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

God is with us and in us and in everything that happens. He has shown us this through the Incarnation.  He will never leave us.  So…..

• If you are grieving the loss of a loved one during this joyful season, God is with you.
• If your life seems like it’s been turned upside down by substance abuse, a broken marriage, or children that have gone astray, God is with you.
• If you are struggling with a moral dilemma or difficult choice, God is with you.
• If all seems lost and there is no way out, God is with you; He will always be with you.  No matter what.
• God is with you when you struggle with illness, disease, or impending death.  Indeed, He will be there at the moment of your death.

Cling to Emmanuel and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.  If you do so you are opening a space in your heart for Him.  God comes through others.  An angel announced the Good News to Mary, not God Himself.

It is not just in bad times that God is with you.

• God is also with you when you rejoice in a new birth, or marriage, or baptism.
• He is with you when you have accomplished something important.  Don’t forget to give Him credit because without Him you would have accomplished nothing.
• God is with you when you smile because you’ve had a good year and if you are looking back over the years with satisfaction, God is rejoicing with you too.
• You have and likely will be touched by an other’s kindness.  When that happens remember God was there for you through that other– an angel in your midst.

Emmanuel is with you during this season of hope and joy whether you feel it or not. Lift up your mind and your will.  Believe.  God has become one of us.  Let us give Him thanks and praise.

Have a Blessed Christmas!

Picture: The Nativity by John Singleton Copley (1738-1815). Public Domain. Retrieved on Wikimedia Commons.

As with each year, there are no posts the week between Christmas and New Year.