While it is neither hardly possible nor right that we should remove ourselves from all the external and more peripheral preparations for Christmas during our Advent journey, at the same time it would be so sad if we forgot that through the Incarnation our God comes to us as “Emmanuel”, God-with-us; and “Jesus”, the one who is to save us from our sins.
No matter where we journey, from now on our God is with us. There is no depth so deep, no height so above and beyond, no dark night so smothering and fearful, no situation so complicated and disturbing that our God is not with us. That is what Incarnation means; God is with us always, no matter where, no matter what. All we have to do is stretch out our hand and he is already holding us.
And he is “Jesus”, the one who saves us from our sins, no matter how terrible we or others might consider them. All we have to do is look towards him and we will see him already looking deeply into our lives; longing for us to return, to start again, to come home. This is the message of Advent, this is the message of Christmas, this is the Good News of the Gospel. Like Isaiah, Matthew, John the Baptist and Mary, we must proclaim it loud and strong not only with our voices but with our lives also:
“The Word was made flesh and lived among us and we saw his glory, the glory that is his as the only son of the Father full of grace and truth. A light that shines in the dark, a light that darkness could not overpower……to all who did accept him he gave power to become children of God.” (From the Gospel of Christmas Day)
Yours in Blessed Hope,