EMMANUEL, GOD IS WITH US!
The Orthodox Priests, during the Divine Liturgy, before the recitation of the Creed, embrace one another and say to each other, “God is with us, He Is and He shall always be.” Emanuel!
In the 1st chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel we read, "Emmanuel! God is with us!" And at the end of his gospel we find Jesus’ assurance, “I will always be with you until the end of the age." Christ is present forever among us! This is the great gift of Christmas! God did not give us a code of ethics or a philosophy. He gave us His Son.
St. John Chrysostom breaks out in exaltation and calls upon us: “Come to celebrate, Come to have a feast! The devil and his demons were put to shame. Death was destroyed. Paradise was opened. The curse disappeared and sin was chased away. The error was put away and the truth was restored. The word of truth was sowed everywhere, and the angelic life was planted on earth. The angels communicate with men, God has come upon earth, and man has climbed up to heaven.” Emmanuel, God is with us.
The lights and the decorations around us and the gifts we give to each other attempt to express this inner joy we experience in our hearts during the Christmas Holy Days. But Christ came not to appear for a moment and then to disappear from our life, as do the Christmas lights and decorations. He wants to live with us in our hearts forever.
How beautifully we sing in our baptism: “All of you who have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ forevermore, Alleluia”. All of us who are called Christians are wearing Christ, we have Christ in our heart, Who is our strength, our joy, our consolation, our hope, everything that we need as human beings.
Let us listen how Fr. Coniaris, of Blessed memory, describes the fruits of Emmanuel’s presence: "Emmanuel is a presence: With us in trouble—to see us through. With us in sorrow—to brush away the tears. With us when we fall—to raise us up. With us in weakness—to make us strong. With us in death—to make us confident. Yes, and with us forever beyond death—in a place where “eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor it has it ever entered into the heart of man what things God has prepared for those who love him.”
Emanuel, God is with us! Let us also be with Him.
Merry Christmas to all!
With love,
Fr. John P. Angelis