Beginning The New Year With Mary!

 (Homily for the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God & New Year Day)

          We are at the threshold of the New Year (2023), and it is frankly motivating beginning the year by confessing the Sovereignty of God and the divine Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God coincides with the ushering in of a novelty, the New Year. The celebration of this great mother today is indeed a symbol of the Church’s solicitation of her blessings and care. So that as she took care of her son, she will also take care of us in the course of this year and beyond. We celebrate today the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, and a perusal into the readings of this day suggest two sentences that situate us well into the context of today’s feast: ●First, in the epistle, “but when the completion of time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born a subject of the Law” (Gal. 4:4). ●Second, in the gospel, “Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Lk. 2:19). Though these sentences are not in direct connection with the title: “Mother of God”, but it presents Mary as a model of faith. The two verses (Gal. 4:4 & Lk. 2:19) emphasize on Mary not merely as Theotokos, but as the paradigm of faith. Therefore, the solemnity of Mary Mother of God not only reminds us of Mary’s divine Maternity, but also it brings to our consideration the admiration and the imitation of Mary as a model of faith. The title of Mary as Theotokos was defined by the Church in one of her first ecumenical councils held at Ephesus in 431. However, the thrust of today’s readings is the birth of Christ as the inauguration of the saving act of God. The three readings of today are closely knit, in the passage of the Gospel; the episode of the circumcision is linked with the epistle reading: “born under the law”. And again, the naming of Jesus is linked with the threefold name of the Aaronic blessing in the first reading.

          As we begin this New Year let us learn from our Mother Mary, let us surrender to God’s will just as she did: “I am the handmaid of the Lord”, “Let it be done to me according to your word”. Let us appropriate her dispositions of heart and mind. As we begin this year with her let us hearken to her advice: “do whatever he tells you”, because in his word is our peace, he has the message of eternal life. The name January is derived from the name of the Roman god: Janus, and Janus had two faces, one looking back and the other looking forward. Therefore, today is a day to look back on all that we have done the past year and make a proper examination of conscience. It is not an invitation to make us remain in the mistakes of yesterday or to live in regret, rather it will help us to redirect our steps and rediscover some essential values needed in our lives as Christians. So it is equally a day and time to look forward to the new year ahead of us. We need to treasure the time God has given to us in this life and in this year. Each year is unique, irreplaceable and unrepeatable. We need to invoke and allow the grace of God to sanctify our ordinary time and transform it to an extraordinary time, a special time of grace, from chronos we need to pass to kairos. For this, St. Paul invited the Ephesians to “make the best of the present time” (Eph. 5:16).

         The first reading (Num. 6:22-27) presents the Aaronic blessing and this is really a particularity of the Old Testament anticipation of the Church’s faith in the Trinity, the threefold “Holy” (cf. Is. 6:3). From the time of creation it has been God’s plan and desire to bless every living thing He has created, “God blessed them” (Gen. 1:22); and he blesses in a particular way, Adam and Eve as representatives of the entire humanity, “God blessed them” (Gen. 1:28); after the flood, God blessed Noah and his sons (cf. Gen. 9:1); he also blessed Abraham so that in him all peoples will be blessed (cf. Gen. 12:2-3; 23:17-18). Consequently, St Paul writes: “All nations will be blessed in you. So it is people of faith who receive the same blessing as Abraham, the man of faith” (Gal. 3:8b-9). And before leaving this world to return to His Father, Jesus blessed His people (cf. Lk. 24:51). In this passage we see the threefold blessing with which to begin this New Year: ► May the Lord bless you and keep you (v.24). ►May the Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you (v. 25). ►May the Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace (v.26). And the three times repetition of “the Lord” (Yahweh) points to the divine sovereignty. Indeed, this threefold blessing is crowned with God’s intention to bless his people, for in the last verse we read, “They will call down my name…and I will bless them” (v.27). A blessing is a divine word that has power to pass on good things, and indeed, the idea of the passing of good things from generation to generation is really appropriate for this day (New Year’s Day). And today, the Church through her priests invokes all these blessings on all the faithful, and I invoke these blessings on you all, on your families and on our society at large.

           As a matter of fact, in biblical terms, “name” is very important, especially when it has to do with the name of God, which the Jews considered unpronounceable. The name in general indicates the whole person, in toto. Thus, with reference to God, the name of God is associated with his being. As such, to bless in the name of God entails invoking upon the people all that God is and all that He has done and does for his people. Even the responsorial psalm took up again the theme of God’s blessing on Israel and on us today: “May God show us his kindness (mercy) and bless us” (Ps. 67:1). Interestingly, the word kindness (mercy) of God, which is “hesedh” in Hebrew, embraces all that God has done in his mighty acts towards Israel and for us in Jesus Christ.

          The epistle (Gal. 4:4-7) from St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians talks about the purpose why God sent his Son, that is, “to redeem those who were under the law”. Here, St. Paul stressed that the purpose of the Incarnation was man’s liberation from the law to the status of sonship, for we are no longer slaves but sons. Therein, we notice the latent stress on being “born of a woman”, which denotes that his origin is not only from “above”, but also from “below” (He took flesh from the Blessed Virgin Mary). It equally alludes to the divine maternity of this “woman”, the Mother of God. Thus, situating us well into the context of today’s solemnity.

           St. Ignatius of Anthioch called Jesus “the Son of God and of Mary”. This title or affirmation elevates Mary at the side of the Heavenly Father. At the same time it collocates her close to us as our mother, the mother of the Church. For Jesus whom she generated has taken us as his brothers and sisters. He united himself with us to the extent of forming one body with us, he is our Head, but also our brother. In the words of St. Paul he is “the eldest of many brothers” (Rm. 8:29). In the second reading St. Paul stressed on it vigorously thus: “God sent his Son, born of a woman…so that we could receive adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:4.5). As Jesus in Mary becomes the Son of Man, we, sons of men, we are made sons of God. At the moment when, from Son he made himself a servant, we who were servants/slaves become sons. Thus the apostle reminds us: “you are no longer a slave, but a son” (Gal. 4:7). This indeed is the admirable exchange around which revolves today’s liturgy of the word. And Mary was the “locus” and the Mediatrix of that exchange. And having being made children of God through the Spirit, we acquired the right to use the language and confidence of sons before God, calling him like Jesus: “Abba Father”. This is Jesus’ “ipsissima vox”, that is his own voice without passing through any translation. We need to be more conscious of this our right as sons and daughters, therefore, we cannot but imitate Jesus our Brother, who in the anguish of the Garden of Olive, as well as in the moments of joy, always was entrusting himself to the Father: “Father if it is possible…”, “I thank you Father”, “Father in your hands I commend my spirit”. We need to re-construct our life on this filial rapport with the Father.

