Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.
Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.
He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.                                                                                               (Isaiah 7: 15-15 NRSV)

Reflection

Immanuel, God is with us. Not a god high above heavens watching dispassionately as humanity struggles with violence and injustice. Not a graven image - the work of human imagination and craftsmanship. But a God beyond human understanding who freely enters the history of his Creation to redeem his people - to bring them to the glory of life in eternity.

What hope does Immanuel offer you - in your own life - and in the life of the world?

Write down - or copy and paste - a verse - a phrase - or a hope based on your reflection to refer to during the day.

Prayer

O Immanuel, you are our king and judge, the One whom the peoples await and their Saviour. O come and save us, Lord our God.

The O Antiphon introduces the Magnificat in Evening Prayer between 17 and 23 December. You may like to include that in your prayer today.

| O Antiphon index |

Picture from the nuns at
Turvey Abbey