Jesus-Emmanuel

Advent Festival Homily, Dec. 20, 2017. Mt. 1:18-23. Topic: Jesus -Emmanuel

One of the exciting things surrounding the approaching birth of a child is the choice of a name.   A name is something special, nothing to be selected randomly as it is so much more than simply a tag for identification. No one takes the naming of a child as an insignificant task. The same was true of Jesus and the choosing of his name. We learn from the gospel that God, selected Jesus’ name and revealed it to his adopted father, St. Joseph. His name will be called JESUS. Yeshua in his native language and that's how Mary & Joseph called him (it’s Joshua in modern English). We Christians have preserved the Latin form of his name as Jesus in order to distinguish him from all others called Joshua. But in any case and in every language the name means SAVIOR because that was and still is that holy child's mission on planet Earth.

But the  gospel also gives us what we might call Jesus' nickname, as so many of us also receive from our family or friends. A nickname typically expresses some trait or characteristic that really stands out in a person, doesn't it? Jesus' nickname was EMMANUEL which means, "God is with us". And when we put the two names together - Jesus and Emmanuel - we get the full picture of who and what He is all about. He is our Savior precisely because he is God-with-us.

Salvation, which means real freedom from the destructiveness, desolation, mediocrity and isolation of our selfishness and sins, requires that we reach out to him. Salvation is a partnership, a two way street, which respects our free will. Jesus, God-with-us, never violates our freedom because the decision to reach out to him as Savior is an act of love, and love demands free choice.

So of course the BIG question is: how? How do I enter into this personal bond with Jesus as Savior and come to know Him as Emmanuel,  God-with-us?  I think we can do so in three very basic steps.

First, we must know him and this starts by learning about him. Pope Francis repeats to us over and over again that it is extremely necessary for us to encounter  Jesus in the gospels daily. An easy way to do this to take the readings from daily Mass and reflect on them each day.

Second, if we want Jesus-Emmanuel as a friend and companion in life then we must treat him as one. What would happen if we decided to never call or text a friend; to never go out to a dinner or a sports event with them? The friendship would go nowhere fast, right? It would wither and die.  We need to spend time with Jesus in quiet and conversation. We call this prayer. Prayer is simply speaking with him heart to heart, it need not be complicated or formal. Talk with Jesus about your day, your fears, your hopes and dreams.

Thirdly and finally, nothing can take the place of our personal regular presence at Sunday Mass because it is at the celebration of the Holy Eucharist that we really meet Jesus up close and personal. It is at the Eucharist that Jesus-Savior, Enmanuel God-with-us, makes himself really and truly and personally present to YOU and to ME. He comes as the heavenly flood for our spiritual hunger and makes his dwelling within us.