Day 14 · The Nativity Fast
The Virgin Will Conceive
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”Isaiah 7:14
Reflection
King Ahaz was terrified of invading armies and refused to ask God for a sign, so God gave one anyway: “the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” The Hebrew word, almah, means a young woman of marriageable age; the Greek Septuagint, which the Church reads, translates it parthenos, “virgin,” and St Matthew quotes it of Christ's birth (Matthew 1:23). This prophecy is read on Christmas Eve, and its name for the Child is the heart of the feast: Immanuel, “God with us.” Not God far off, not God watching from a distance, but God with us, in a human body and a human family.
A prayer
Immanuel, God with us, you did not stay far away but came to share our life. When I am afraid, as Ahaz was, remind me that you are with me. Let me not refuse the signs of your love. Amen.
Carry this with you
Where do you most need to remember today that God is with you?