Weekend of December 17/18, 2022
In today’s Gospel we hear of the coming of Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.” We celebrate three
Advents: the birth of Christ, his Second Coming, and his
presence in the world today. Our daily lives are attended
by God’s presence. Indeed, “God is with us.” The Good
News of Christ’s Incarnation is that we are the sign, the
“sacrament,” of Christ’s presence in the world. People are
supposed to see us, see how we love one another, see
how we treat the stranger among us, see how we give
comfort to the poor and afflicted, and share the Good
News with joy. They see how good stewards are the light
of Christ. And there can be no possible response except
to say: “God is here!”