We Have Come To Adore Him!

(Homily for Christmas 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 perenially 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 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 the history of Jesus. His coming into the world is part of the dynamic process of God’s self-communication.

          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, of good, of 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), 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’s 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 went to His own they did not welcome Him, but to all who welcome Him He gives power to become children of God” (Jn. 1:14). 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 may 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).

          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 perenial 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)

Unto Us A Son Is Given!

(Homily for Christmas Vigil)

           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). 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 the most important event 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 (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), he 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 self 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 events 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 are now recipients or objects 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. 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. Is welcoming 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)

Mary The Woman of Advent!

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

     The thrust of today’s message is on God’s relationship with his people, orchestrated in the manifestation of God’s power through human weakness. Our God does not sit impassible on His throne of Omnipotence and Divinity; He comes to us through a downward mobility in and through His Son. And in turn man/woman is required to play his or her own part in this relationship. As a matter of fact, human relationship can be synthesized into relationships with God, with man and with the external reality that surrounds him. In our liturgy today, we are interested in the first two relationships (with God and with man). The readings indicated to us majorly the relationship between Jesus and Mary (Gospel); between Jesus and his Father (Second reading), between Jesus and John the Baptist in their mothers’ wombs. Again, there is the relationship of Mary and the Holy Spirit, with Elizabeth her cousin and above all with the Word of God (Gospel). The fundamental relationship of Jesus is with his Father. It is a filial relationship of obedience, as he echoed: “I have come to do your will O Lord” (Second reading). It is the obedience of a Son who desires to be acceptable in all to the Father. This filial obedience will arrive at its dramatic end with the sacrifice on the Cross. In the mysteries and events of the life of Jesus, the Birth (Incarnation) cannot be separated from the Passion, the Birth from the Resurrection. Jesus maintains his obedience to the Father with a relationship of prophecy that is a relationship of fulfillment (First reading).

     In the first reading (Mic. 5:2-5a) prophet Micah announced the coming of the Messiah, and he determined also the place of his birth (Bethlehem). He attributed to him the characteristics of a pastor and a guide. Jesus with and through His birth in Bethlehem realized this prophecy in its fullness. Just as it was the case with the reading from the prophecy of Zephaniah last Sunday, so it is with this reading from the prophecy of Micah, for this is the only time a passage from there is used in the Sunday lectionary. As such, we cannot but use the occasion to say few things about his prophetic ministry, Prophet Micah exercised his prophetic ministry in the southern kingdom of Judah, towards the end of the eighth century, and it was during the reigns of Ahaz and Hezekiah. He experienced a lot of national crises ranging from the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel to the invasion of Judah by Assyria. However, he did not show much concern for these events, rather he was interested in the denunciation of Judah for its social injustice. Indeed, just like Zephaniah it was later edited and passages of positive promises were later added. As a matter of fact, the oracle concerning the birth of the Messiah at Bethlehem is part of the additions. It does appear the prophecy of Micah came towards the end of the exile, when the hope for the restoration of the Davidic monarchy was high. And the fulfillment of this prophecy is well orchestrated in the Gospel of Mathew (2:6), through the birth of Jesus. Prophet Micah prophesized about Bethlehem, that it will not be the smallest city of Judah, because therein will be born the ruler of Israel. And Jesus with the attitude of obedience to the history of salvation designed by the Father realizes this prophecy.

