HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT YEAR B (1)
HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT YEAR B.
HOMILY THEME: HIS NAME IS JOHN
BY: Fr. Benny Tuazon
(Lk. 1:57-66)
Eight Day of Simbang Gabi
In the day’s Gospel, Zechariah , even though no one in their family is named “John”, named his son “John.” The name reflects the graciousness of God to him and his wife Elizabeth. He and Elizabeth, who was barren, in spite of being old, were graced by God with a son.
John was not a mere gift to Zechariah and Elizabeth. John was God’s gift to mankind. He had the mission of preparing the way of the Lord Jesus. He preached repentance for the gift of salvation to be brought by Jesus.
Salvation did not stop, though complete and final, in the dying and rising of Jesus. Every baptized person was given a mission. We were all given gifts which will help us fulfill our mission. Our first task is to recognize those gifts. Once recognized, it must be used and not kept. Every gift was given in the service of the people of God. We share that gift in the same way that others share their gift to us. Life, in a way, is a constant sharing of gifts. We are God’s gifts to each other. When we do this, we realize our mission and God’s plan.
The tragedy of life is when we use these gifts against the will of God. It becomes also an abuse of God’s graciousness. If these charisms came from God, then, it must be used only according to His purpose. And His purpose is always good and in view of salvation. While it is not bad to benefit from them since we also must make a living, we must be careful not to just see it as a way to earn a living. The more important reason is to use and share them to others to gain eternal life.
What is in a name? Not much really. But it can be a force, a motivation, and an inspiration for the person to live its meaning.
