Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.”

As we continue our journey through the Church’s liturgical season of Advent in anticipation of the celebration of the birth of our Savior, we are reminded that commencing with the nativity of Jesus, our sanctified covenant with God is sealed. The wait is over. The promise made to our ancestors of long ago to send an Emmanuel finds fulfillment in the coming of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

God became incarnate in the person of Jesus to be among us here on earth and to lead us to an eternal life in the never-ending banquet of celestial bliss. Jesus, true God and true human, models all that is good, all that is just, all that is love. Our sinless Lord spent his thirty-three years on earth preaching the Good News of salvation. He freely accepted humiliation, rejection, agony, and even crucifixion so that we might accompany him in another life in the glory of our God.

Jesus Christ, our Emmanuel, our God, is with us, is our truth, our way, and our life. May we acknowledge with hearts full of gratitude that Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection are all part of God’s merciful plan for our salvation. For such a demonstration of God’s absolute unconditional love, let us truly rejoice as we near the day of our Lord’s holy birth.

Let Us Pray:

Prayer: God our Creator, we thank you for revealing yourself to us as Jesus Christ, whose birth we are soon to celebrate. While we await his nativity, may we be mindful of why you chose to dwell among us. May we live our covenant to build your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.