God is With Us

September 8, 2007

Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“He shall be peace.” Micah 5:4

We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28-30

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

Piety

As the Men’s 115^th Cursillo continues, Saturday the focus will be on the friendship Christ offers to the candidates and to all of us:

Jesus, step into the room and the hearts of all who are present on this weekend and those who are supporting this weekend with their prayers and actions. Let these candidates come to better know you as their friend. Through the sacraments, offer to them your divine presence as a reality in their lives, and as a means to overcoming all obstacles. Bolstered by a life of grace, lead these candidates to undertake the actions that Christ seeks from all His disciples. Amen.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/090807.shtml

Despite what we do, despite the violence we inflict, despite the sins that obscure our path to God, God is here, offering us peace in this world, yesterday, today and tomorrow. He shall be peace. He is peace.

Before Jesus could become man, God needed a way for that to happen. Before time, God planned to forgive our sins dating back to the betrayal in Eden. However, God could not act alone without people freely choosing to help. He needed what we might today call surrogate parents. God sought a mother willing to give birth and a father willing to raise the child.

How often throughout history might God have asked young couples to perform this duty we will never know. But what we do know is that more than 2,000 years ago, a young virgin and her betrothed said, “Yes!” to God’s invitation. Today, the Church celebrates the feast of the birth of that young girl who grew into the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus and who today reigns in heaven, crowned Holy Mary, Mother of God.

Salvation history did not come about by accident. As the reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans indicates, God put great thought and care into the plan for our salvation. This plan is realized in the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. God's promise of deliverance to Judah in Isaiah's time is seen by Matthew as fulfilled in the birth of Jesus, in whom God is with his people.

Matthew both begins and ends his Gospel with this concept. God is with us. In the opening chapter, we witness the birth of the Son of God in Bethlehem. In the end of this Gospel, the name Emmanuel is alluded to once again when the risen Jesus assures his disciples of his continued presence, “. . . I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20).

Despite what we do, despite the violence we inflict, despite the sins that obscure our path to God, God is here, offering us peace in this world, yesterday, today and tomorrow. He shall be peace.

Action

Did you ever walk in the shoes of a homeless man or woman?

Just as the new family of Jesus was homeless and left their native land to escape from the authorities into Egypt, people today continue to flee their homes. Others never had a place to call their home.

Please come and be a part a frank discussion about homelessness in Fairfax County. Representatives from the county including Penny Gross, members of non-profit organizations who work with this population, and the local faith based community will be joining us. Come learn how you can be a part of the solution.

The discussion will take place at Annandale United Methodist Church, Sunday, September 30, 2007 from 3:00 p.m. until 5:30 pm. To pre-register, please go to: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=JMu8Q3aRhTZpa9UIgfVf3A_3d_3d
or go to www.Annandale-umc.org and click on the Community Dialogue.