My dearly beloved in Christ,

As we anticipate the celebration of Christmas in a few days, the first reading from the prophet Isaiah recounts the famous prophecy of the Virgin birth. The prophecy also contained a Divine promise to send a savior in the lineage of David whose name shall be Emmanuel.

According to John Bergsma in his book, The Word of The Lord, 'The name, in Hebrew literature, is frequently not the term by which someone will actually be referred to in conversation. In Hebrew, the name is usually a way of referring to the essence, meaning, or description of someone or something. So, when Isaiah says, 'They shall name him Emmanuel,' it means 'His essence shall be Godis-with-us."

Therefore, dearly beloved, Christmas is a reminder of the fact that God is always with His people and never forgets them.

However, there are moments when trials and tribulations may seem to overwhelm us. At such moments, we may be tempted to ask; is God really with us? There are times in life when we undergo certain experiences and we ask God why? Sometimes our experiences make us to question the historical concreteness of God's promise to us. In such a situation, let us remember God's word which says; "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine. When you pass through waters, I will be with you; through rivers, you shall not be swept away. When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, nor will flames consume you" (Isaiah 43:1-2).

There could also be moments in life when our laidout plans fail or meet a brick wall, just like it was for Joseph in the Gospels. He was looking forward to a quiet and hitch free marital life with Mary only to find out that she was with child through the Holy Spirit (Mathew 1:18). John Bergsma opines that he is disturbed and fears to marry her, either because he suspects wrongdoing on her part (a more modern view) or because he is hesitant to espouse a woman so holy as to be set apart for the conception of divinity (a classical traditional view). Nevertheless, he accepted and trusted God's will for himself and Mary.

Dear friends in Christ, we should imitate Joseph in trusting in God's will and purpose for our lives. He says in John's Gospel 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me." You may have trusted before and nothing seem to have come out of it, and you are asked to trust in Him still. Our trust in God should be grounded on the fact of His abiding presence with us. He is Emmanuel. Even if our world seems to be collapsing "Trust in God still". Even when it is evident that all help humanly possible have failed, the message of Jesus has not changed: "Trust in God still".

You may have heard this popular story of the Footprints. One night a man had a dream. He dreamt he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him and the other to the Lord. When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprint on the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened during the most difficult and saddest moments of his life. This really troubled him and he questioned the Lord about it. "Lord you said that once I decided to follow you that you would walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome moments of my life, there was only one set of footprints. I don't understand why during the times I needed you most you left me". The Lord replied, "My most precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you saw only one footprint, it was then that I carried you". During those moments when it felt like God was absent, God is fully present and in charge - He is Emmanuel.

In every circumstance, remember that Jesus Christ is Emmanuel - God with us!

In Christ,
Fr. Samuel Aliba

BACK TO LIST