     The gesture of Mary in today’s Gospel (Lk. 1:39-45) is not just an act of courtesy, but of love. She visited Elizabeth, who was expecting a child (John the Baptist), and she stayed with her for three months, to be with her and to help her with the domestic chores. This visit of Mary to her was an episode replete with joy and exultation. As we were told, that as soon as she arrived the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leapt for joy. At that time Mary has already conceived Jesus and Elizabeth felt the presence and was sanctified. Elizabeth was illuminated by the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed: “Blessed are you of all women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (v.42). This expression is a compendium of the greatness of the Blessed Mother. Three times in this passage Mary is pronounced “blessed”, as a matter of fact, the second verse of the Magnificat is the scriptural ground for calling her the Blessed Virgin. And again two closely related reasons are given for the title “blessed” that Elizabeth gave to her: because of Mary’s faith (v.45) which is related to her obedience (Lk. 1:38) and the bearing of the Child Jesus (v.42). Be that as it may, Mary is blessed not based on who she was or is in herself, rather she is proclaimed blessed in relation with her obedience to the Incarnation event. Her importance is incumbent upon her faith and obedience which made the Incarnation humanly possible, and more still because she gave birth to the Child of Bethlehem, Child Jesus. On the other hand, Mary too exults with the canticle of magnificat, a hymn of praise and of gratitude to God for the wonders he has wrought. There, the presence of Jesus is a fount of joy for all, especially those who open their hearts to him (just as it was in the case of Elizabeth and Mary, even for John too). And indeed advent and Christmas for us should signify this act of opening our hearts to Christ, removing all that may hinder his coming to and in us with His grace.

       In today’s gospel we see two women that are protagonists and first witnesses of the coming of the Savior. Both of them were in expectation of a child, but Mary the more, because she was expecting an extraordinary Child. Little wonder, she is the perfect icon of advent. In the Lucan account Elizabeth was pregnant of a son who is a fruit of divine promise, who was regarded to be barren, but God chose to bring the precursor of the Savior through the gratuitous gift of his power and of the Holy Spirit through her. Also Mary was carrying in her womb, the Son of God who was conceived by the Holy Spirit. In the case of Mary, she was God’s choice. The birth of Jesus by a Virgin, through the work of the Holy Spirit, is an evident sign of the absolute gratuitous nature of our salvation.

     The relationship between Jesus and Mary is an extraordinary relationship, for Jesus nourishes the faith of Mary, and at the same time, Jesus is nourished with her blood. The Gospel speaks of a mysterious relationship of Jesus, in the womb of Mary, with John the Baptist in the womb of Elizabeth. There are other two relationships of Mary that did not appear in the liturgical texts, but they are implicit: the relations with the Holy Spirit and with the Incarnate Word in her womb. Indeed, without these two relations we cannot explain the visit of Mary to Elizabeth. The intimate and personal relationship with the Holy Spirit made it possible for the Word of God to assume our human flesh in her womb. The relationship of Mary with the Word of God is extremely mysterious and delicate, mysterious because the fecundation was the work of God himself, delicate because she gives to God her flesh and blood, especially her love and the total gift of herself. The relationship of Mary with Elizabeth is that of service, she was moved by natural bond, but above all by the Spirit of God. Therefore, it is a natural movement and at the same time, the movement of the Spirit. In the song of the Magnificat, Mary echoes her song of joy and thanksgiving to the Father, for the marvel she carries in her womb, despite her nothingness and humility. Again, in Mary, the prophecy of Micah is fulfilled.

       Mary is our model this season: “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord” (v.45), as Elizabeth exclaimed. The faith of Mary is demonstrated in her perfect disposition and total acceptance of the divine initiative and her cooperation with the work of salvation: “I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to your words” (Lk. 1:38). With the faith of Mary a new era was heralded in the Church and in the world. She welcomes and waits for the fulfillment of God’s Word, She is really a woman of Advent! From her womb she gave us the Messiah; she was the one that awaited for Him with profound intensity, and ardent desire. That is why the Second Vatican Council says of her: “She stands out among the poor and humble of the Lord, who confidently hope for and receive salvation from Him. With her the exalted daughter of Zion, and after a long expectation of the promise, the times are fulfilled” (LG. 55).

     The second reading (Heb. 10: 5-10) describes Christ’s sacrifice in terms of the offering of his body, in the obedience to the will of his Father. The letter to the Hebrews reveals the fundamental disposition of Jesus, in doing the Father’s will, starting from the first instant of his life till the Calvary experience. “When Christ came into the world, he said: You wanted no sacrifice or cereal offering, but you gave me a body. You took no pleasure in burnt offering or sacrifice of sin; then I said: Here I am, I am coming in the scroll of the book it is written of me, to do your will, God” (Heb. 10:5-7). As a matter of fact, this according to the author of the letter to Hebrews is the reason of the Incarnation. For Christ assumed the human body as an instrument to offer his perfect obedience to the Father on our behalf. This passage situates the incarnation well into the supreme goal: the atonement. Bethlehem points to Golgotha.

