All of this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” (Mt 1:22-23)
On this, the Fourth Sunday of Advent, we all realize that Christmas is just a few days away! As we hear proclaimed in both our first reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah and our gospel from Matthew, Jesus, the son of Mary, is also truly God: Emmanuel – that is God-with-us. As we contemplate this most important moment in human history, allow me to offer some reflections on its significance to us, 2,000 years later.
I think we can all agree that we live in very challenging times. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, we were struggling with much social and political strife not only in our country but around the world. The pandemic, along with the war in Ukraine, has only added to the stress, division, distrust and disharmony among us. It seems that we cannot come together on so many issues but are being torn apart in so many ways. We need intervention and reconciliation.
As he did 2,000 years ago, Jesus is the one who can provide us with intervention and reconciliation. As you know, Jesus was born into a troubled world that, like ours, was divided into kingdoms that were often hostile to each other. His nation – Israel – had been conquered by successive empires: Babylonian, Greek and Roman. His people were eagerly awaiting a Messiah – an anointed one like King David – who would lead them to overcome their oppressors and make them a great, united nation once again. But, as we heard in last week’s gospel account, Jesus did not come as a warrior king. He came so that the blind could regain their sight, the lame walk, the deaf hear, lepers become cleansed and the dead be raised. He came not to reestablish an earthly kingdom but to establish God’s kingdom. All of his miracles demonstrated God’s mercy on the afflicted and foreshadowed the heavenly kingdom where there would be no more sadness and death but only eternal joy in the loving embrace of God.
As the greatest sign of God’s love, Jesus offered himself generously to us under the forms of bread and wine in the Eucharist and to the Father on the cross in expiation for our sins. In dying for us, he overcame the final effect of sin – death – as he rose from the dead. His Resurrection allows us to be raised to eternal life with him. And, before he returned to his rightful place at the hand of God, he promised the Holy Spirit of God to continue to lead and guide us. Yes, Jesus, the Son of God who became the son of Mary, has showered us with gifts and we are blessed every day of our lives as we benefit from them. In a world of strife and discord, he brings God’s peace and harmony into our lives.
This is why it is so important to join regularly in the Eucharist Celebration, where we learn about God’s great deeds and are reminded of God’s great generosity to us. In turn, we are strengthened and encouraged to share God’s love with those around us. In the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council remind us that our Lord, who came once in history to accomplish his great work of salvation, and will come again at the end of time to lead all the faithful to our heavenly Father, remains in our midst, especially through the Eucharist:
To accomplish so great a work, Christ is always present in His Church, especially in her liturgical celebrations. He is present in the sacrifice of the Mass…particularly under the Eucharistic species.
It has been a real delight for me to see that more and more of you are returning to Mass on a regular basis. And, many of you have remarked to me that you missed receiving our Lord in Holy Communion. Of course you have! Just as we need food to nourish our bodies and keep them healthy, we need the Eucharist to nourish our spirits and keep them healthy. And, just as you can’t eat virtually, sharing in the Celebration of the Eucharist virtually doesn’t satisfy your deepest hunger for our Lord’s living Body and Blood; you can only receive it in person. So, I encourage everyone whose health doesn’t prevent them from coming to join us, once again, in celebrating the Eucharist. After all, Christmas only tells the beginning of the story. Jesus came to offer us his life-giving Body and Blood and we are so blessed to be able to receive it regularly, especially during these stressful times!
Yes, our coming together to worship God is the most sacred action we can perform as we gratefully acknowledge all that God has done for us, especially through his Son, Jesus, who is God with us. And, it guides and directs our daily lives in imitation of Christ’s great work. As we come to the end of another Advent Season, let us give ourselves time to meditate on this great mystery and so prepare ourselves ever more deeply to receive our Lord as we celebrate his coming on Christmas in just a few days. Remember, the very word “Christmas” means “Celebration of the Messiah” – that’s what we do every time we celebrate the Eucharist.