YEAR A: HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK OF ADVENT (2)
YEAR A: HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK OF ADVENT
HOMILY THEME: MAY YOUR WEEK BE NICE
BY: Rev. Fr. Jacob Aondover ATSU
HOMILY: READINGS
YEAR A: HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK OF ADVENT
HOMILY THEME: MAY YOUR WEEK BE NICE
BY: Rev. Fr. Jacob Aondover ATSU
HOMILY: READINGS: MALACHI 3:1-4; 4:5-6, PSALM 25, LUKE 1:57-66
The Jews believed that before the advent of the Messiah, Elijah, their greatest prophet would return to prepare his way. Given the might and power of Elijah, they vehemently refused accepting John, a prophet of the wilderness as the new Elijah. Jesus himself said John is Elijah who is to come (Matt. 11:15), he further said in Matthew 17:12 that Elijah has already arrived and the people did not recognize him… so the prophecy of Malachi is fulfilled today as Elizabeth is delivered of her child. He grew up to be like the refiner’s fire purifying those stained by sin with his message and baptism of repentance and indeed the hand of the Lord was with him (Lk. 1:66).
John, the new Elijah, grew up to preach a change of heart pursuant to the reception of Christ. This Advent we are called to open up our minds and be docile to the yearnings of the Lord. We are called more than ever to accept John’s message of repentance so as to ready ourselves for the coming feasts. Besides, it is only when our ways are so purified that our sacrifices like those of Judah and Jerusalem will become pleasing to the Lord (Malachi 3:4).
Ours today is a world sadly held bound by the clutches of sin and the dangerous attitude of ‘institutionalizing hence normalizing sin’. A walk through our streets, market squares, social arenas; a visit to our homes and offices would leave us ‘shell-shocked’ by the level of sin and how complacent we are living in it. Children are stubbornly disrespectful, youths kill themselves with drugs and immorality, adults are highly fixated living in the past, engaging in drunkenness, sexual immorality, corruption etc. The old have had their wisdom bought over by cheap coins and are at best inept and dubious themselves. Our leaders are very corrupt, visionless, evil, callous minded and selfish; we can go on and on.
The call is simple, that we allow the refiner’s fire turn our hearts towards what is right and virtuous, repent from our prior misdeeds and wait for the Lord. If not in the words of Malachi 4:6 he would come and strike us with anathema (curse).
God bless your week dear friends…
FEED AND EDUCATE ONE
