O Emmanuel

Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator

On December 23, Jesus is named "Emmanuel":

O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver, the hope of the nations and their Savior: Come and save us, O Lord our God.

The angel Gabriel tells Joseph that Jesus will be "Emmanuel," which means "God with us." This statement, which appears in the very first chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel is repeated in the very last chapter. "Behold I am with you even until the end of the age."

When the angel comes to Mary, the message is the same. "The Lord is with you." When Mary realizes the truth of this statement, she also realizes that she can accomplish anything the Lord asks of her. It is all we need to know. As St. Paul states, "I can accomplish all things through Christ."