Emmanuel, God with Us

During our big Thanksgiving meal, my nephew surprised everyone with this bold statement “Thanksgiving is better than Christmas”. This “Hot Take” did not go over well with most of the family, even after he explained how overly commercialized Christmas has become, he did not get a lot of backing.

This reflection on holidays gave birth to a good little bit of contemplation. What sets Christmas apart? What do we celebrate in Christmas? How do we prepare during this Advent season? If we take another look at the readings from today we might find a good place to start.

 “Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ” (Luke 3:15).

Each of us needs to be filled with expectation. This attentive watchfulness or wishfulness is an essential preparation for the celebration to come. There is a joy that can be found in this suspense. The excitement as we wait for Christmas is captured symbolically in this pink, Gaudete Sunday!

I would even argue that the anticipation of Christmas is unrivalled, as the days grow shorter, and the mystery of night lingers on. How will the day unfold? What gifts can we give? What gifts do we deserve?

We are not alone as we eagerly wait. We follow Mary as she says yes to God’s plan, Joseph as he follows his dreams, the people of Israel awaiting their savior, the wisemen looking  and waiting for signs of nature to reveal God to them, and even the Roman rulers, who were anticipating rebellion and afraid to lose power. These are the stories we know, but the stories we feel are far more personal. Christmas can mean late nights wondering what gifts we might get and long days full of baking so many goodies that we can’t wait to share. 

What hits home most for me is family getting together. There can be a lot of apprehension when it comes to visiting with family or friends during the holidays; sometimes you feel like you need to prove yourself, putting your best foot forward since these gatherings can be few and far between. There is also a good amount of excitement, remembering the fun memories you have been able to make together and hoping to recreate the holiday magic.  There are plenty of reasons we can anticipate this holiday so much, and there is something special about sharing this time of eager waiting with so many others. In the same way that John the Baptist was preaching about sharing in today’s Gospel, we as the Church are called to share this journey through Advent with one another.

Do you know what all this anticipation and hype is building up to? Is it gifts? Is it wonderful memories? Is it a miraculous event that happened a couple millennia ago?

Emmanuel, God is with us, this is what I like to focus on while preparing for Christmas. After traveling with His chosen people for decades, God came into the world as a baby. He continued to grow, to journey with his family and friends. Through His ministry Jesus touched lives and taught disciples and directed souls. Through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit God continues to journey with and within each of us today. We celebrate Christmas because God is with us, and He is wanting to enter into every part of your life.

How do we prepare, how do we welcome Jesus into our lives? I turn to prayer in my own life. A brother of mine wrote a fun Christmas song about slowing down the holidays. The comical irony in my mind is that the song is very fast paced and very much a pop tune. That said the words ring out true. 

“Can we slow down and contemplate, why on this day we celebrate…”

God is with us, and He is wanting to grow closer to you this Christmas. Give yourself time to pray, time to reflect, time to bask in the gifts all around you. Jesus is calling you this Christmas. Eagerly wait for Him and know that you are not waiting alone.

John Budraka

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