherwise the image of True Love as sacrifice would be limited.” Probably the best, and most insightful thing I hear is “Jesus has to be fully God and Fully Human so we can see what True relationship looks like and how a relationship with the Divine can make us our Authentic Self.” It we give them the right language, the depth of their thoughts and intuition is profound.