          Furthermore, still on the purpose for the coming of the Son, we deem it fit to underscore that it is not merely an event of the past, rather it is an event with direct existential importance for us today. The liberation of man from the bondage of the law, made possible by the coming of the Son of God, is a wonderful and wondrous blessing! The most sublime blessing, the summary of all the blessings of God to humanity is Jesus, the gift of the Incarnate Word. Little wonder St. Paul affirmed: “Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). The Son of God became man so that we may become sons and daughters of God. And this becoming, is a process, and not a momentary conquest, for it requires us to live everyday like sons and daughters of God. Thus, “agitur seguitur esse” (i.e. our actions have to correspond with our being, our filial status in God).

          The Gospel reading (Lk. 2:16-21) summarily highlights the two important historical events in the life of Jesus: the circumcision and the naming of Jesus. However, when we go back to the preceding verse to the Gospel text of toady, where the shepherds say to one another, “let’s go to Bethlehem and see this event which the Lord has made known to us” (Lk.2:16), and in verse 20 the evangelist says: “the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as they had been told”. The angel announced to the shepherds “A Savior has been born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord”. Even though the sovereignty of the Messiah is not readily seen in the Child, rather all seem to give evidence to his submission to the law of the people, as in the second reading. Indeed, the truth remains that the Son of God, becoming a baby in the womb of the Blessed Mother Mary, and being born in Bethlehem of Judah, manifests his sovereignty in a most humble manner. Once again, there is the theme of the divine name in the Aaronic blessing and its connection with the naming of Jesus which means Yahweh saves. Indeed, Jesus’ name is a programmatic description of the whole purpose of the Incarnation.

          The passage of the Gospel noted something very important about Mary: “She treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Lk. 2:19). What are the things that she treasured and pondered in her heart? The words and the events of those days, all that happened in the occasion of the birth of Jesus. Christmas was for her an event to treasure and to meditate on and on, it was for her a school of faith. The word of God was made flesh two times in her life: first physically, when she carried and nourished him (the Word) in her womb for nine months; second spiritually and existentially, every moment of her life was inspired by the word of God and she carried it out faithfully, the word of God became the compass that directs and gives bearing to her life. Let us join in her deep pondering on the Word of God. We cannot imitate her in the first incarnation, but we can imitate her in the second. In the words of St. Augustine we can like her “conceive the Word in our mind”. This merited her the beatitude that Jesus proclaimed on the visit of his mother: “More blessed still are those who hear the word of God and keep it” (Lk. 11:28). St. John says: “to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believed in his name” (Jn. 1:12). We have been begotten to the Father, through Jesus, and we are children of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus, and his mother Mary, our mother too. On the cross Jesus handed her over to us (cf. Jn. 19:27).

          Above all else however, in the first reading the word of God says “so shall they put my name upon the sons of Israel, and I will bless them” (Num. 6:27) and in the gospel we are presented with the naming of the Child of Bethlehem, who was named JESUS, a name which means Yahweh saves. Be that as it may, beginning the New Year with this double invocation of God’s name and the name of Jesus surely paves way for innumerable blessings and favor. Indeed, the Lord who has wrought wonders in the history of the chosen people, will continue to do it even in our own time and in our life.  And may our Blessed Mother Mary, the Theotokos, the Mother of God continue to accompany us in our earthly sojourn! May she (Mary) who is an embodiment of God’s blessings attract God’s blessings to us!! May we all be assured of her intercession this New Year and beyond!!! Happy New Year to You all!!!

(Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)

The Word Became Flesh!

 (Homily for Christmas, Mass during the Day)

          Today, with great joy and solemnity we celebrate Christmas - the feast of God's magnanimous and unconditional love, the feast of God's Self-gift to mankind. Christmas is God's gift placed in human hands’. A real Gift wrapped in swaddling clothes (Lk. 2:12). One may ask why this yearly celebration for a Child that was born more than 2000 years ago, but it is only with and through the eyes of faith that one can understand why this Child is perennially adorable. Christmas is not an event of the past, but more importantly, it is also an event of today and each day. Only the Word of God, welcomed simply in our hearts can reveal to us the mystery surrounding this Child of Bethlehem, and indeed, the pre-existent Word of God throws more light to the mystery of the grotto of Bethlehem. Interestingly, the readings of Hebrew 1 and John 1 reveal that we are not merely celebrating the birth of a baby, rather the mystery of God’s self disclosure and communication in Jesus. His coming into the world is part of the dynamic process of God’s self-communication. The Christian God does not present Himself as a supreme entity that resides impassive on His throne of changeless eternity, but He descended and stooped so low to take the human flesh. The mystery of the Incarnation is so great and attracting that no matter how hard one tries, it cannot be jettisoned. The mystery is so great that the great thinkers of all times could not exhaust it. Indeed, I have allowed myself to be drawn by the irresistible attraction of this mystery. And together with the angels and shepherds i have come to contemplate the real gift of Christmas: The Child Jesus (a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes). Come let us adore Him the pre-existent and eternal Word!

          In the First reading (Is. 52: 7-10) Prophet Isaiah proclaims the reign of God, that is being realized now by God’s mighty act. In the context of this passage, the mighty act is the return from exile. Whereas for us it is the Birth of the Child of Bethlehem: Jesus, as announced by this angelic hymn. Therein, Yahweh returns to Zion (v. 8) to comfort his chosen people (v.9), and indeed, his mighty work of salvation is seen by all men (v.10). The prophet announced the universality of God’s salvation. Behold, “all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God”. “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings. What is this good tiding? Jesus is the good tiding. And what is the good tiding all about? Is a tiding of peace, goodness, God’s presence, tenderness and salvation. The prophet says to Zion and to us today “your God reigns”. The Lord has comforted his people, Isaiah says, because he sent his only Son, the Saviour. Even the psalmist joins in this universal exultation: “All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God” (Ps. 98:3).

