Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
"God is with us." That's the assurance that we get in today's reading . Four words that make all the difference in the world. God isn't some detached All-Powerful mythical Presence that watches us from on high like we might watch a fish in a fishbowl. He is with us, all around us, and during Advent we understand that he became one of us as Jesus was both God and man at the same time. It's the ultimate act of relationship-building that would later become the ultimate sacrifice for us. Father Thomas Keating has said: "...under no circumstances can we ever be separated from him [God]. We may feel that we are; we may think that we are. But in actual fact, there is no way that we can ever be apart from God even if we try.” And that's the Advent message isn't it? God is with us. Last night Marie and I went to a Christmas party with some friends. All of us were Catholics (I think) and we started the evening off by praying together, grateful to God for having so much and setting the intention of God's presence among us. Amidst the food, games, conversation and horrible karaoke singing, God was with us.
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