      Somehow like Mary, we await for the coming of the Savior, certainly, we do not live the advent experience with the mentality of the people of Old Testament. For the Savior has already come. The Savior has come, but the promises of God have not been fully fulfilled. The kingdom of justice and peace inaugurated by Jesus is still an ideal towards which we are looking forward to its complete realization. In that sense, we can say that Christ is still “the one who is to come” the Veniente, he one who is to be born in our hearts and in the world. As such, Mary becomes our model and a perfect icon for those who wait for and on their Lord. Mary conceived the Savior, but she could not contend the joy, so she set out to meet Elizabeth. Indeed, we may well posit that Mary took Jesus to the family of Elizabeth, because upon their arrival there was joy, even the little baby John in the womb leapt for joy.

     Mary is our model this season because she knows how to continue the process of Incarnation, of taking Jesus to others. This is the principle of incarnation, God going or coming towards man. We are called to cue in, in this principle by taking Jesus to people, especially to the poor and the weak. It is only through the process of this continuous incarnation that the Savior will be born in our hearts and in our world. Mary teaches us how to believe in the Word and promises of God without “ifs” and “buts”. According to Origin of Alexandra, the most beautiful image of a Christian is that of a pregnant woman, who is carrying a new life. It is not necessary that she speaks, her message is evident to all: two hearts are beating in her. Analogically, a Christian lives this experience, he carries within him a new life (the Child of Bethlehem), and therefore lives in a continuous expectation. Till today, God is still searching for new mothers to incarnate himself. Let us welcome Him as Mary did. May our Blessed Mother Mary teach us how to welcome the Savior in our lives as she did! Amen!!!

 (Fr. Vitus M. C. Unegbu, SC)

Joy in and For His Presence!

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

     Today’s readings center on joy, even the Entrance antiphon started with the universal invitation to rejoice. Little wonder, this third Sunday of Advent is known as the Sunday of joy (Gaudete). The joy that we are invited to have is not a subjective joy, that is sentimental and is only manifested in form of excitement.  Rather it is an objective joy that is founded on realities that are joyous in themselves. It is neither an individualistic or private joy, but a communitarian joy, and we are exalted to rejoice today as a community of believers. It is God’s will that the story of man replete with suffering and lamentations after the experience of sin be accompanied with the Good News of Joy. It is indeed, wonderful, for a people “living in darkness and in the shadow of death” to receive the promise and message of light and joy. Advent is not by any means a gloomy season, even though it has a penitential aspect, hinged on John the Baptist’s message of repentance. Advent is replete with a crescendo of Joy and incessant invitation to rejoice, orchestrated by the Advent wreath, which starts with one lighted candle and ends with four candles.

     Right from the beginning of the Incarnation event, joy has been the password with which to savor the density of this love story between God and humanity. At the event of the Annunciation, the angel said to Mary: “Rejoice, you who enjoy God’s favour” (Lk. 1:28), even John the Baptist exults of joy in the womb of Elizabeth, when Mary visited Elizabeth, already carrying Jesus in the womb, “Look, at the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my leapt for joy” (Lk. 1:44), and the angels announced to the Shepherds the birth of the Son of man as a message of great joy, “Look, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people” (Lk. 2:10). But today when we take a look at all the happenings in our society, ranging from human suffering, marginalization, violence, the presages of war, deprivation of freedom, hunger to forced immigration. Indeed, in this existential context, the invitation to rejoice appears to be a strange one, because apparently there is no motive to be happy, there are many things that do not happen as we desire or imagine, we are sad and despondent. But today’s invitation is a special one, it is a particular joy. It is not a superficial joy, but an interior, spiritual and profound joy, motivated by hope and faith in the Messiah, who comes to transform us and change our ugly human situations.