          In the Second reading (Heb. 1:1-6), the sacred author writes vehemently about the manifestation of God to men, not through Kings or prophets, but now through His Son. And that is the greatest novelty of the mystery of Incarnation. Jesus is the definitive Word of the Father, the supreme revelation of the Father. The writer of the letter to the Hebrew presents Jesus as the highest revelation and definitive Word of the Father (Okwu ekwuru ihe agbañwo). In the words of the writer, “In the olden days God spoke to our fathers in various ways through the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us through his Son”. He says that the dignity of Jesus is more than the angels, because no angel was given a name that he was given, which name? “Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father (A child and a Father) Jesus is called Father, in participation to the Father’s paternity, “from whom every fatherhood in heaven or on earth takes its name” (Eph. 3:15), Prince of peace” (Is. 9:5), Jesus, Emmanuel. Therefore, all the angels adore Him, and if the angels of God adore Him, what of we humans. Let us join our voices together and shout “we have come to adore Him”. Behold, this passage of the letter to the Hebrew reaffirms the Pauline expression: “He is the image of the unseen God, the first-born of all creation, for in him were created all things in heaven and on earth: everything visible and everything invisible, thrones, ruling forces, sovereignties, powers- all things were created through him and for him. He exists before all things and in him all things hold together” (Col. 1:15-17).

          The Gospel (Jn. 1:1-18) of today exhumes once again the pre-eminence and pre-existence of the Word of God, for, “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God”. St. John starts with the beginning because Jesus is the eternal Word of the Father, the Word that was used in the creation (Gen. 1:1-3), all was made through him, “ihe nile di adi siri n’aya diri”. Be that as it may, the self-revelation (Word, Logos) did not begin with the Incarnation event, rather with creation (cf. Heb. 1:1-14). St. John in his Gospel gives us a wonderful explanation of the Incarnation (Kai o Logos sarx ergheneto). The Word of God took flesh and became one of us and one with us. The word “flesh” denotes the whole of humanity, not just the humanity of Jesus. Not only that he took the human flesh, but he dwells within and with us. Little wonder, St. Paul affirmed “in him we move, in him we live in him we have our being” (Acts 17:28).

           However, though he dwells in and within us, He remains the Eternal Word of the Eternal Father. John affirms that He is eternal like the Father. He is the true Light that enlightens all men. He is the fullness of grace from whom all draw grace. He has power to make children of God all those that welcome Him. John tells us the type of reception the Word of God received: “He came to His own and his own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God” (Jn. 1:11-12). Behold, wherever the Son is received, man is restored to divine sonship. But unfortunately till today, in so many ways, God continues to suffer rejection in the hands of men, in our societies and in our world. The event of Christmas interrogates each and every one of us. If Jesus were to come today, can we make a place for him in our home and heart? As a matter of fact, he is already there standing and knocking at the door (Rev 3:20). As Joseph and Mary did, we are invited to welcome Him. Christmas is an event of God knocking at our door. If you hear his voice and open he will also open for you when you knock.

         St. John says that “in him was life, the life was the light of all men”. He further expressed that, “Light shines in darkness, but darkness hasn’t overcome it” and I will add, and it will never overcome it. Irrespective of the fact that evil still persists in the world today, all kinds of atrocities and unimaginable crimes, yet the fact still remains: “Light shines in darkness, but darkness hasn’t overcome it”. JESUS is our light, allow him to enlighten your life. He will continue to shine, His light will continue to beam. With this consciousness we join our voices together to that of St. Augustine in saying “Oh man wake up, it was for you that God was made man”.

          In all, as emanating from the Gospel passage of St. John’s prologue, the event of today brings three important factors to our consideration: ►Christmas is an event of light: The Readings resonate the theme of light, and the Baby in the manger is the Light of the world (Jn. 1:9). ►Christmas is an event of love: John in his Gospel says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that whoever believes in him, will not perish, but will have eternal life” (Jn. 3:16). ►Christmas is God's self-gift! The real message of Christmas is that Jesus is a gift to the world. “You will see a sign: a child wrapped in swaddling clothes” (Lk 2:12).   

          Behold, the peak of our excitement and celebration today revolves around the fact that we are not talking about a sign like in Isaiah and Mathew, but today we are celebrating his presence in our midst. The highest point of God’s revelation is this passage from sign to reality, a real presence! Truly, he is present with us in this celebration in a special way through the Eucharist. At this altar the sign of a Baby in the manger is made present in the sign of Bread, no longer wrapped in swaddling clothes, but broken for the life of the world. And with his presence in the Eucharistic Bread he becomes a Gift per excellence, not just a Gift, but equally the Food for our nourishment. Thank You Jesus! There is indeed a knit connection between the Incarnation and the Eucharist, even the place of his birth Bethlehem means “House of Bread” and with Jesus it is no longer ordinary bread, but the Eucharistic Bread. We are filled with joy in the presence of the God who comes to save us and in the salvation he has already won for us. Just as Adam rejoiced when he saw Eve “bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh” (Gen. 2:23), so too we rejoice in the presence of “the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn. 1:14), he took our human flesh.

          Brethren, let us assume the sensibility of the wise men, “we have come to adore Him” (Mt. 2:2). And really we too have come to adore Him. May we all join in this perennial adoration of the Child of Bethlehem, and as we solemnly adore and celebrate Him today, we joyfully acclaim “TODAY IS BORN OUR SAVIOR - CHRIST THE LORD”.

Come let us adore Him!

Come let us adore the Child of Bethlehem!

Come let us adore the Savior! Come let us adore this Child who is equally a Father!

Come let us adore the Emmanuel!

Come! Come!! Come!!! Wishing you all a grace-filled celebration of Christmas!!!

(Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)

 

We Have Come To Adore Him!

