Oh Happy Fault

If you listen to the words of the Exultet at the Easter Vigil you will hear some pretty shocking things: “Oh Happy fault” and “Oh truly Necessary sin of Adam”. Last time I checked sin wasn’t a good thing. But, this year these words led me to a very enlightening reflection. Lent was a constant reminder of my weakness, which after six weeks was getting a little discouraging. Then Holy Week came and there was a very specific theme for me. The preaching, the stations of the cross, and even in my confession there was something mentioned something about how God has redeemed our weakness and our littleness, how Christ himself uses our weakness to glorify the Father. Even thinking of the Stations of the Cross how Christ falls three times! He allows himself to become weak! So if Jesus Christ allowed himself to experience human weakness, why should I be afraid or shocked by my weakness? It is because of my weakness that he came; he knows that I need him and he knows that without him I would be lost. It is because of our weakness and sin that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, it is because of our sin and weakness that he came to our weakness, to redeem us and to prove his love to us. Oh happy fault, oh truly necessary sin of each one of us that has won so great a redeemer, that has brought our God so close to us, that has allowed us to see God’s love for us manifested.