December 23
O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God.
The greatest sign ever promised, the greatest sign ever given … is a baby.
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).
The sign of God’s magnificence and glory is not thunder or fire or lightning. The sign of his liberating authority and glorious rule is not found in a palace. The sign of his power is not terrifying or intimidating. The sign of his love is found in a helpless child that was born to die.
“And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12).
Emmanuel means “God with us.” God has come to be with his people. He does not remain distant. He is not the clock-maker God who creates and then leaves. He does not rule from afar. On the contrary, he has come to enter into our mess. To free us from sin, he has made himself sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). To save us from suffering, he has come to suffer with us. In the Incarnation, he does not come to pluck us from the fire, to whisk us away from pain, to eliminate all suffering. Rather, he comes into the fire, takes on the pain, and comes to die (cf. Daniel 3:25).
The greatest sign ever given - the sign of God’s love, mercy, and power - is a baby. “God’s sign is that he makes himself small for us. This is how he reigns. He does not come with power and outward splendor. He comes as a baby – defenseless and in need of our help. He does not want to overwhelm us with his strength. He takes away our fear of his greatness. He asks for our love: so he makes himself a child.” (Pope Benedict XVI, Homily at Midnight Mass, 2006)
And is that enough? That God has become man out of love for his creatures? Is that enough? No, he goes even further. He does not just become man to save us. He becomes our food to stay with us.
With the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we beg Christ, “Stay with us!” (Luke 24:29) And He does. He remains with us in the Eucharist, where he once again makes himself small and defenseless. This is how he loves: in complete vulnerability and humility.
The reminder of today’s antiphon is that God becomes man to be with us, and he becomes our food to stay with us. At each Mass, we can pray Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!” And he does. At the words of a man, he obeys and comes to dwell in our midst.
Lord, help me to burn with a desire for you. Desire of the nations, King of my heart, Light of the world, Adonai, you have come to be with me. You have come to “pitch your tent” among your people. May I never lose the gift of wonder and awe. May I always fall down in the face of this mystery: the face of a baby, the face of a host, the face of the God who loves me. Stay with us!
“And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
Tomorrow he comes!
Good morning Jeannie. I love this! Thank you 💖. We wish you a Blessed Christmas and healthy, happy, and holy new year!