     The first reading (Zeph. 3: 14-18) comes from the Prophecy of Zephaniah. As a matter of fact, in the whole of the three-year Sunday circle, this is the only occasion when a passage from the prophecy of Zephaniah is read. Be that as it may, we cannot but spend few words on this minor prophet. The prophetic activity of Zephaniah coincided with the beginning of Josiah’s reign around c. 640-630. There is a high probability that he was in Jerusalem and his prophecies revolve majorly on predictions of judgment. Indeed, it does appear that the passage we read today is from the only positive part. It is made up of an invitation psalm, addressed to Zion, inviting her to rejoice for her salvation is near. At the heart of this passage is the message of excited expectation for God’s intervention in human history and that situates it well into the context of Advent.

     Zephaniah reminded the elected people their mission and tried to instill in them hope and courage: “Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, o Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem” (v.14). And this joy is based on the conviction inherent in the prophecy of Zephaniah that the Lord is near.  “The king of Israel is in your midst, you shall fear evil no more” (v.15). So, the foundation of this joy is God’s presence in the midst of his people. He is in the midst of His people as an assurance of hope. For this, the prophet insisted “do not fear, o Zion; let not your hands grow weak” (v.16).  Once again, another reason for joy is according to what the prophet said that God loves you, and because He loves you, he chose you, and he wants to raise you up from your humiliation, he wants to renew and save you. For He says: “He will renew you in his love” (v.17). Likewise for each and every one of us, our profound motive for joy should be the conviction that God loves us. His love transforms and renews. Renew us O lord by, with and in your Love!

     In the responsorial psalm Prophet Isaiah (12) unites his voice to that of Zephaniah: “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation…Sing and shout for joy, O inhabitants of Zion”. The water that the Prophet is inviting the people to draw from God is water of joy and hope, that which quenches the thirst of the heart and not just the thirst of the throat. Today we depart from the usual practice of using the Psalms for the responsorial psalm; instead we have the first song of Isaiah. The song gives thanks for the divine salvation which was promised in the Old Testament and is now at the verge of fulfillment with the coming of the Messiah. This makes it fitting for the Advent season.

     In the second reading (Phil. 4, 4-7) St Paul followed suit on the theme of Joy, and  extended the invitation to rejoice to the Christian community. The great commandment that was directed to the daughter of Zion is now directed to us: “Brethren: rejoice”. It is necessary and also interesting to know that when Paul was writing this letter he was in prison, therefore, he was not lacking hardship, afflictions and trials. However, he continues to invite all to rejoice. St. Paul further said: “Have no anxiety for anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (v.6). St. Paul invites the Philippians to rejoice not because they are immune to trials and hardship. We are to rejoice even in the midst of trials, because the presence and the closeness of God transform the trials to sources for and of joy and hope.

     This passage can be considered a little catechism of Christian joy, it begins with the invitation to “Rejoice”, and this joy is not to be mistaken for bubbly joy or superficial excitement. In fact, going back to the words of the Apostle, he gives us an indication of how to rejoice. For we may ask, rejoice, how? He precisely says “in the Lord”. The basis of our joy is the Lord, the Veniente, not on exterior or material things. And again, rejoice, why? What is the reason of and for this joy? The reason is because “the Lord is near”, as St. Paul opined. With the birth of Jesus, God became very close to us in an unimaginable and unprecedented manner. He became one of us, our companion on our existential journey yet he transcends us. He does not abandon us, remember the episode of the disciples of Emmaus (cf. Lk. 24:13-32). Here, comes the third question, rejoice, when? St. Paul tells us “always”, not once in a while, not only when things are rosy, but he says always, for the Lord loves us always, “You took us and the Lord as your model, welcoming the word with the joy of the Holy Spirit in spite of great hardship” (1Th. 1:6). Joy has to be a state of mind of a Christian constantly and permanently, because Jesus wants us to have “fullness of his joy” (Jn. 17:13), and “your hearts will be full of joy, and that joy no one shall take from you” (Jn. 16:22). Jesus tells us “ask and you shall receive, so that your joy will be complete” (Jn. 16:24). It is prayer that helps us to find light in the moments of obscurity, serenity when the tempests of life roar. Prayer is the fount of joy, of serenity and of peace.

