Emmanuel: “God is with us.” Do we really believe that? Do we truly believe that God is living and active in our lives? Or do we just say that because it’s what we do as Christians?
The word Emmanuel appears in both the first reading from Isaiah and the Gospel. The second reading, from Paul’s Letter to the Romans, mentions the word apostle, which literally means “to be sent.” By our baptisms and confirmations, we were made heirs to the Kingdom of God, and we are challenged to go forth and proclaim the Good News. We are sent as emissaries of the Gospel and called to be holy.
So, if we genuinely believe that God is with us, we should never fear our mission of being sent forth. In other words, the presence of God within us compels us under the impetus of the Holy Spirit to go out into the world and preach the Good News by our lives.
Although Joseph was afraid to undertake the task of being Jesus’ foster father, he trusted that God would be with him. When we are afraid to live our faith, look to the example of St. Joseph and trust that God is with us. We have been sent out on a mission to bring Christ to others. As Joseph took care of Mary and Jesus, shepherding them as he was sent by God, may we, too, trust that God has a plan for us.
This Advent season is an opportunity to renew our commitments to being open to the Holy Spirit, who will lead and guide us on our journeys of faith. While we may be afraid or confused, we need to take courage that God is with us.
