“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel”, which means, “God with us.”  (Matthew 1:23)

Mary questioned the Archangel Gabriel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:34-35)  The angel also said, “For nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37)

The Son of God became Man for one reason, “so that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9).  He suffered together with us, so that we may understand how His life is so closely related to us.  He instilled in us a new confidence, that God has not abandoned us. 

He also gave us the gift of the Eucharist, so that we may completely share His life, just as St. Paul had said, “I live now not with my own life but the life of Christ Jesus living in me”.

Therefore, the word Emmanuel, or “God with us”, takes on a deeper meaning: we should believe in God’s unique love for each one of us.  At the same time, we should generously share God’s mercy and kindness with others.