Advent Reflection, December 23:  "God Is with Us"

Scripture Readings:
Isaiah 7:10-14
Psalm 24:1-6
Romans 1:1-7
Matthew 1:18-24

When I was in college, I would periodically go to the chapel in my residence hall at night for some quiet time away.  This chapel was on the first floor, which was nearly empty during the evening hours because the students were in their rooms on the upper floors.  There were numerous stories floating around campus that my residence hall was haunted by a sister who perished in a fire.  (Sister Sans, our friendly ghost on watch, would go around unplugging our curling irons.)  Although I didn’t really take stock in the stories, being alone on the first floor in the darkened chapel did frighten me a bit.  I would always sit on the piano bench, so I could see the entire space before me.  I remember a time when I was particularly upset and crying about something, and I realized that I didn’t have a tissue with me.  I recall saying aloud, “And what I really need right now is a Kleenex.”  From my vantage point in the chapel, I could see the space where one of the Dominican sisters would sit.  There was a back cushion with a prayer book.  (Of course, the ghost stories suggested that Sister Sans sat in that spot.)  On this particular night, I saw a little white square near the cushion.  To my wonder and delight, it was a neatly folded tissue.

This tissue that someone left behind warmed my heart and soul that night.  I didn’t take it as a sign that Sister Sans existed, although the thought did cross my mind.  Instead, I realized that God is truly present in my life, just as the name Emmanuel means, “God is with us.”  I was no longer worried about my future and trusted that my current troubles would somehow pass or fade in significance.  My seemingly unimportant request for a tissue had been granted.  I was grateful for the gift of hope that came with it.

In this Sunday’s scripture readings, we learn of another sign that brought about a sense of hope.  In the first reading Isaiah boldly gave Ahaz, King of Judah, the prophecy that “…the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.”  Scripture scholars tell us that the Northern kingdom of Israel and Damascus were trying to pressure Judah in forming an alliance against Assyria.  Isaiah was against this and encouraged Ahaz to put his faith in the divine protection of God.  Isaiah’s prophecy was most likely understood as having an immediate impact on the near future:  the young wife of King Ahaz was to bear a son who would continue the dynasty of David, thus symbolizing God’s presence and blessing with the people of Judah.   Isaiah’s sign offered a sense of hope for the future.

The significance of Isaiah’s prophecy has endured throughout time and is repeated in the Gospel story of Matthew.  Joseph has the dream in which he receives the message to take Mary as his wife.  He learns that she has conceived a child through the power of the Holy Spirit and that she has been true to him.  We are then reminded of Isaiah’s prophecy that the “…virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel…”  This Gospel account establishes that Christ fulfills the prophecy and embodies God’s love for us, not just in the future, but in the present time.

The prophecy still has significant meaning for us today, even though the events of Christ’s birth, death and resurrection have already taken place.  God is still with us, but we have some work to do in keeping alive the vision of love, hope and peace that Christ brought to us.  Like Dickens’ Ebenezer Scrooge, we need to pledge to honor Christmas in our hearts and keep it all year long.

By JoEllen Windau