 (Homily for Christmas Mass During the Night)

           This night is indeed, a night of great joy, peace and light for the God in our midst. The story of the birth of Jesus, each time we hear or listen to it fills our hearts with profound joy and gladness, it is ever new and fresh in its impact in the human heart. It’s really a message of great joy (Lk. 2:10). And we cannot but embrace this event with a childlike stupor. Indeed, this childlike stupor for this Child of Bethlehem serves as an entrance door to the adoration and the joy of Christmas. Human reason and logic cannot stand their ground at the face of this mystery, for through the birth of our Savior in a manger, a helpless and weak Baby, God has overturned the false certainty and omnipotence of the men of this world, and St. Paul captured it vividly well thus: “God’s folly is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength” (1Cor. 1:25). With the celebration of this night, we have come to the end of the season of Advent and the period of expectation and of patient waiting. This is the time to celebrate the Messiah in our midst, the feast of Christmas. This is one of the most important events in the history of mankind, an event when God became one of us, when God takes the human form in the person of Jesus Christ. Today, Jesus wants to be reborn in our lives. Do we have a place for him in our hearts?

          In the first reading (Is. 9:2-7) prophet Isaiah announces this day as a day of great light, he started with the consoling words: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased their joy”. The passage of the ninth chapter of the prophecy of Isaiah was originally a coronation anthem, used at the enthronement of the kings of the Davidic dynasty. It was hoped that each new king would be the ideal king. Interestingly, the christian faith finds the fulfillment of this hope in Jesus Christ. For in Him, all the blessings looked for at each royal accession in the history of Judah are realized.

         The people of Israel waited long in suffering and hardship for the coming of the Messiah, they kept on waiting for a new era. Behold, Isaiah’s message is for them the fulfilment of God’s promise, in and through the New Born Baby: “For unto us a son is born, to us a son is given, his name will be wonderful counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of peace”. His reign will have no end. The title “Everlasting Father” attributed to this New Born Baby delineates His future and Mission (a child and a Father). This new born king is hailed with many honorific titles. He was even called “Mighty God”, this bold ascription of divinity is uncommon in the Old Testament (cf. Ps. 45:7), and however, biblically it points to the sovereignty of Yahweh. This title is indeed to be comprehended in the sense of Deus pro nobis in his grace and salvation (second person of the Trinity) and not in the sense of Deus in se (first person of the Trinity).

          This night we heard once again the Gospel narrative of St. Luke (Lk. 2:1-14). Luke recounts the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ in a rather detailed and fascinating manner. And because of the vitality of that narrative we have listened to it with emotion and passion. Luke places it against the background of the reign of Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus and he also mentions a census in Palestine issued by him at the time when Jesus was born (this serves to tell us that the birth of Jesus is not a fiction or a fairy tale). They went from Nazareth to Bethlehem, in fulfilment of the prophecy that the promised heir of David will be born there. It is generally accepted that Jesus was born in 4 B.C. 

          What marvels me is neither the song of the angels nor the run of the shepherds, but the situation of the manger, where He was born. Not only in a den of animals, He was born in a manger (there was not even space to stay where the animals stay, but they found a place for Him where animals eat): this symbolizes the sacrificial meal that Jesus becomes, He is a real GIFT. Let us put into consideration a number of particularities emanating from this Gospel passage:

• We see Mary and Joseph that went for census and Jesus that is born in a manger, of all places! Mary and Joseph did not find a place in the Inns, this indeed demonstrates the insensibility of man. Even till today does he find a home in our homes, in our hearts, in our society?
• We capture Mary that wraps Him in a swaddling clothe and the Angel of the Lord that brings the great proclamation. The Angel announces to the shepherds: “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy…for to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord”. We see the pastors that ran towards the manger to see the New Born Baby. Here we see that the news of the birth of Jesus was first announced to the shepherds (who were considered as sinners). Interestingly, the angels announced to the pastors of the birth of a Savior and also indicated to them how to recognize him: “this will be for you a sign: you will see a child wrapped in clothes”.
• And equally the Angels in the grotto singing: “glory to God in the highest and peace to men with whom he is pleased”.

         In Luke’s narrative, shepherds were members of a despised class, like tax collectors and prostitutes, they do not enjoy a positive regard. However, the message of the evenagelist here revolves around the fact that Jesus came especially to the outcasts, this idea lingers throughout the third Gospel. In the passage we see the appearance of angels who bring messages to accompany salvific events, and this denotes the salvation event as an act of God. In the Gospel, we have two accounts of the appearance of angels: first, a single angel who announced the messianic birth (cf. Lk. 1:26-38); second, an angel and a multitude of heavenly host, who interpret the significance of the Birth thus: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace for those he favours” (Lk. 2:14). Some translations would say “ peace to people of good will”, therein people of good will does not signify good will in literay sense, but it signifies mankind who is now recipient of divine favour.

         Luke’s narration is fascinating, touching and soul southing. It is neither a legend nor a fairy tale, without historical foundation. The details and some geographical precisions are indications that it is a historical fact, even though there may be some elements of a popular tradition, the issue is that a real fact has happened. To confirm this, John in his first letter affirms vigorously: “something which has existed since the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have watched and touched with our hands, the Word of life-this is our theme” (1Jn. 1:1), and in verse 4 he says “we are writing this to you so that our joy will be complete” (v.4). And St. Peter in the bid to respond to sceptics  and unbelievers writes: “when we told you about the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we were not slavishly repeating cleverly invented myths; no, we had seen his majesty with our own eyes” (2Pt. 1:16), here Peter lays credence on the realism of the Incarnation. Again, with a more concrete and incisive expression St. Paul says: “when the fullness of time came, God sent his Son born of a woman” (Gal. 4:4).

          Let us confront ourselves today with this question: “why did Jesus choose to be born in that condition? St. Anselm would ask: “Cur Deus Homo?” (why did God become man?). In the words of St. Augustine “O man wake up, it was for you that God was made man”. God became man to show us the intensity and density of God’s love, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son…” (Jn.3:16).

          Be that at it may, Jesus therefore, is not a legend, a myth or a fantasy of human invention, rather He is a historical personage that was born in Bethlehem. More than that, the Child that was born in Bethlehem is truly the King-Messiah, the Promised Messiah, the Prince of peace (Is. 9:5b). For St. Paul “In Him dwells the fullness of divinity” (Col.2:9).

