Emmanuel - God with us...Remembering the birth of Jesus....

“Emmanuel – God with us” is with us, life is born among us. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; you have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing” says Isaiah the prophet:

So tonight/today we rejoice. We have reason to be joyful. Because

Christ the Light of Life is born

among us. The world of Isaiah is one of gloom, war, blood, darkness, poverty, oppression. It was a time when people of Israel felt abandoned by their God, and their king. It was a time of hopelessness, lawlessness, and loss, chaos and fear.

We hear cries of despair, depression, destruction, and darkness in our own fragile, broken, war-torn world today. Against this background we hear the “birth of the God-Hero, Father – Forever Prince of Peace.” The Gospel of Luke gives us three key details that gives us reason for joy.

Jesus had no room in the inn. The inn is a place where travelers who stay a while, conduct business and move on. It is not a permanent place. Jesus is not “a stranger, a traveler turning aside for the night. Jesus is not passing through. He has come among us to remain with us. He is Emmanuel – “God with us.” So an inn was not an appropriate place for Jesus. He is with us to stay.

  

  

Secondly, Luke tells us that Jesus was born in a manger. What’s in a manger is food: Jesus is born in Bethlehem meaning “House of bread,” in a manger meaning He is the food of nourishment and strength, “goodness and great joy to all the people.”

Thirdly, the goodness of the birth of the God-Hero, Savior, head, was first announced to a group of people on the margins of the society – the shepherds who had the reputation of being, thieves, wandering the wilderness with their sheep and attacking unsuspecting unwary travelers they happen upon in their wanderings.

These were the sinners, the wanderers, the people who needed to hear the goodness that God is born among them to stay with them, to be their deliverer, savior, prince of peace.

The birth of Jesus is telling us that God is the Father-forever, Mother – forever who is unable to abandon us. He is the Prince of Peace who is the bringer of reconciliation, harmony and unity to all of creation. 

He is the God-Hero who has come to lift us out of our own darkness and bring healing and wholeness. 

Can you provide a room for this baby, this Jesus this God-Emmanuel – in your own heart, in your own life? Jesus – the Light of Life is born.

                                     Merry Christmas!

                                                  Fr. Cyriac Mattathilanickal, M.S.

                                                               Shrine Director

Merry Christmas to you and all your family!

Joyeux Noël à vous et toute votre famille!

Feliz Navidad a usted y toda su familia!

Feliz Natal para você e toda sua família!

Wesołych Świąt dla Ciebie i wszystkie rodziny!

Buon Natale a voi e tutta la tua famiglia!

Merry Christmas та нарт болон та нарын бүх гэр бүлийн!

മെറി ക്രിസ്മസ് നീയും നിന്റെ കുടുംബത്തോട്!

Giáng sinh vui vẻ cho bạn và cả gia đình của bạn!

메리 당신에게 크리스마스와 모든 가족!

Καλά Χριστούγεννα σε εσάς και όλη την οικογένεια σας!

God Jul till dig och hela din familj!

Frohe Weihnachten zu Ihnen und Ihre Familie!

Merry Christmas է ձեզ եւ ձեր ընտանիքի.

From all the La Salette Community of Attleboro!