Thursday 18th of December
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel.”
Matthew 1:18-24
In today’s reading, we see the fulfilment of God’s promise to David in Isaiah 7:14; the coming of Immanuel, meaning ‘With us (Immanu) is God (El)’. God loves us so much that he sent his only son to be with us and to give his life for us. This is echoed at the end of Matthew’s Gospel, when Jesus says to his disciples before he ascended: ‘Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’
God is with us. Do we remember this and take moments throughout our day to remember God? Through a moment of silence, to pause, take a deep breath, whisper a thank you, or just lift up our gaze? We are always a thought in God’s mind. Is he always in ours? Let us pray that we can practice this presence of God, so as to become Immanuel, present and loving, towards others.