With Jesus' birth is the dawning of a new day. What does that day mean for us today? The era of permanent alienation from God came to an end with the birth of our Savior. the prophetic promises of a Savior, first uttered by God to Adam and Eve and gradually expanded upon to the chosen people of Israel, became a reality with the birth of Jesus. As Savior, he ushered in the fulfillment of the Day of mercy. This mercy, manifested in the flesh of a new born child, became a lasting reality on the cross when  he died for our sins. May the words of St. Augustine illuminate further this mercy: "You would have suffered eternal death, had he not been born in time. Never would you have been freed from sinful flesh, had he not taken on himself the likeness of sinful flesh. You would have suffered everlasting unhappiness, had it not been for this mercy. You would never have returned to life, had he not shared your death. You would have been lost if he had not hastened to your aid. you would have perished, had he not come."