“Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel (Mt 1:23).” These are the words spoken by the prophet Isaiah hundreds of years before the birth of Christ and are then repeated in the Gospel of Matthew. The virgin, of course, is Mary, and the son is Jesus. Emmanuel means “God with us.” Jesus is our Emmanuel. Everything that God wished to reveal of Himself, He did so perfectly in the Person of Jesus Christ.
Do we look for God? Do we see with eyes of faith to be astounded, amazed, and awestruck? When we gaze at the small white Host, do we see with the eyes of Faith that our Eucharistic Lord is staring back at us with love? In the Sacrament of Penance, do we hear Jesus speaking and acting through the ordained priest?
In the Sacraments, Jesus is our High Priest. Jesus is the Word of God who speaks to us through Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture. Through the ministerial priesthood, we have a connection of authority all the way back to the Apostles, and, ultimately, Christ.
When we practice the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, Jesus is there. God is with us. Where two or three gather in the name of Jesus, He is there. By serving one another in humility and love, we honor Christ, for it is only through Christ and by His grace that we can do anything.
We would be lost without Christ and His Church, adrift at sea. If we believe that we can go it alone or if we believe that we do not need the Church, then we are drinking from a deadly cup. God is with us and we need Him. Jesus is the only name by which we are saved. This Advent, may our longing for our Savior and Lord continue to grow.
God is with us. But do we see Him? We do not need to search for Him. We know where He is. We need look no further than the small gold tabernacle with a burning red sanctuary lamp. God is with us. Come, let us adore Him.
Will Wright is the Director of Content for The Ten Ten Group and the Director of Catechesis and Evangelization for his parish in Sun City West, AZ. He holds a dual course of study Master’s Degree in Catechetics & Evangelization and Theology & Christian Ministry from Franciscan University of Steubenville. He lives in the Phoenix area with his wife and son.
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