     In the Gospel (Lk. 3:10-18) we see the episode of John the Baptist’s preaching. The first part of this passage according to some exegetes is the Baptist’s preaching to various people, but to the crowd in general, the tax collectors, and the soldiers. The second part is Baptist’s messianic preaching. He disclaims out rightly that he is the Messiah. He pointed out to the coming of another, stronger than him, “He who is mightier than I”. Different from the Baptist who administers baptism with water, the Mighty One will baptize with Spirit and fire. Here, the self-effacing attitude of John the Baptist gleams through, he points to the Other. This self-effacing attitude of John should be exemplary for today’s preachers and prophets, they should learn to point men and women away from themselves to Christ. On the other hand, we cannot say with certainty that John had Jesus in mind when he was speaking of the Strong One. Most probably his conception of the Messiah was more judgmental than salvific, little wonder while in prison John sent envoys to ask Jesus, whether he is the one or they are to expect another (cf. Lk. 7:19).

     In the passage of today’s Gospel, St. Luke indicates something more concrete and more exigent in our preparation for the Lord’s coming. After hearing and listening to the preaching of John on repentance, different sets of people were propelled to ask questions on what they should do. To those who were asking John the Baptist: “What shall we do?” (v.10) to repent, to change their ways, he responded in a clear and distinct manner: ●To the multitude He said: “He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food let him do likewise”. ●To the tax collectors: “Collect no more than is appointed you”. ●To Soldiers: “Rob no one by violence or by false accusation, and be content with your wages”. May we too cue in and ask: what shall we do? What shall I do? God’s word always calls man to action, it is provocative.

     In all, there is no true joy without Christ, and one cannot welcome Christ if he remains a slave to his egoistic tendencies, individualism and insensible to the necessity of others. More than anything else, the period of Advent propels us to put in practice the demands of the Gospel, and to give witness of sharing, solidarity and moderation. Today, the word of God propels us to make resolutions for a better Christian life. We are called to rejoice, not egoistically, but together. The enemy of joy is not suffering, but egoism. We are not just called to rejoice, but our joy must be fruitful (as seen in the gospel). Lord Jesus, may your joy always radiate in us and may nothing on earth rob us of the joy that comes from you, Our Mighty Saviour! Amen!!

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

All Men Shall See His Salvation!

(Homily for the 2^nd Sunday of Advent Yr. C)

     At this second Sunday of Advent, meditating on the Word of God, I discovered two salient elements around which the message of today revolves and they are: Word and Movement. For the Word of God (Logos) comes to us in a descending manner, and in this movement of descending He convokes all, and as the Word convokes, it brings changes and transformation. The Word (Rhema) is not an ordinary word, for through the manifestation of the Word, all men shall see His salvation. In Christmas the Word became flesh, and already in the liturgy of Advent the Church wants us to meditate on the Word and its gradual internalization in our hearts. In the first reading, Prophet Baruch speaks of the sons of Israel in exile, who “were convoked from East to West by the word of the Holy One”, as such, they embarked on a journey of returning home, a movement towards their freedom. St Luke tells us that the Word of God was addressed to John, son of Zechariah in the desert, as evidenced in the Gospel, and John in turn addresses the word to the Jewish people, and the Jewish people embarked on a journey, but this time around, they are moving from the land of Israel to go and meet John the Baptist at the river Jordan, to hear the word. St. Paul in the second reading expresses his joy for the Philippians for their collaboration to the Gospel that is to the Word of God transformed into the Good News for the salvation of man.

