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Emmanuel – it was the name spoken
by the Divine that would forever change the course of human history. For several millennia its sound has reverberated in the
four corners of this world. Humanity has even lost count of the number of times it has been mentioned. But has
its significance been really grasped? When was the last time we have truly pondered the meaning of this name? What does
it really mean to say Emmanuel - God is with us?
There have been voluminous treatises, explanations and reflections done on this very topic.
But simply put, it means we have a God who reaches out to his creation and has allowed himself to be contained in our human
history. He had always been perceived as the Transcendent One but now suddenly became a historical being. The
Divine, no matter how unimaginable it might seem to be, has been restricted and limited in a particular time and space.
We may not fully fathom the meaning of such divine initiative but at least we could understand
one thing: that by becoming a human person God has revealed his face to us. And in so doing, God did not only put flesh upon
himself but on the real meaning of love as well. It may not be the typical kind of love that we human persons usually
talk about albeit the usual romantic connotation. But rather it is the kind of love that liberates us from the shackles
of fatalism. This is God’s love.
Yes, God is with us because He loves us. And His love will always
see us through. It means we will no longer walk alone in this earthly journey; hope will always overcome pessimism;
love will overcome hatred and indifference; courage and determination will pierce through walls of fear and ambivalence; good
ultimately wins over all evil things. Because God is with us, our life is no longer determined by fate or dictated by accidents
and mere chances. In all these LIFE will always find a way despite the seeming inescapable grip of death and suffering. Life
indeed will always triumph.
In the midst of all the fleeting revelries, there still something that proves to
be permanent: God’s revelation of the immensity of His love for all us made manifest through the person of Jesus Christ.
It is the truth that no evil and suffering can ever trounce. Emmanuel – that is the name…God is always present to all of us – was, is, and will always
be present to us.
May the liberating presence of God be always with you and your
family this Christmas and everyday of your lives. God bless!
Merry Christmas to one and all! | 
