ORLANDO, FL (Catholic Online) - It is the day before Christmas, the Feast of the Nativity of the Lord. As we prepare to celebrate the Birth of the Word of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, I am drawn to reflect with my readers on the fullness of the mystery of the Incarnation.

From the moment Mary said "Yes", the Incarnation began. This is vitally important to remember. Often the word Nativity and the word Incarnation are used interchangeably. Certainly, the Nativity is a part of the great mystery of the Incarnation. However, the Incarnation began with the conception of Jesus and continues.

The beloved disciple John begins His Gospel calling us to reflect on this extraordinary truth: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:1-4)

From the very moment Jesus became Incarnate, His saving mission of redeeming and re-creating began. The Incarnation is the very heart of the Mystery of the entire Christian Faith. The God, who made the whole universe and created man out of the dust of the earth, took on our humanity. He lived in the first home of every human person, His mother's womb.

There was a Redeemer in the womb of Mary! God was an embryonic human person, a fetus, a child in the womb. Of course, that Person, from the moment of conception, as the Ancient Christian Creeds affirm, was - and is - True God and True Man.

In the light of this mystery every human pregnancy, every womb, every child in the womb, was forever elevated beyond the dignity it already possessed. Also, the extreme evil of abortion is made even more obvious and profane. This Redeemer in the womb, Jesus, began His saving work "in utero" and He identifies with every child in the womb. Jesus was an "embryonic person" and is forever identified with all embryonic persons.

On September 8, 2008, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Vatican Congregation responsible for the protection of Doctrine (The Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith) released a passionate defense of the dignity of every single human life from the moment of conception until natural death.

As is the custom with magisterial documents, the title of this instruction was taken from the first line, "The dignity of a person must be recognized in every human being from conception to natural death". The document continues, "This fundamental principle expresses a great "yes" to human life and must be at the center of ethical reflection on biomedical research, which has an ever greater importance in today's world."

At the release of the document the Press was filled with reports on the instruction. Some accurately described the content and properly affirmed its significance. Others were based on mistaken caricatures of the Catholic Church and not on the substance of what the teaching document actually presented.

Still others demonstrated that the writers did not read the document or, if they did, did not like what it had to say and actually chose to mislead the public. Finally, some were based on old tired assertions of the Catholic Church as being "out of touch" or "anti-technology" or "anti-sexuality" or any number of other absolutely untrue and groundless assertions.

The Instruction continued the clear and consistent defense of the dignity of every human life, respect for the goods and ends of marriage and the insistence on having authentic moral criteria with which to evaluate alleged advances in medical science as presented by the Catholic Church through her teaching office.

The Catholic Church is not against science. Rather, she simply insists that good science must always respect the first goods; life, marriage and the common good of our life together.

All Catholic Christians should read this well written teaching document. It is a doctrinal statement of the ordinary magisterium (teaching office) of the catholic Church and therefore must be given the full assent of our intellect and will. This is of particular importance given the number of Catholics in significant positions of authority in the Obama Administration.

I encourage Vice President Biden and his fellow professing Catholics in the US administration to read this instruction. I hope it draws those who need to do so, to repent and embrace the truth.

Finally, the document was written not only for Catholics, other Christians or even just people of faith. It is addressed to "all who seek the truth". It presents the truth by drawing upon the "light both of reason and faith and seeks to set forth an integral vision of man and his vocation".

The document does not discourage ...