God With Us A famous song of Victor Herbert begins with “Ah! Sweet mystery of life. At last I’ve found thee. Ah! I know at last, the secret of it all” Herbert is writing about the wonders of falling in love. Today’s Gospel is about the wonder of love, and while this Love is surely a “Sweet mystery of life” never will we plumb the depths of its secret. What love Mary and Joseph must have had for their God and for each other! Out of obedience they cooperated with the mystery of the divine plan of salvation. This mystery is the work of the Spirit, the outcome is that “God is with us” and the unexpected is that something altogether new happens in the course of human history! We enjoy many sweet mysteries of life. We love and grow in affection for others. We thrill at the wonder of the birth of an infant. All these mysteries and many more invite us to plumb their depths and rejoice in te promise of new Life they bring. How much m9ore so with the work of te Spirit within us who enables us to be “Goid with us” for each other! “Ah! Sweet mystery of life”!