FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT YEAR B

We Light the Advent Candle of Peace

Last Sunday, we were invited to rejoice for the Lord is near. This joy was then heightened by God's unfailing promise of an anointed One who comes to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and a year of favour. We were told in the second reading that he has called us and will not fail us. Therefore, with joy, which is our strengthen, we have continued to work on ourselves, dealing with anything that could hinder us from experiencing God's glory this Christmas. We rejoiced not because the objects of our rejoicing were immediately present. But rather because the One who called us is faithful and cannot fail us. Hence, we sing with today responsorial psalm 88(89), I will sing forever of your love.

With all these in mind we look at a messianic prophecy in today's first reading from 2 Samuel 7 where we hear David wanting to build God a befitting house. He said to himself, I could not live in an expensive house while God's ark dwells in a tent. He informed Prophet Nathan who told him to go ahead and do whatever was in his heart. But that very night the Lord visited Nathan and told him to tell David that he will not be the One to build a house for God.

It is not immediately obvious why David wanted to build a house for God. But one things we do know is that God remained faithful to the promises he made to David and our parents in faith of an heir whose sovereignty will last forever; of a leader who will bring God's people back to their God.

Surprisingly, the Lord promised to build him a house instead, hence showing David that God’s love towards David is unconditional and cannot be merited. Then God reminded David of how he took him from the pasture from following sheep and made him the leader of God's people, and was with him and gave him victory over his enemies. So, it was as if God was saying, my love towards you is unconditional my appointment of you was by my sheer generosity.

To show David yet again, that God's blessings upon his life was Due to God's gratuitousness, the Lord went ahead to make further promise of blessing, to make him great. “I will preserve the offspring of your body after you and I will make his sovereignty secure and be a father to him. Your House, (referring now to the house the Lord will build for him) and sovereignty will always stand secure and your throne established forever.” (What a promise!)

So, what do we make of all these? You see, we often want to do a lot for the lord and that is good, because we are called to build up his kingdom on earth. But firstly, God invites us in Jesus Christ to be built into living temples where spiritual worship is offered to the Lord.

While David was thinking of building a physical house made with hands where God could be met with and worshiped among his people, a house that can be destroyed like the temple built by Solomon, David’s son, this prophecy already looked forward to that which was to be accomplished in Christ Jesus through whom the Lord has built and is building us into a living and spiritual house.

Yes, Solomon later built a magnificent house for the Lord. But with all its splendour and beauty Solomon's temple was only a foreshadow of that which God has built and is building in us through Christ Jesus. Let us get straight to the heart of the matter. Jesus is the true heir to the throne of David his sovereignty is established forever.

Through Jesus, a befitting house is being built for God in the human hearts. In the days of his flesh, Jesus pointed to this truth when he told the Samaritan woman that a time is coming when no one would worship God neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. When that time comes the true worshippers will worship God in truth and in spirit for God is Spirit (See Like4:21).

Therefore, St. Paul immediately understood that this could only be possible if we were temples of worship. Thus, he said, in Ephesians 2:22, we are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his spirit. St Peter also writes in 1 Peter 2:5, you also like living stones are being built into a spiritual house to be holy priesthood, offering sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

So, we are to remember that it is in Jesus that this prophecy is being fulfilled. In Jesus, all people, Jews, gentile, rich and poor are being built not into a physical house, but into a living and spiritual house where we as royal priesthood that offer sacrifices to God who is Spirit.

All this is made possible by God’s all-surpassing and exceeding love, Our God who extends and offers his intimate friendship to all peoples, nations and tongues. What a mystery of a perfect love, that our Saviour dwells in us. I suppose this is at the heart of what St. Paul calls in today's second reading, a mystery kept secret for endless ages but is now revealed. St. Paul tells us that this is the way God wants things to be. But then St Paul invites us to spread the news. What news? That in Jesus Christ, God is offering all people an intimate friendship, building us up not just into a spiritual house but into a family.

However, Like the Virgin Mary in today’s Gospel, this amazing mystery of love always requires our constant yes to God’s divine plan for us and for all people. We are invited to look at Mary and imitate her faith and openness to God's will for her and all humanity. Through her yes, the impossible happened. The divine and Eternal Word took flesh and made a home in her. May our yeses to God’s plan make the impossible possible in us. It is through our yesses that Jesus is born anew in our hearts this Christmas.

Sometimes these yesses can be very difficult and even seem impossible, and we ask like Mary how can this be? But the angel Gabriel tells Mary, “With the Lord nothing shall be impossible”. Perhaps, we could pray for the grace of openness to God’s will even when it doesn’t make sense at the time. As we respond to God’s will with the openness of hearts, may we, as living stones, continue to be built up into a spiritual house and Jesus be spiritually born anew in our hearts this Christmas.

Let us pray.

Eternal Father, through the power of your Spirit may we continue to be built into a living and spiritual house, so that on Christmas Day, Jesus may be born anew in us and your Peace fill our hearts. Through Christ our Lord.

The Lord be with you.

May almighty God bless you, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
God in the peace of Christ.

Go in peace and Happy Sunday.

Fr Chinedu

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT YEAR B

ALL ARE WELCOME

SCAN TO

BUY

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT YEAR B

ALL ARE WELCOME

SCAN TO

BUY

CHRISTMAS DAY-MASS DURING THE DAY 2023.

THIRD (GAUDETE) SUNDAY OF ADVENT YEAR B