By: Jude Siciliano, OP

Dear Preachers:

In our liturgical celebrations and daily prayer we frequently pray for vocations.

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"The virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel."

This well-known verse from Isaiah captures the heart of our Advent hope. It was first spoken in a time of political fear and instability – circumstances not unlike our own.

King Ahaz faced powerful enemies and the threat of invasion. The prophet Isaiah urged him to trust in God’s protection rather than in military alliances. But Ahaz refused to ask for a sign, unwilling to rely on God. Still, God gave one: "The virgin shall conceive and bear a son."

The child was to be a sign of God’s enduring faithfulness – a reminder that God is with us even in distress. Over time, this promise took on a deeper meaning. As Matthew’s Gospel tells us today, its ultimate fulfillment came in Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary: God-with-us in the flesh.

As we draw close to Christmas, Isaiah’s prophecy calls us to the same trust. Like Ahaz, we may be tempted to rely on our own strength or worldly solutions. Yet God invites us to lean instead on divine presence, even when we cannot fully understand. In Jesus, our Emmanuel, God comes quietly and humbly through Mary’s faith and the Spirit’s power.

Advent is a season of turning – a time to receive "Emmanuel, God-with-us," here and now. We may not see this presence in grand displays, but in quiet assurances: in prayer, in community, and especially in the Eucharist. As we prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth in Bethlehem, we also welcome him into the ordinary moments of our lives.

Isaiah’s challenge to Ahaz was to trust that God would not abandon the people. Centuries later, Joseph faced his own moment of fear and uncertainty when he learned that Mary was with child. Like Ahaz, he could have chosen self-protection. But unlike Ahaz, Joseph trusted. He listened to the angel’s message that the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit and would save his people from their sins. Through Joseph’s obedience, the Word became flesh – Emmanuel truly entered our world.

The readings from Isaiah and Matthew reveal the contrast between hesitation and trust. Ahaz refuses the sign; Joseph receives it. Advent invites us to open our hearts in faith, trusting that God is with us – not only in the warmth and lights of Christmas, but also in times of uncertainty and hardship.

In this final week of Advent, let us make room – in our hearts, homes, and plans – for Emmanuel’s quiet coming. The same God who entered the world through Mary’s "yes" and Joseph’s obedience still desires to be born anew in us. When we say "yes" to God’s will, we too become signs of divine presence, living witnesses that God is truly with us.

Isaiah’s message to Ahaz came in an age of fear and division. Our world too is filled with anxiety – wars that displace millions, violence in our cities, political and social strife, families under strain, and a planet in distress.

Like Ahaz, we are tempted to seek security in power, wealth, or control. Yet God offers us another sign – not one of strength, but of vulnerability: a child, born of a woman whose very name means "God is with us."

Emmanuel is born anew whenever we choose compassion over cynicism, forgiveness over resentment, peace over division. He is with us when we sit beside the sick, welcome the displaced, stand up for justice, and offer kindness in a world that often forgets it.