Emmanuel - God With Us is God For Us
By M.Y. LeeGod of every nation and people,
From the beginning of Creation
You have made known your love
Through the gift of your Son
Who bears the name Emmanuel,
"God with Us."
In the fullness of time the Christ-child came
To be the Good News to all humankind.
Emmanuel, God lives with us as one of us;
Christ, the Word made flesh
Has come to us as a vulnerable,
Weak and dependent babe;
A God who hungered and thirsted,
And longed for human touch and affection;
A God who chose to be born
In obscurity and shame,
To a virgin, an unwed maiden,
With a dirty stable as a home
And a borrowed manger as a bed,
In a tiny, insignificant town called Bethlehem.
Oh, Mighty God, of humble origins,
Christ, the Messiah, whom the prophets foretold,
You were born at a time, and in a place
Where few welcomed you
Or even recognized you.
Have we, too, lost a sense of joy and anticipation
In what the Christ-child may bring?
Have we been preoccupied with endless activities,
Distracted by the tinsel, decorations, and gifts—
Busy preparing for the birthday of Christ;
So busy that there's no room in our cluttered lives
To welcome Him when he comes?
God, grant us the grace to be patient and vigilant
In watching, waiting, and listening attentively.
So that we won't miss Christ
When he comes knocking at our door.
Remove whatever hinders us from receiving
The gifts which the Savior brings—
Joy, peace, justice, mercy, love ...
These are the gifts we are to share
With the downtrodden, the oppressed,
The outcasts, the weak, and the defenseless.
Christ, you are the hope of all peoples,
The wisdom who teaches and guides us,
The wonderful Counselor who encourages and consoles,
The Prince of Peace who calms our troubled minds
And restless spirits—
Granting us true inner peace.
Christ, you who are the radiant dawn,
Shine on those who live in darkness and in shadows,
Dispel fears, anxieties, and insecurities,
Restore hearts that have grown cold and distant,
Enlighten minds which have become darkened
Through greed, anger, hatred and bitterness.
We remember those who are living in shadows of a marginal existence,
We pray for the homeless, jobless and retrenched,
Those struggling to keep their lives together,
We lift up families, especially the children
Who may not experience
The joy of Christmas celebrations this season.
We pray for those living alone,
The widowed, the orphans, the elderly,
The sick and bedridden, the migrant workers
For whom the Christ-event may hold no special significance.
As happens with most festive seasons,
May it not deepen their sense of abandonment and alienation.
Christ, You who are the Light of the World,
Help us to radiate the warmth of your presence.
Enable us to give of ourselves generously and compassionately
In bringing joy, peace, and hope to others.
As we wait for the dawn
Of the coming of the Christ-child,
We do so with anticipation
Of new and unexpected challenges.
Like Mary, we sense the birth pangs of a new era,
A new kingdom waiting to be born.
May we, like Mary, be filled with courage,
Openness, and receptivity
To be the bearers of the Christ-child
In receiving and bringing forth the Good News
As we continue to be witnesses
Of God's truth and justice,
As we walk along the path of peace,
As we are strengthened in our love for Christ
And for each other.
In the words of Isaiah:
"Arise, shine, for your light has come.
The glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
Even though darkness shall cover the earth
And over its people,
Yet the LORD will be your everlasting light."Amen.
_______________
Scroll down the page and vote in the polls. Subscribe! top right column. Please take a moment to donate online to Homeless In America’s day-after-Christmas StreetReach for the poor living under the bridges and in alleyways of downtown Los Angeles. There is a need for water sponsors, $20 - food sponsors, $30 and monthly sponsors are needed for van insurance $50 and operation/upkeep $100. God bless you for your compassion and help for the 1000s of poor we serve: http://www.servantsofthefather.org/donation_homeless
As St. John once said, “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.” 1 John 3:14 Thus, love (not religious practices) is the only valid measure of knowing with certitude that a soul is on the pathway to heaven. Many a road to hell has been paved by souls who, when lead astray by the deceiver, believed they were on the way to heaven because of their awesome “religious practices.” These are souls that do everything right, including lots of church services, mortifications and rituals. Further, it can be ascertained that the pathway to Purgatory is also paved by souls who love, but have placed limits on their love. They may choose not to forgive certain people or not to love certain races, colors of people, gay people, weak people and the like. However, when we embrace all of humanity with no-limits-love we walk on a pathway that can bypass Purgatory and lead the soul direct to heaven. Blessed Mother Teresa is our modern model of such love. All of heaven is granted the soul in spite of its human weaknesses, failures and flaws that may still exist in it in this life. St. Peter sums it all up in this regard when he said, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8
It has come to my attention that many of you are Upset that folks are taking My name out of the season.
Take it from Saint Faustina, a poor sister at the end of her life, writing from her convent worn out and weakened by the intense pain and abandonment of a slow death from tuberculosis. The real suffering comes not from the poverty of a terminal illness, but from those whom we count on, we break bread with, but who are living religiously hypocritical lives by being unkind to the sick and broken. Apparently, it is here that the poor suffer the most.