     In the first reading (Bar. 5:1-9) Prophet Baruch in a poetic language imagines Jerusalem dressed in mourning cloth, like a mother who lost most of her children. He describes the return of the Jewish people from the terrible experience of the exile, in Babylon. Baruch intones a song to the city of Jerusalem, renewed and transformed by the mighty hand of God: “Jerusalem, take off your dress of sorrow and distress, put on the beauty of God’s glory for evermore” (v.1). This is a message of hope, and this hope according to Prophet Baruch is founded on the prevision of the return of the people of Israel from exile and the prospective of a rehabilitated Jerusalem. The prophet foresees a new future for his people, a turn-around situation that only God can do, for it is only God that can save. “For God has decreed the flattening of each high mountain, of the everlasting hills, the filling of the valleys to make the ground level, so that Israel can walk safely in God’s glory” (v.7). They were ready to embark on a journey of homecoming; a movement towards their freedom. And there is indeed great joy, joy of returning home after that terrible experience. It does appear the Psalmist situates us well into the context of this joy thus: “What great deeds the Lord has worked for us! Indeed, we were glad” (Ps. 126:3).

     The prophet gives a joyful and consoling prophecy that the people of Israel, who were deported in Babylon would have come back to Jerusalem, through the work of God, for God has established  “to level the mountains”, on the condition that the people of Israel repent with all their heart to the Lord. Indeed, that liberation would have been nothing but a sign, a prefiguration of a more profound and radical liberation, the liberation from sin, which God would accomplish, not only for the people of Israel, but for the entire humanity. This is made possible with and through Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah whose presence John the Baptist announced.

     In all, it might interest us to know that the book of Baruch is one of the deuterocanonical writings of the Old Testament; or the so-called Apocrypha writings. This book pictures the situation of the Babylonian exile. The passage we read today is taken from the last part of the book. It comprises of two prophetic poems modelled on Deutero-Isaiah. Therein, we could see that the miracle of the return is pictured in series of supernatural events comparable to that of Isaiah 40. It therefore corresponds with the quotation of Isaiah 40 in the Gospel. On the other hand, the invitation: “Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height and look forward the east, and see your children gathered from west and east, at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing that God has remembered them” (v.5). As a matter of fact, this symbolism of salvation coming from the east like the dawn is very much embedded in the Church’s Advent tradition, and at the heart of Advent spirituality is the consciousness that God has remembered His people.

     The Gospel passage (Lk. 3:1-6) is from the third chapter and St. Luke begins with an introduction that exposes adequately the geographical, political and religious situations at the beginning of the prophetic mission of John the Baptist. There is precision on the time, place and the protagonists of the political and religious life of that historical period. What could have motivated Luke to begin the third chapter in that manner? The most evident motive could be the desire to emphasize the importance of the figure of John the Baptist, the Prophet who stands as a bridge between the Old and the New Testament; while he concludes the Old, he preannounces the New. In Luke’s parlance, the Judea of Pilate and the Galilee of Herod constitutes the land of the people of God, the tetrarchs of Philip, Ituraea and Trachonitis are instead Pagan regions, therefore, the message of John the Baptist is addressed to both Hebrews and Pagans, it extends to all, to every race and people. In the passage, the quotation from the prophecy of Isaiah has undergone a significant change, in the prophecy of Isaiah we read “All shall see the glory of God”, but St. Luke redacts it to “All flesh shall see the salvation of God” (v.6), all without distinction of colour, race or religion. With and through the birth of Jesus Christ we all have seen this salvation. And at this season and beyond, this Word of salvation resounds.

     In Advent, the Gospel on the second and third Sundays focuses yearly on the figure of John the Baptist. In his account, Luke connects the appearance of John the Baptist both to secular and salvation history. He presents John the Baptist with the Old Testament prophets. Indeed, from all indications Luke’s perspective of John the Baptist, differs from Mark’s. While Mark thought of John the Baptist as the beginning of the Gospel, the point at which salvation event began, Luke instead situates John the Baptist before the beginning of the salvation event. The Baptist in his person concludes the salvation history of the Old Testament; he stands as the head of the Old Testament prophets and points as they did to the coming of Christ.

     The contents of the preaching of John the Baptist was synthesized by the evangelist Luke with the following words: “He went through the whole Jordan area proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (v.3). Thus, he preached for a baptism that was a sign and expression of an interior conversion, with the forgiveness of sins. In fact, there is no remission of sins, without the desire to detach oneself from sin and to change one’s life. Today, John the Baptist gives us a programmatic statement thus: “prepare the way of the Lord” (Lk. 3:4). In his narrative, Luke reported of valleys being filled in, mountains being levelled, and rough places being smoothened. This could be a metaphorical description of what took place in the heart of the people. In the same vein, we are invited to fill in the valleys, to level the mountains and to smoothen the rough places in our life. In sum, all those things that do not allow us to become balanced and matured Christians are to be jettisoned.

