Fr. Ben’s homily for Tuesday of the 4th Week of Advent
Fr. Ben’s homily for Tuesday of the 4th Week of Advent
Theme: THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES!
By: Ben Agbo (Rev Fr)
Homily for Tuesday December 21 2021
Fr. Ben’s homily for Tuesday of the 4th Week of Advent
Theme: THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES!
By: Ben Agbo (Rev Fr)
Homily for Tuesday December 21 2021
*Song 2 : 8 – 14, Lk 1 : 39 – 45.
‘The Rosary’, says Bridge McKenna, ‘is walking with Mary through the life of Jesus’. It begins with the joyful mysteries. When God comes, he brings joy with him, leaping like a gazelle, Song 2 : 8 – 14 so that all who are crippled by sadness, jealousy, envy, anger, hopelessness and fear, may leap for joy. Yes, the joy of the Lord is our strength, Neh 8 :10. The contents of the Joyful mysteries of the Rosary are the ecclesial reflections by way of ‘hyperdulia’ on the special privileges God has showered on Mary and her role in the divine economy of salvation; (i) The Annunciation, (ii) The Visitation, (iii) The Nativity, (iv) The Presentation of the Child Jesus in the temple, (v) The Search and Finding of the Child Jesus in the temple. Other mysteries; Sorrowful, Glorious and Mysteries of Light take us through a panoramic journey with Mary through the life of Jesus.
Mary’s visitation, according to the biblical scholar Laurentin, has a keen resemblance with the Old Testament Ark of the covenant. As it happened to David when the Ark was brought from the house of Obed Edon where it stayed for for 3 months, 2 Sam 6 : 11, so also did it happen to Elizabeth when Mary full of grace enveloped her house with the radiance of her presence, Lk 1 : 56. The same statement made by David: ‘How can the Ark of the Lord come to me?’, 2 Sam 6 : 9 was made by Elizabeth: ‘Who am I that I should be visited by the mother of my Lord?’, Lk 1 : 43. It was a meeting of two joyful mothers overwhelmed by Christmas grace: Mary uttered a greeting, Elizabeth uttered a blessing and a beatitude.
As Mary’s visitation brought great joy to her cousin, so will our visitations during this Christmas bring great joy to people’s lives. But we must 1st allow ourselves to be visited by God by making ourselves pure like Mary. The Messiah Emmanuel will like to visit us in a special way in this year’s Yuletide season if we can pave the way for him by emulating her mother’s 5 greatest virtues; humility, purity, faith, love and endurance.
May God bless you today!
