God with us

This fourth Sunday in Advent we find ourselves brought into one of the profoundest mysteries of our faith: Emmanuel—God with us. This simple phrase captures the heart of Christianity—that the infinite, eternal God chose to draw near to us, and gladly so. Sunday's readings from Isaiah, Psalm 24, Romans, and Matthew all converge on this extraordinary truth from different perspectives.

Just think for a moment what these words mean: God with us. Not God distant from us. Not God observing us from afar. Not God, arms crossed, waiting for us to reach him. But God with us—present, intimate, and weaving the fabric of our existence.