In the gospel today, we read about the angel appearing to Joseph, telling him that he should go forward with Mary and trust God. The angel confirms everything that Mary had said. The child is to be named Jesus because he saves. They shall call him Emmanuel because God is with us. He is the Messiah, the chosen one. This is more than love shared from person to person. This is love from God. God loves the people so much that He wants to be with them. He does not want them to succumb to their sins. He wants them to be saved. And God wants the same for us today. This is why, still two thousand years later, we are telling the same story of God coming down to earth for a visit. We are sharing the same story, of Joseph and Mary deciding to trust God even though everything they knew went against it. They showed an extraordinary trust in God. They trusted in God’s extraordinary love.

In Psalm 80, we find a resolve. Our focus is to resolve in God’s love. Hear these words at the end of the psalm: “Give us life, and we will call on your name. Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved” (Psalm 80:18-19). Do you think this prayer will be answered? Perhaps we will find out this week. It is a call to God’s love. The people trusted in God’s love. They asked God to let his face shine. In the birth of the Christ child, I believe God’s face shone. I know that the people were saved. And just like the prayer in the psalm, when God gave life, God in the flesh, many people called on his name.

Do whatever you can to recognize the love of God among you, for God is with us indeed. Then, work on trusting in God’s promise more than you ever have. Pray about it if that helps; it almost always does. And once you have recognized God’s love shared with you, and faithfully trusted your life to God, you can confidently share God’s love with others, wanting nothing in return. God is with us. Let God’s love be shown. Let all honor and glory be to God. Thanks be to God! Amen.