Monday, September 8, 2008 (No. 34)
“They shall name him Emmanuel.”
From today’s reading in the first chapter of Matthew:
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)
Now jump to very last verse of Matthew, to the last recorded words of Jesus:
“And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)
If you recall, “I am” is the name of God as spoken to Moses in Genesis, and often by Jesus himself elsewhere in the Gospels, especially in John.
“God is with us.” And Matthew reminds us of this simple yet life changing fact at the beginning and at the end of his Gospel.
So, the next time you feel so alone or empty or tired or sorrowful that you wonder where God is because His apparent absence hits you like a ton bricks, remember these two verses. Allow yourself to be comforted. Despite what your feelings and thoughts and even your senses tell you, the truth is: Jesus Christ is always with you.
Keep hope alive. Dare to trust.
Our Lady of Mercy, pray for us.
