He is our King, therefore He has a right to make laws for us. And who could be a better Judge of how the laws are kept than He Who made them? Am I afraid at the sterner aspect which things seem to have taken? There is no need, for He is still our Emmanuel, but He can only be thus our Friend and Companion by being also the One Who has an absolute right to make laws for us and to expect our obedience. "You are My friends, if you do the things I command you" (St. John xv. 14). The reason for all His titles is that He wills to save us. He is first of all the Saviour and then, in order that our salvation may be accomplished, He makes Himself our King, our Lawgiver and finally our Judge. "If you love Me, keep My commandments." Such is our Lawgiver's appeal. Surely His commandments are not grievous. He Who did always the things which pleased His Father, asks us to try to do the same.
O my little Lawgiver, accomplishing so silently and so perfectly the Will of Thy Father, command me and I will obey, give Thy orders through whom Thou wilt; be they hard or easy, be they in accordance with my will or contrary to my whole nature! I will think of Thy perfect submission to Thy Father's Will during those nine months for me and will say: I, too, will do always the things which please Him no matter what they cost.
Point III. The Expectation of the nations.
Jesus is waiting, Mary is waiting, the Angels are waiting, all nations, all the earth, and Heaven too is waiting—waiting for our Emmanuel to come and save us. The empty manger speaks of the Church's expectation to-day. We can count the hours now, all things are ready. Oh! come and save us! Come and begin Thy blessed work over again, come and save the many who as yet know Thee not and who are expecting everything this Christmas except a Saviour. May the sight of the empty crib remind me to look well into my preparations to-day to see that nothing is wanting in the welcome I am going to give to the King!
Colloquy with our Emmanuel. At the Incarnation, at Thy birth, all through Thy life, Thou didst dwell with us; on every altar Thou hast promised to be with us all days; in Holy Communion Thou hast said I will dwell with them; in the hour of death I will fear no evil for Thou wilt be with me; and Thou hast secured Heaven for me by Thy prayer: "Father, I will that those whom Thou hast given Me be with Me where I am." "Emmanuel, God with us."
Resolution. Grace to expect Him to-day in all that I do.
Spiritual Bouquet. O Emmanuel!