DATE : 06/12/2020
EVENT : 2ND Sunday of Advent (B)
COLOUR: VIOLET/PURPLE
READINGS : Isaiah 40:1-5,9-11; Responsorial Psalm 84:9-14; 2Peter 3:8-14; Gospel Accl. Luke 3:4,6; Gospel. Mark 1:1-8.
THEME: USE THIS TIME TO PREPARE ADEQUATELY TO MEET CHRIST
INTRODUCTION:
Greetings beloved people of God and fellow pilgrims. I welcome you to the 2nd Sunday of Advent. This Sunday beloved friends, I wish to reflect with us on the theme, " Use this Time to Prepare Adequately to Meet Christ". Beloved, have you ever sat down to take a stock of your life, just like the Greek Philosopher Socrates would said, "an unexamined life is not worth living"? Have you taken time to ask yourself some pertinent and existential questions about your life such as: What is my mission on earth? How much do I have left to accomplish that mission? Have I even begun to execute the mission? How much time do I have more to complete the mission? Are my living on borrowed time or is God adding extra (jara) time to me? Beloved, until we constantly put these questions at the back of our minds, we will never be conscious of the way we live our lives. As humans beings, we are beings-to-an-end, (beings created for a purpose), as the German Philosopher, Martin Heidegger avers. And as beings with an end, we necessarily have to prepare for that end, the telos, for which we exists.
Now, enough of this head spinning philosophies and theologies. what I am trying to say is this. Out of the love flowing from the Divine intercourse, God created us in his own image and likeness, and put us in this earth, to spend some time before returning back to him. Now, like caring parents, God has decided to come himself to bring us back home. The problem now is, will he still recognise his image in us when we meet with him? Or have we allowed earthly undertakings and lures to deface and disfigure his Image in us?
Child of God, the core of today's homily is this: we all are called to make the best use of our remaining time on earth to repent, to make any crooked path in our lives straight, and to amend whatever has ruptured the image of Christ in us, so that we can meet him when he comes. Listen child of God, the first visible preacher of repentance for the imminent coming of Christ was St. John the Baptist. In fact, Scriptures recorded that John the Baptist's life was fueled by one burning passion; to point others to Jesus Christ and to the coming of his kingdom. Scripture also tells us that John was filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb (Luke 1:15, 41) by Christ himself, whom Mary had just conceived by the Holy Spirit. When Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth John leaped in her womb as they were filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:41). Hence right from the womb, the fire of the Spirit dwelt in John and made him the forerunner of the Messiah.
John the Baptist, broke the prophetic silence of the previous centuries when he began to fearlessly preach the word of God to the people of Israel. His message was undiluted, courageous, heart piercing and similar to the message of the Old Testament prophets who chided the people for their unfaithfulness to God. Hence, John tried to awaken true repentance in the people through his preaching. This is why his message unsettled the people from their complacency, and arouse in them enough good will to repent and receive Christ when he came.
Now beloved, I ask you today, just like the people did when John the Baptist preached to them, are you deeply sorrowful for your past life? are you ready and eager to hear God's word and to be changed by it through the power of the Holy Spirit today? Are you ready to make sacrifices and let go of those little little pleasures that you seemingly enjoy for the sake of Christ? Are you ready to use this remaining time of yours to prepare adequately to meet Christ when he comes again? If you are resolved to do all these, I congratulate you and ask you to join me in this short prayer: Lord Jesus, I am deeply sorrowful and contrite for offending you so grievously by my past ways of life, I ask forgiveness from you and promise by your grace never to forsake you again. So help me God.
OH that today you would listen to his voice harden not your heart (Ps.95:7-8).
LET US PRAY: Lord Jesus, let your light burn brightly in my heart that I may know the joy of your kingdom. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and empower me to witness the truth of your Gospel and to point others to you.....
The Lord be with you.......and with your Spirit,
May Almighty God bless you the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit......Amen
HAPPY SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT TO YOU BELOVED FRIENDS.
@Fada Emmanuel Nnamdi Megwara MSP.⛪
No comments:
Post a Comment