The God who is “closer to us than we are to ourselves”

We are in the midst of preparinf to celebrate Christmas, still struggling against this virus, protecting ourselves and our loved ones by keeping charitable distance from one another. Our song of O Come, O Come Emmanuel is muffled by masks and face shields.

Saint Paul exhorts us to behold with “unveiled faces” (2 Corinthians 3:18) the glory of God. 

Yet this year, we adore the beauty of the newborn King with covered faces. While our celebrations may be sparse and simple, we take hope and consolation in commemorating the birth of the Emmanuel, the God who is “closer to us than we are to ourselves” (St. Augustine, Confessions III, 6, 11).