Jesus is Emmanuel, “God-with-us.”  This means God is close to us; all that remains doing is for us to decide to accept him. 

Ahaz, king of Judah, does not accept what God tells him through Isaiah.  The king should not be Assyria’s ally nor fear the neighboring kings whose plot is to ruin him.  For they will fail. 

Yet Ahaz does not believe what he hears.  Hence, God’s words come to him once more, “Ask for a sign from the Lord, your God ….”  But the king turns down the sign; he does not want to tempt the Lord.  In fact, Ahaz lacks faith; he submits to Assyria, which brings into Jerusalem pagan religious practices.

Isaiah then says that the Lord himself will give this sign:  “The virgin will conceive and bear a son and shall name him Emmanuel.”  So, whether Ahaz likes it or not, God draws near to Judah; he is here for them to accept and take as Savior and Protector.

Of course, we Christians believe that Jesus fulfills fully and definitively the prophecy about Emmanuel.  He is wholly God-with-us; all the salvation, protection, Good News that we seek is ours to accept, ours for the taking.

No, we do not want to end up as Ahaz.  So, we look at Joseph.  The just man is afraid to accept Mary as his wife.  For he thinks he is little and not fit to play a part in the divine mystery of Mary’s conceiving (Comentarios al evangelio).  His fear has to do with the fear of the Lord, which makes for being wise.

So, Joseph teaches us to fear, respect, reverence God, so that we may thus accept God-with-us.  Not to fear so is to go against Ps 118, 8-9; to rely on humans and on those with power, and not to take refuge in the Lord.

Lord Jesus, teach us to put our trust in the Father and not imitate the powerful nor envy the wealthy.  Grant that we stand in awe and wonder of your infinitely creative love  (SV.EN XI:131).  We shall thus get to accept your real presence in the Eucharist and take, and eat your body and drink your blood.  So that we may not forget ever that you are with us until the end of the age.  And so that we may have the drive to give food and drink to those who are poor.

21 December 2025
4th Sunday of Advent (A)
Is 7, 10-14; Rom 1, 1-7; Mt 1, 18-24