          Substantially, what does the birth of Jesus reveal to us:

• It reveals the dignity of the human person, for if the Son of God became man to save man, it means that in the eyes of God the dignity of man has an inestimable value.
• It reveals that each person is called to a communion of life and of love with God, for the Son of God assumed the human nature to enrich us of his divinity. In fact, as St. John rightly puts it “To those who accept Him he gives power to become children of God” (Jn. 1:12), therefore to share in his divinity.
• The birth of Jesus equally is an indication that we are in a journey towards a precise goal. As St. Paul tells us in the second reading: “we are waiting in hope for the blessing which will come with the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ” (Tt. 2:13).

          In the second reading (Titus 2:11-14), St. Paul in his letter to Titus proclaims that the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men. The grace appeared to redeem us from our iniquity. This tells us the Father’s purpose for sending his Son (redemption of the world). The child that is born and given to us is our Redeemer (little wonder he was called child and father by Isaiah). Jesus gave himself to redeem us. The author of this letter carried the Advent theme into Christmas, for the reading speaks about the first (v.11) and the second (v.13) comings of Christ. As a matter of fact, the first coming is an anticipation of the second coming, little wonder it is celebrated at midnight, for according to the New Testament imagery, the second coming will take place at midnight (cf.Mt. 25:6).

          Above all else, however, it is quite unfortunate that we are celebrating the birth of the Savior, not in a type of world described by Isaiah in the first reading, a pacific world, where men live in harmony and love as brothers, where justice reigns. Instead, our world is divided by hatred, war, violence and injustice; and in this situation the dignity of man raised by Christ is thrown to the mud, in our world where human beings are killing their fellows (cf. Gn. 4, 1-16: Cain and Abel), where is the reign of love and of peace that the new born Baby brings? It is only when humanity welcomes this Child that our joy will be complete (cf. 1Jn. 1:4). As a matter of fact, he is already here standing and knocking at the door (Rev 3:20). Christmas is an event of God knocking at our door. If you hear his voice and open he will also open for you when you knock. It is a favourable time to welcome Jesus in our hearts (Maka Jisos bata ihe di egwu g’eme). The real message of Christmas is that Jesus is a GIFT to the world. “You will see a sign: a child wrapped in swaddling clothes” (Lk 2:12). Jesus is the centre of human history, from his birth the human history was divided into two: Before and After Christ. May we make him the centre of our life. Christmas is not only an event of the past, but more importantly, it is also an event of today and of each day, and as we solemnly celebrate it today, we joyfully acclaim “TODAY IS BORN OUR SAVIOR - CHRIST THE LORD”. Christmas is really an event: An event of love! An event of joy! An event of peace! An event of God’s presence (Emmanuel)! A feast of gift! Merry Christmas to You all, Brethren and Friends!!!

(Fr. Vitus M. C. Unegbu, SC)

The Ever Present God: Emmanu-El!

 (Homily for the 4^th Sunday of Advent Yr. A)

          As a matter of fact, the Advent season has a certain peculiar rhythm that goes like in a crescendo. It rises in a continuous crescendo toward the full light of Christmas. The rhythm in question is adequately symbolized by the Advent wreath. No doubt, the crescendo of Advent is reflected in the liturgical readings of the season, which begins with the prophecies of Isaiah and John the Baptist and culminates on the figures of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Joseph and the annunciation of Jesus’ birth. In today’s liturgy the Church through the readings anticipates the narration of the birth of Jesus according to Mathew. The Angel told Joseph that he will be called Jesus for He will save his people from their sins; He shall be called Emmanuel for He is God-with-us. Here, we see not only the meaning of his names but also his inherent identity.

          The first reading (Is. 7:10-14) presents the story of Ahaz, who was known for his religious indifference. The historical situation of the episode in this passage is described in 2 Kings 16:5-9. It happened when Syria entered into alliance with the northern kingdom of Israel against the southern kingdom of Judah of which Ahaz was King. Together they laid siege to Jerusalem. Here, prophet Isaiah offers Ahaz a sign that everything will be a success at the long run, but Ahaz refused such a sign, because he wanted to have nothing to do with Isaiah’s advice. Notwithstanding, Isaiah proceeded and gave the sign: “A young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel”. Ahaz had trust in the political alliance with the Assyrians and their gods, but not in the help of God. But Isaiah reminded him that God has guaranteed the continuity of the dynasty of David, and as such it cannot be destroyed. As a matter of fact, there are two sides of this episode: first, in connection with 2 Kings 16, it is probable that the young woman in question is the wife of the king and the Son to be born is Hezekiah, future king, son of Ahaz, through whom God will bring liberation to his people.

           Second, is as it is taken up by Mathew. As such, we could say that, that of Hezekiah is a prefiguration of the real Liberator of His people, the Emmanuel, He who reveals and manifests to what extend God can be with His people. Indeed, the prophecy of the “Emmanuel” cuts across and goes beyond the person of Hezekiah. Jesus is the Emmanuel to the point of being one with and like us in everything except sin (cf. 1Pt.2:22; Heb.4:15; 2Chro.5:21). In Isaiah 7:14 there was the prophecy about a child, “behold, a virgin will be with a child and will give birth to a son, and his name will be called Immanuel” But do we really believe in Him? We may sometimes find ourselves in the same ditch with Ahaz who never believed fully in God’s fidelity in the Covenant with his people, rather in difficult moments he sort for security and protection in the covenant with the pagan people of Assyria. Indeed, the spirituality of Advent calls us to come back to God, our primordial love (cf. Rev.2:4), to have trust in His love, especially in difficult times. In our difficult moments there is always a sign, king Ahaz failed to see it, may we never fail to see that sign in hard times, that is the sign of God’s presence (Immanuel). This episode reveals that what God says He will do, He does it. God keeps His promises. He carries out His will and designs irrespective of human infidelity and lack of cooperation, the story of Ahaz is an eloquent example. Likewise, God continues to realize His designs and plans for us, irrespective of our human weaknesses. But in all, God needs the human cooperation.