     As suggestive of the encounter in this passage, once again the Jewish people are on the move, but this time around, they are moving from the land of Israel to go and meet John the Baptist at the river Jordan. John the Baptist was announcing the fulfilment of the Jewish hope for the Messiah. As we can see, in the first reading and the Gospel, the people are on the move for something better, in the first reading it was a move for freedom and return to their own land, while in the Gospel it was a move for the preparation of the coming of Christ, as they hearkened to the voice of John. The consciousness for something better, for a divine turn around spurred them on to embark on a journey. This season, brethren, we are invited to make a move, a move from our former ways to embrace the newness of life that the Child of Bethlehem offers. Advent therefore, is a wonderful time to start afresh, to begin anew, to start finding our root. Let us transform our hearts to a manger to receive Him.

     For St. Paul in the second reading (Phil 1:4-6.8-11), there is hope founded on the assurance that God will bring to completion, the marvellous work of cooperation in the spreading of the faith he has begun, “I am quite confident that the One who began a good work in you will go on completing it until the day of Jesus Christ comes” (v.6). Therein, St. Paul uses the phrase the “day of Jesus Christ” (that is the Parousia), as the terminal point of Christian growth. And that phrase once again brings us close to the theme of Advent (His second coming).

    More than ever, in this season of preparation we need to re-echo the invitation to conversion, for we are all sinners, with the tendency of forming the habit of sin. This season, therefore, the word of God resounds in and through the Church. Today, there is an urgent and necessary need to resound this appeal for conversion, for we are gradually losing the conscience of the sense of sin. We cannot but affirm that conversion does not only mean detaching oneself from sin and from a moral conduct that does not conform to the will of God. It also signifies developing that life of grace, the supernatural life that is in us since our Baptism. And this comports as St. Paul delineated a continuous growth in the love of God and neighbour, an existential cooperation to the spread of the Good News.

     In this season more than ever, the Word of God re-awakens in us the sense of expectation, which is characteristic of Advent. Advent is a spiritual season that humanity expects God to act, because man cannot save himself, salvation comes from God. Advent has in store new graces for us. Advent means arrival or coming, in this context the coming of Jesus, not the coming of Santa Claus. At Advent and eventually Christmas, Jesus comes to us, we just need to make a room for Him in our heart. Are you ready to prepare an inn for Him in your heart? Is there space for Him or you are going to turn Him down like the inn-keepers? Jesus is the One we really need to long for, for he alone has answer(s) to our utmost human longings and questions. He knows what is in man (cf. Jn. 2:25). Only Jesus can fill our human existential emptiness, the psalmist demonstrated this in a glaring manner in some of the psalms thus:

 “Like the deer that yearns for running streams, so my soul is yearning for you my God” (Ps. 42:1). “O God, you are my God, for you I long; for you my soul is thirsting. My body pines for you like a dry, weary land without water” (Ps. 63:1-2). “In God alone is my soul at rest; my help comes from Him. He alone is my rock, my stronghold, my fortress: I stand firm” (Ps. 62:1-2). Advent is indeed, the season of grace that Christ fills our inner and deepest longings and yearnings. Advent is a season to yearn for Him who comes to save us; it is a season for our soul to thirst and our body to pine for Him, who is to come. He is our rock, for he has made us to raise our heads high for the nearness of our redemption (Lk. 21:28). His coming establishes us on a sure foundation (cf. 2Tm. 2:19), for we now stand firm. This inner and deeper longing, this yearning, this thirst and pinning cannot be fulfilled by the outward decorations, the tendency of consumerism, the beauty of the crib and the Christmas tree, but only by Christ, the Child of Bethlehem, who came to the aid of our weakness. Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!! Amen!!!

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