阅读经文 

自从耶稣基督升天以后，祂不再以肉身与我们同在地上。但道成肉身并没有终结。耶稣仍然是人，祂以肉身活在天上。但不仅如此。耶稣仍然透过具体的人在这地上生活和活动，因为教会就是祂在地上的身体。(教会不是一个建筑物，而是由所有相信祂的人组成。）

圣灵荫庇马利亚，使她腹中怀了耶稣。同一位圣灵在耶稣受洗时充满了祂。五旬节时，也是同一位圣灵浇灌在耶稣的门徒身上。这位圣灵至今仍然住在我们的教会中。

耶稣向祂的门徒吹气（圣灵），说：“父怎样差遣了我，我也照样差遣你们。”（参约 20:21）教会像耶稣一样，被差派去宣告和彰显神的国度降临。

因此，教会在爱中传扬真理——有关罪、审判和饶恕的真理。不仅如此，教会也如以马内利的神，与人同在：与受苦的人一同受苦，与哭泣的人一同哭泣，与喜乐的人一同喜乐，探望生病或被囚的人，喂饱饥饿的人。

当教会忠实于祂的呼召时，人们就会在我们每个人里面看见耶稣。因此，道成肉身仍在这地上持续存在，直到耶稣再来。

Since he ascended to heaven, Jesus Christ is no longer with us on earth in the flesh. But the incarnation continues. Jesus is still human, and in his human body he is in heaven. But that's not all. Jesus is still living and active here on the earth in human form, because the church is his body on earth. (The church is not a building but is made up of all of us humans who believe in him.)

The Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary so that Jesus was conceived in her womb. The same Spirit filled Jesus at his baptism. The same Spirit was poured out on Jesus' disciples on Pentecost. And the same Spirit lives in us, the church, to this day.

Jesus breathed the Spirit onto his disciples, saying, "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." The church is sent, like Jesus, to announce and embody the kingdom of God.

So the church speaks the truth in love—the truth about sin, judgment, and forgiveness. But that's not all. The church also comes alongside people: to suffer with those who suffer, to weep with those who weep, to rejoice with those who rejoice, to visit those who are sick or in prison, to feed those who are hungry.

When the church is faithful to its calling, Jesus himself becomes visible in our humanity. So the incarnation continues on earth until Jesus returns.