          In the same vein, the Gospel reading (Mt. 1:18-24) presented Christ as the Son of God, his birth was prodigious, it was the work of the Holy Spirit, but He is also man, for He was born of the Virgin Mary, and Joseph was his foster father. As such, Jesus is a descendant of David. As we can see in the passage of St. Mathew’s Gospel, Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, while his mother remained a virgin. Mathew and Luke agree on this, even though their infancy stories have some discrepancies. It affirms the transcendental origin of Jesus’ history. He is by no means the product of human evolution, but the intervention of the transcendent God in the history of humanity. In this passage, the parents of Jesus enter into scene. Both Mary and Joseph had a vocation and a mission to realize in that divine project. Mary was called to be the mother of Jesus, being a virgin. Joseph was called to be the “father” of Jesus, being just. They were both perturbed at the beginning of this divine plan, however, in their torment they searched for God, and God introduced them into the truth of the mystery. Both of them received those encouraging words from God: Angel Gabriel told Mary: “do not be afraid” (Lk. 1:30) and the angel of the Lord also told Joseph: “do not be afraid” (Mt. 1:20). And confident in God both of them gave their “Yes” with a generous heart to the mission God entrusted to each one of them. While Mary responded to the Angel “May it be done unto me according to thy word” (Lk. 1:38), Joseph did not utter any word, the Gospel said when he woke up he did as the Angel commanded him (cf. Mt. 1:24).

          The message of this last Sunday of Advent partly revolves around the identity of the Messiah. Last Sunday we heard Jesus affirming indirectly that He is the Messiah (through his prodigious works), in that emblematic episode between Him and the disciples of John (cf. Mt. 11). Above all else, however, we may still ask: “who truly is Jesus? St. Mathew tries to proffer an answer or answers to this question through the literary genre of apparition and dreams: through the dream of Joseph, which has a meaning of a divine revelation that enlightens or shades light to a historical event of the conception of Mary and the Birth of Jesus. The Messiah is the Son of Joseph, and through him the link to the dynasty of David. But he is also Son of God. However, the extraordinary manner of his conception without human interventions evidences that God is the protagonist of His birth through the work of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, the virginity of Mary affirms and manifests clearly the sovereign action of God, the absolute gratuitous nature of the Gift. Even though the birth of Christ is not by means of the work of man, Joseph, however is called to be close to his spouse and to be father to the child that will be born, also to give him a name: Jesus, which means “God saves” and to guarantee his royal and messianic dynasty from David. Mathew reveals the double overriding titles / names of the Messiah: Jesus: for he will save his people form their sins and Emmanuel: God with us. He comes to save us and to assure us of the nearness and presence of God. We see glaringly the primary mission of Jesus, that is, to save His people from their sins, to liberate man from the slavery of sin and thus lead him to the freedom of God’s children. As such, Christianity is above all, against every form of slavery and oppression, it is an encounter of liberation from the slavery of sin, of egoism, and of moral disorder. Indeed, a Christian is in turn a liberator in the measure he or she has been liberated from sin.

          Jesus is Emmanu: with us; he is one of us, “from the descendant of David according to the flesh” as St. Paul puts it. But Jesus is also El: God. He is the Son of man and also the Son of God. From ancient times, God has been the One with his people, He told Abraham, “I am with you” (Gen. 17:1-19), he revealed himself to Abraham as a God with his people; God sent Moses to go and demand freedom from Pharaoh for the Hebrew slaves, Moses objected but God assured him “I will be with you” (Ex. 3:12); in his vision Paul heard God saying to him: “I am with you” (Acts 18:10). This indeed, is the very mystery at the heart of Christmas. He is the God-with-us. But is he truly the God-with-us even till today? Yes, even till today, for in his words: “I am with you always; yes, to the end of time” (Mt. 28:20). He is still the God-with-us. Through his resurrection he inaugurated a new way of being in the world, spiritual and invisible, but real. Little wonder, St. Paul emerged with his joyous cry thus: “If God is for us, who can be against us? Who can separate us from the love of Christ?” (Rm. 8:31.35). No one, except we ourselves, we can turn our back to Christ, and live for ourselves and not for him who died and was raised to life (2Cor. 5:15). In that bid, the period of Advent and Christmas is a time to remind a Christian of his / her moral responsibility. “Ecce nunc tempus acceptabile”: This is the favourable time. Jesus is always the Emmanuel, the God-with-us. But there is a moment in which he is with us in a different way: sacramentally and really. And it is now, in our Eucharistic celebration. He is present here with us.

          The spirituality of Advent demonstrates that in giving his Son, God needed human cooperation. Notwithstanding, that he could do everything on His power alone, and may be one day we discover Jesus all of a sudden in the scene and street of the world, in a more mysterious way. Instead He offered Him to us, through Mary and through the cooperation of Joseph, his foster father. We can see this even in the history of our salvation in both the Old and the New testaments, God takes the initiative both to create and to redeem man. It is his divine design but He requires the collaboration of man. Once again, God still needs our cooperation to announce the presence of His Son in the world. He needs our cooperation to take Jesus to the heart of humanity, and the heart of everyman. He wants us to become bearers of Christ (Christophers). But we cannot bear Him in our hearts or give Him to others, if we do not have Him in our heart and in our lives, “nemo dat quod non habet”.

           The second reading (Rm. 1:1-7) is the opening greeting of St. Paul’s letter to the Romans. As a matter of fact, all the letters of Paul were addressed to the churches he founded, in exception to this letter. And unlike in his letters he made a sketch of the Gospel in a traditional form, with the expressions: “descended from David according to the flesh”, “designated as Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness”. Therein, St. Paul stresses the Davidic descent of Jesus, but at the same time his divine origin with the second expression. He used the first expression to reaffirm the humanity of Jesus. Indeed, the Davidic descent of Jesus stresses his lowliness and not his exalted majesty. Above all, in our second reading today, St. Paul reaffirmed vigorously his divine and human origins (Davidic lineage); he is man and also God.

          As the good tidings of Advent, and the pillar around which revolves the message of Advent spirituality is that “God really entered into human history, in order to introduce us to His divine life”. This Good News is still actual today waiting for us to welcome it. However, it is true that some have not accepted or received the grace of his birth, maybe because of their negligence, scepticism and indifference. Even some of us that are Christians, what have we done with this Good news? Are we really convinced that God is in our midst? Do we live in accordance to such conviction? The spirituality of Advent calls us for a proper and sincere examination of conscience with regards to our faith in Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world.

