LOVE HAS A NAME

V/​ My eyes are turned to you, O Lord.

R/​ You are the joy and gladness of my youth.

V/​ Grant me the Wisdom that sits by your throne.

R/ That I may dwell as a child in your presence.

Let us pray. Lord, in your loving design, you have drawn me here to encounter you in your Word and, in you, to find myself. Empower me by your Wisdom, that this meditation may be a font of transformation and freedom, bearing fruit for my salvation and that of the whole Church. Amen

LOVE HAS A NAME

Meditation by Rev. Chidi Ezeakacha, OCD

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Isaiah 7:10-14; Psalm 23:1-6; Romans 1:1-7; Mathew 1:18-24

21st December 2025

God’s love and faithfulness shine forth through the fulfilment of His promise to send His Son to humanity as its Lord and Saviour. He fulfilled it at the appointed time when Christ came into the world. As we celebrate this fourth Sunday of Advent, let us light the candle of Love, because soon the Rising Sun will shine upon us, illuminating our hearts with Love.

In the first reading, God speaks to the House of David through Isaiah, promising a sign: “A virgin shall conceive and bear a son, named Emmanuel,” ensuring the Davidic dynasty endures. In the Gospel, this promise is fulfilled as Christ is born through Mary, from Joseph, a descendant of David. Paul, in the Epistle, emphasises that this promise extends beyond the house of David; Christ is both the Son of David and the Son of God. All who belong to Christ, whether of David’s lineage or born of the Spirit, are offered salvation. We are called to respond to God’s love in Christ with the obedience of faith.

In “Sayings of Light and Love,” St. John of the Cross wrote: “The Father spoke one Word, which was his Son…in silence must it be heard by the soul.” Christ, promised as a sign of God’s love, became flesh and lived among us. We are blessed to belong to this truth, as God continues to speak the Word softly in the silence of our hearts. Hearing the Word requires a response of faith. Beyond the celebration of Christmas, Christ enters our daily lives, even while we sleep, as seen in the Gospel reading where Joseph hears from God in a dream. In obedience, he followed the angel’s command to take Mary as his wife, knowing she would bear Jesus, who would save His people from their sins.

As we keep listening to the Word God speaks in our hearts, what can we hear? Are we attentive to His voice? What is our response to His summons? Is our soul a worthy stable to receive Christ? While He speaks to us, His words are: “Emmanuel: God is with us.” These words of love are indicative of His presence in our lives, no matter how broken, messy, weak, despairing, fragile or distressing they might be. He tells us that through the Incarnation, He is not beyond, above or against us, but that He is with us. He walks alongside us as our brother. His love shows how committed and interested He is in our stories. His faithfulness far surpasses our imagination. His love draws Him down to share in our misery, shame and pain. His love led Him to die for our sins.

The promise of God’s love in Christ is an invitation to partake and participate in His loving actions. He calls us into the family formed by the Holy Spirit. St Paul says that God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us. In baptism, we receive the Spirit that makes us co-heirs with Christ; we stand as legitimate sons and daughters, part of those to whom this promise is to be fulfilled. Since God has loved us and has given us the Spirit of love, the best we can do is to return His love for love.

St John, in his Epistle, tells us that God is Love. In Christ, Love takes flesh; Love is with us; Love has come to save us. As we approach Christmas, remember these words: “Do not be afraid; Love is coming; Love has a name: Jesus; Love has a promise: God is with us.”