“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name Him Emmanuel.” Have you ever stopped, really stopped to consider your thought process and enter more fully into a moment of true reflection to contemplate Emmanuel, God with us? What does God with us mean to you? What is God inviting you to consider, think about, or contemplate when scripture declares, “God is with you” or the priest says, “the Lord be with you” or Jesus says, “behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age?” What does that say to you? Is there something you wish to say or something you wish to consider in the fact that nothing can separate us from the love of God? That God is with you always, desires to be with you always, longs to be with you always, hopes to be with you always. The essence of God has been poured into our hearts. His Spirit moves and breathes inside of us, dwells inside of us, lives, and ministers inside of us, cries, and moans inside of us. God sees what you are seeing. God hears what you are listening to. God is aware of ever thought that passes through your mind. Every image you meditate on, color, contemplate, dress or undress. God is actively present to every conversation that takes place. Every word, every thought and all that you imagine. God is present when you rest and sleep. He is there during work, school, or leisure. God is present to you in those long, dreary, lonely sleepless nights. There throughout the burden of anxiousness, worry, concern. There in the addictions that haunt you and call to you when darkness and fatigue creep in during those dark, cold endless night. God is present like the dawn to welcome you into a new day filled with many gracious opportunities to welcome Him throughout your day. God is always present to hear and listen to you, to love and forgive you, which is what you really need. God is someone who is always faithfully there and available to you, to care and listen to you, no matter the circumstance, situation or what you are experiencing. God is always there for you. God is always here for us. What have you asked for Christmas this year? New wheels or a gold shiny thing? Perhaps the latest electronic gizmo or something new to wear or put on? Why not ask God for the grace to make you more aware that he is always with you?