          Above all, the liturgy of the word this Sunday opens with the famous prophecy of Isaiah: “The Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel”. The passage of the Gospel describes the fulfilment of this prophecy. With these two passages of the Scripture we are indeed introduced into the heart of the imminent event: Christmas. Before the celebration of the historical birth or the memorial of the birth of Jesus in few days’ time, today we are contemplating and celebrating his theological birth, that is the profound significance of his Birth. The mystery of Christmas is this: God in Jesus Christ became the Emmanuel, the God-with-us. From the “Most High God” he became the “near-by God” or better the “God with”, a God for humanity. Truly, God has been with man from the moment of creation, but it was a dialogue from a distance, made through the prophets. But in and through Jesus he entered personally into human history, he became one of us, in order to save us from within, from our situation. The covenant became “new and eternal”, eternal because the two parts God and man, as a matter of fact have become ‘one person’, a unique being, that is not divisible: Jesus Christ. The peak of our excitement and celebration in few days’ time revolves around the fact that we are not talking about a sign like in Isaiah and Mathew, but today we are celebrating his presence in our midst. The highest point of God’s revelation is this passage from sign to reality, a real presence! May we therefore echo our voices together with that of the Psalmist saying: “Let the Lord enter, He is the King of glory” (Ps. 24:7.10). Maranatha!!! Come Lord Jesus!!!

(Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)

Rejoice, Even If He Delays, He Comes!

 (Homily for the 3^rd Sunday of Advent Yr. A)

          Today is the third Sunday of Advent and the Introit of this Sunday goes thus: Gaudete in Domino semper (Rejoice in God always). For this, we call this Gaudete or Rejoice Sunday. Today we are invited to rejoice, not just for the Savior who comes, but more than anything else, for the Savior who is already in our midst, performing wonders. That of Jesus is the wonderful mystery of presence and absence (the One who has come and who is to come). We rejoice because we can feel his presence and identify his wonderful works. Little wonder, Christ responded to the disciples of John thus: “Tell John what you saw. The blind see, the lame walk… and the Good News is announced to the poor” (this is evidenced in the first reading and in the Gospel). The disciples saw the Messiah and His mighty deeds. On his part, St. James in the second reading exhorts us to the patient waiting of the coming of the Lord with the imagery of a farmer. Notwithstanding the shocking question raised by John the Baptist, the liturgy of the word today redirects our attention to an important dimension of the Advent season, and  that is the dimension of joy. In fact, as we may have it in the Entrance Antiphon: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near” (Phil. 4:4-5). We rejoice in anticipation of the joy of Christmas. Therefore, our joy is caused by love and for the presence of the One who loves us. The joy of Christmas is derived from the presence of Jesus Christ who comes to save us, a gift wrapped in swaddling clothes (Lk.2:12).

          In the first reading (Is. 35: 1-6a.10) the invitation to rejoice is paramount, an invitation particularly to the people of Israel, after the age-long exilic experience. It is equally addressed to us today. For us, the Savior has already come to save us, He is in our midst, He is with us and He will not abandon us. Prophet Isaiah makes himself a messenger of this joy. “Let the wilderness and the dry land be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the lily it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing” (Is. 35:1-2). He reawakened in those that were despondent, the awareness of the redemption God promised to His people and its nearness. He further spurred them on: “Be strong, fear not! Here is our God…He comes to save you” (v.4). Even though, in their situation, the redemption and liberation that Isaiah was talking about (liberation from slavery) was a prefiguration of the redemption and liberation wrought by and through Christ, The Messiah. Be that as it may, the promised redemption has been realized in and through Christ. And He is the reason for our joy. Our joy therefore, should be in Him. We are filled with joy in the presence of the God who comes to save us and in the salvation he has already won for us. Just as Adam rejoiced when he saw Eve “bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh” (Gen. 2:23), so too we rejoice in the presence of “the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn. 1:14), he took our human flesh.

Once again, the prophet enjoined: “Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, say to those whose hearts are frightened. Be strong fear not! Here is your God” (vv.3-4). Indeed, it is only the presence of the Lord and his salvation that can bring joy to the weak, the fearful, and the suffering. No doubt, the reason for the Lord’s coming was to relieve the sufferings of his people. As Isaiah prophesized: “Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy, they will meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning will flee” (v.10).

In today’s Gospel (Mt. 11: 2-11) we are confronted with a rather shocking question by John the Baptist, the Precursor of the Messiah, who we could say knew about the Messiah more than anyone else. But doubts, existential inadequacies and may be the desire to help his disciples understand more about the Messiah propelled him to interrogating the identity of the Messiah, whom he talked about so passionately. Does it mean John the Baptist was not sure of what he was proclaiming? The preoccupying and thought-provoking question of John the Baptist: “Are you the one who is to come or are we to expect another” (Mt. 11:3), apparently, not only raises doubt in the minds of his listeners and followers, but also can lead to despair. Let us not forget the context in which John the Baptist found himself, the place from which he sent his disciples to go and ask Jesus. He was in prison in Herod’s fortress in Machaerus (the place is located very close to where the Jordan flows into the Dead sea, which is the lowest point on the surface of the earth, and the prison was fifteen miles south east of there and as such very hot). He was in the net of king Herod Antipas. Here, is John the Baptist, who Jesus said that he is “more than a prophet” (Lk.7:26). He that recognised Jesus before others as the Lamb of God, and as such indicated Him to his disciples: “Behold, the lamb of God. Behold he who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29). He once said: “I have seen and I testify that he is the Chosen One of God” (Jn.1:34) and “He must increase and I must decrease” (Jn. 3:30). How come, that he of all persons, is raising this question. The reasons for this question can be many, but let us consider only three:

·         It does appear John the Baptist and his disciples had an already made idea and image of the Messiah different from the real image of the incarnated Son of God. They were expecting a Judge, a Vindicator. One who should start punishing sinners and rewarding the just, rather Jesus is meek and merciful, even though at the proper time he will assume his throne as the just Judge. So the apparent delay in the style of Jesus in showing the whole world that the Messiah has arrived must have triggered this quaestio in him.

