Emmanuel: God-with-Us

HOMILY: Fourth Sunday of Advent (A)

Matthew 1:18-24

18 December 2022 

Fr. Ricky C. Montanez, AA

Just before Advent, the Christ the King Parish celebrated its 43rd fiesta. If I recall correctly, the theme was ‘Welcome back to CTK!’, in line with the CBCP Directive encouraging parishioners to return to face-to-face worship in the church. Live-streamed masses have been reduced to encourage everyone to come join the celebration of the mass in person. “Miss na namin kayo.”  Indeed, nothing beats everyone’s actual presence! 

In today’s gospel passage, we are told of the circumstances leading up to the birth of Christ. God has now taken on human form as a baby growing in the womb of Mary. It is a time of firsts. This is the first time Joseph receives confirmation from heaven that he and Mary have a role in God’s plan. This is also the first time that the name of the Messiah is made known to humanity and the first-time heaven confirms that the baby in Mary’s womb is the child foretold by Isaiah. The tremendous impact of God’s physical presence among His people is ground-breaking and yet so subtle and understated. The angel tells Joseph in a dream of Isaiah’s prophecy about the child to be called Emmanuel, which Matthew explains: “God with us”. Jesus is the Emmanuel — the very presence of God among His people. As St. John points out in his Prologue: “The Word became flesh and pitched his tent among us” (John 1:14). In Jesus, God is with us and better yet, God chooses to be one of us.  This precious gift of His presence even continues beyond the Resurrection. We recall that before Jesus ascends back to the Father, He assures His disciples of His abiding presence among His followers: “I am with you always – to the very end of time” (Matthew 28:20). The Emmanuel, remains with humanity forever.  And this is the reason why we continue to celebrate the birth of Jesus in our time. Through his Body, the Church – the Christian community – Jesus continues to be visibly present among us in word and action.  

“God-with-us” is a manifestation of how close God is to us. He is no longer a distant authority but one who has lived and experienced our reality. We do not worship a God who is detached from us, unapproachable and too uncaring to notice us but rather one who knows our every need and who has felt our every pain and suffering and has compassion for us. This is probably the reason why the veneration of images by touching and kissing them is very popular among us Filipino Catholics. This faith practice reveals nothing of the perceived idolatrous practice to which it is often judged and misinterpreted. Instead, it is a concrete expression of a devotee’s constant desire to be more intimate with God and to feel His presence in our lives. In his Philippine Star article, ‘A tangible, accessible God’, Fr. Manoling Francisco, SJ says of the Filipinos’ special devotion to the Black Nazarene: “It celebrates the nearness of God who makes Himself accessible and tangible to His people suffering under the weight of the cross of poverty and inequality. Burdened by the hardships of life, our people are looking for God and are awaiting His response to their pleas and petitions.” 

‘Being there’ or being present for others is such an important aspect of human relationships.  Due to all the demands of life, making ourselves available for one another is a precious gift we can give to those we love. Seemingly, the pandemic made us realise that life is short and that we never know how long we have left with our loved ones.  Hence, we find ways to make our presence felt through different channels of communication such as letters, cards, phone calls, email, text messages and the like. 

This year, as the Philippines transitions from heightened restrictions to normalcy, we have the opportunity to go out again, with a degree of caution, of course. We are no longer confined to virtual meetings. We can now feel safe to be among friends and relatives — to shake hands, give hugs and revel in the warmth and energy of each other’s presence. Let us not forget to appreciate the people we are with and the one’s whom we will get to meet along life’s path. When we have the chance to spend time with one another, let us put our gadgets away momentarily so we can be fully present. Moreover, let us listen and speak with each other; be generous with our time and compassion and let us not waste the opportunity to be present in the moment. 

As we continue to contemplate on the readings of the remainder of our Misa de Gallo, may the good news of the Christmas story, “God chose to be with us” speak to us. It is a story of a God who desires to be personally present for His people, to accompany us on our journey, and to continually invite us into His wonderful life. As followers of Jesus, we must accept the challenge to also strive to be present to one another, in imitation of the Emmanuel: God-with-us!