Jeremiah 23:5-8 / Matthew 1:18-24
The homeland is a word that is filled with much meaning and reflections, and many emotions well up in our hearts as we recall the memories and relationships we forged in our homeland.
One powerful aspect is the sense of belonging to a people, a culture, a tradition and a way of life. And with that the other foundations like respect and pride and identity and independence are built and strengthened.
And for a people who were exiled from their homeland and were not allowed to return, the emotions will certainly be mixed and there will be thoughts of what it will be like for the future.
Yet the prophet Jeremiah in the 1st reading proclaimed an oracle from the Lord that He will raise up a true and wise king for His people who will practice honesty and integrity in the land.
Even his name will be called "The Lord-our-integrity".
Yet when this king is to come into the world, His mysterious conception by the Holy Spirit was initially greeted with turmoil, with Mary's integrity suspected and Joseph trying to uphold integrity.
In the end, it was the name of Emmanuel, a name which means "God-is-with-us" that renewed the integrity of Mary and Joseph and their trust in God and in each other.
Yes, God is with us and He wants to make His home in our hearts so that we will live our lives in honesty and with integrity.
So may we prepare our hearts to receive our King so that we will also be prepared to make the return to our eternal homeland.