·         May be, there is a sort of impatience in John, he has longed seeing this Messiah, and he can no longer wait for Him to start manifesting the power of His reign, at least before he dies in the prison. Probably he was disappointed.

·         The third consideration could be that after seeing his situation and condition in the prison (we remember the location of the prison and the insupportable heat), and maybe considering his own disciples who must have asked numerous questions, worried about their future and welfare he sent them to Jesus.

In all, the question of John the Baptist can raise other interrogations, and even doubts in our minds. Some scholars maintain that the question of John was out of doubt, while some church fathers rather, affirmed that his question was not for himself, rather for the benefit of his disciples (cf. St. Jerome Commentary on Mathew 2). However, even doubts do not diminish the faith of the prophet; in fact, we may say that there is no faith without doubt.

          Be that as it may, sometimes we may also run the risk of modelling an image of Christ in our own imagination and according to our mental schemes, our taste and ideology, according to what is in vogue or even according to our problems. Some would want a God who punishes there and then, a self-imposing God, a revolutionary God who comes like a volcano. But we have to accept Christ as He is: humble, simple, merciful, weak and defenceless (the Child in a manger). We cannot reduce God to our own categories and mental schemes, because He transcends us. He is not the one to adjust Himself to our measures and schemes, rather we have to adapt to the realities of His divinity and humanity. He took the part of the weak and the poor. At times, we want our expectations of peace and justice, our aspirations of good and breakthrough to be satisfied, there and then. However, the fact remains that God works in His own time and way. We have to adapt to the pace of God. Little wonder, in the spirituality of Advent are the values of a patient waiting and a trusting hope.

          To the question of John the Baptist, Jesus responded by making reference to his works: “the blind see, the lame work, lepers are made clean, and the poor received the Good tidings”. His doubt never diminished the esteem Jesus has for him. Jesus responded not with arguments, but with facts, and we can see the list. The disciples were to go back and tell John, not what Jesus was saying, but rather what he was doing. John, with his knowledge of the Old Testament, would then understand that in the healing of the sick, the lame, the blind, was clearly revealed the sign which the prophet Isaiah declared would denote the coming of the promised Messiah. God was at work in the actions of Jesus. Indeed, these were the works prophesized to be the features of the messianic time (cf. Is. 35). Jesus manifested in himself the fulfilment of messianic prophecies. Therefore, it is logical to conclude that: Christ is the one who is to come, the Promised Messiah. However, in responding to John’s disciples, literarily, Jesus commanded them: “Go and announce to John…” And it may interest us to know that in Greek this is parallel in structure to the command of Jesus to his disciples towards the end of the Gospel, “Go and teach all nations…” (Mt. 28:19). Again, Jesus’ command: “Go and tell him what you hear and see” (Mt. 11:4), can equally be said to be parallel to the invitation of Peter in his first letter “Simply proclaim the Lord Christ Holy in your hearts, and always have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you have” (1Pt.3:15). In the same vein, we may say that by that command John’s disciples have become the disciples of Jesus, for he has sent them through that command to go and teach what they hear and see. This is a passage of apostolic experience, from John to Jesus. And this transition in the apostolic experience can only come by if they are not scandalized by Jesus. He says that the “Good News is announced to the poor, blessed is the one that is not scandalized by me” (Mt. 11: 5-6). Interestingly, in Greek the word “scandalon” stands for a stone that one stumbles over. Then, invariably, Jesus is saying to John’s disciples that they are blessed if their faith in Him does not stumble because of the fact that John is in prison. And just like John’s disciples transitioned to Jesus’ disciples we are called to grow higher and closer to the Messiah.

          On the other hand, come to think about it, the question of John, could be considered a spiritual quest, as one of the spiritual masters has said, doubts, anxiousness to know, is better than an adhesion for Christ that is devoid of “anima”, passion and enthusiasm, a sterile and disinterested faith. The Word of God does not leave us indifferent, in the season of Advent, His word cannot but pierce our hearts and stimulate us. Today, many in difficulty, in crisis of faith and in existential indeterminism, still pose the question to Jesus: “Are you the Messiah, the Savior”? Humanly speaking, it is normal that we experience crisis, but it becomes tragic when we do not let it out, when we ignore or suffocate it. Little wonder, some of our brothers and sisters in difficult times have abandoned Christ, the Messiah, in search of other messiahs. But if we go to the root of the crisis, we shall come out of it with a mature and adult faith.

          The passage of the Gospel ended with an annotation thus: “Among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (v.11). Jesus tells us invariably that we are lucky, for we live in the Kingdom of heaven. John only could say: “it’s coming” but we could say: “it’s here”. And again to say it with William Barclay in his commentary what was lacking in John the Baptist was that he could not see Jesus’ love for us as revealed on the Cross. We are luckier than John because he could not experience the full depth and density of God’s love on the Cross as we did.

          In the second reading instead, St. James (5:7-10) makes his voice heard and he advices: “Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord” He invites us to cultivate the attitude of a farmer who works, plants seeds and patiently waits for the germination and growth of the seeds, in order to reap the fruits of his labour. Incumbent upon that, we may once again affirm that the image of a patient farmer is a veritable image in the spirituality of Advent, for more than ever we are called to assume the attitude of patience. In that passage of his letter, St. James used the word patient three times, and in Greek patience is translated “hypomone”. Hypomone delineates the disposition with which a Christian has to confront the difficulties of his faith-experience. Hypomone in its dynamic structure of persevering when one is heavy loaded comports the experience of being weighed down and the courage of remaining firm in view of what or who is to come.

          Brethren as it is suggestive of this Sunday, we rejoice for the New Child of Bethlehem that makes all things new, it was in view of Him, that God promised: “No need to remember past events, no need to think about what was done before. Look, I am doing something new, now it emerges; can you not see it?” (Is. 43:18-19a). Jesus is indeed, the New and Definitive Thing that God has done. No wonder, the last definition of God in the New Testament is the One who makes all things new (cf. Rev. 21:5). As we await in joyful hope to relive the experience of the Birth of our Savior may He give us the grace to continue to carry our lading of faith in view of our meeting with Him. Amen!!!

(Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)