Homily for the 4th Sunday of Advent, December 21, 2025

Whenever our life is altered by the presence of a very important person in our home, by a significant event, or by something of considerable value, every aspect of our day is also affected. 

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us.” Matthew 1:23 

Speaking of significant presences that alter our lives, this one tops them all: God is with us, God is Emmanuel. 

We can be a little or a lot nervous for as long as someone of importance stays at our house.  

We can be all excited the first few days when a new car sits in our driveway.  

We have trouble sleeping if we think that we might find a very special gift under the Christmas tree. 

I am going to share with you a few ways in which our life should be altered by the astonishing fact that God is Emmanuel. 

Then, whenever we have some time to be by ourselves, we should single out which areas of our heart and life must change in the awareness of having God so close to us, of his being in our hearts. 

Let Mary and Joseph inspire us. 

For nine months, Mary must have touched her womb from time to time, and felt God literally, physically growing inside her. 

But she must have felt him in her heart even before; even soon after she was troubled by the greeting of the archangel Gabriel.  

Even when, by agreeing to the Archangel’s proposal, she knew that she could have been stoned to death for adultery.  

Even when she had to find a way to let Joseph know about the Baby growing in her womb. 

And she, most definitely, felt God’s presence in her and all around throughout her life, even when they lost Jesus in the temple.  

Even when Joseph died.  

When Jesus left her to start his public ministry.  

But especially at the foot of the cross, when her heart was broken by unbearable grief. 

The same was true of Joseph as he was bewildered by what was happening to his betrothed.  

As he swallowed his pride and took Mary as his wife.  

As he fled to Egypt with her and the divine Infant.  

As he kept searching for him, in Jerusalem, with much anguish for three days among relatives and acquaintances.  

As he settled in Nazareth and lived in quiet obscurity until his death. 

I am convinced that, in imitation of Mary and Joseph, if we take this simple truth that God is Emmanuel, as the guiding light of our life, there will be a remarkable, tangible improvement. 

We would be instinctively placing ourselves in a docile, receptive, listening mode because we would hang on God’s every Word. 

We would be cautious, prudent and inclined to make inspired choices of loving service of others. 

We would feel and act in a more serene way, with confidence and genuine trust, precisely because of the One that surrounds us; sustains us; and holds us in his hands. 

We would be generally untroubled, even whenever facing serious issues and potentially crippling hardships, because we would be facing them from a stance of inner peace and basking in God’s love. 

We would be filled with unusual courage and, eventually, dare to consider offering ourselves up for the good of others just as Jesus did for us on the cross. 

We would be ready to endure the grinding routine of daily life; we would persevere amid daunting challenges; we would hold out hope when most people would have lost heart already. 

This list of how things would dramatically change if we lived out the astonishing fact of God being Emmanuel would accurately represent what he has planned for each one of us precisely at this juncture of our lives. 

It is up to us now, on the way home, at home, in the immediate future, to ask ourselves how much of this divine presence we are willing to take in and allow transforming us. 

In the meantime, it will serve us all very well if we decide to entreat the Lord in earnest so that we may all choose, without delay, to capitalize on His closeness and on the warmth of his love. 

Today, let us pause to consider how we should react to the most astonishing news ever: that God is with us; that he is Emmanuel.