This Sunday, the 24th day of December 2023, is the Fourth Sunday of Advent in the liturgical year B. It is the last Sunday of Advent. In the entrance antiphon of this day’s Mass we pray: “Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Saviour. Amen".
The general mood of the liturgy is already pointing to Christmas. The Church picks one of the greatest Old Testament passages from Second Samuel as the first reading of this day. The sacred author is inspired by the divine promise that the dynasty of David would continue forever, especially as the prophecies are already announcing that the Messiah would be of David’s stock.
In the second reading from Romans, Saint Paul says that God commanded the Good News of Christ to be preached not just that men might hear about him, but also that they would accept Christ’s saving work by personal commitment and submission to his will.
The Gospel of Saint Luke shows that the most important as well as the most hidden of all the figures who prepare for Christ is Mary, our Lady. Through her obedience and submission to the will of the Father, the Messiah, whom the prophets had been announcing for centuries, is coming into the world. In the course of this Eucharist, let us pray for the grace to follow Mary’s example of obedience to God’s call on us to take his word of salvation to our society.
First Reading: 2 Samuel 7: 1-5. 8: 11-16
When King David was settled in his palace, and the Lord had given him rest from his enemies on every side, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God dwells in a tent!” Nathan answered the king, “Go, do whatever you have in mind, for the Lord is with you.” But that night the Lord spoke to Nathan and said: “Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Should you build me a house to dwell in?’ “It was I who took you from the pasture and from the care of the flock to be commander of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you went, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth. I will fix a place for my people Israel; I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place without further disturbance. Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old, since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also reveals to you that he will establish a house for you. And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.”
Comment
It is good to start the meditation on this passage with a short history of the books of Samuel. The first and second books of Samuel present the hereditary monarchy of David onwards as a system of government that God desired for his people. They portray David as a model king, who, despite his personal limitations and his transgressions, continued to enjoy the Lord’s favour. This was because he always kept to the Lord’s plans, and if he sinned – and he did sin, especially when he coveted Bathsheba and had her husband, Uriah, killed in battle -- he immediately sought God’s forgiveness.
The history contained in the books of Samuel covers a very important period in the life of Israel, extending from the birth of Samuel, the last of the judges, to the end of David’s life—a period in which the twelve tribes of Israel changed from the system of having sporadic leadership to an organized state with a single, hereditary monarchy, which was the standard pattern of governance among the neighbouring peoples.
In the passage selected for our meditation, we see another prophet, Nathan, who makes a particularly important prophecy, namely, that David’s dynasty would continue forever and that a Messiah will come from the line of David. The promise is made directly to David, but it will bring to all God’s people the divine gifts of peace and security. The future Messiah will have certain qualities: he will be the Son of God, who will serve as an expression of the covenant established between God and David’s line. Through him, David’s line will endure forever. It is this long awaited Messiah, Jesus Christ, whose birth is tonight.
As we await the birth of Emmanuel – God with us – let us say this prayer for peace in our war-torn country, Cameroon, which Kevin Fleming, left to the Church: “Holy Father, if any of us has any grievance against another, may the sun not set on our anger or disappointment, but may we present as our offering to you a forgiving heart. Grant each of us the courage to forgive those who have offended us, the patience to bear with our own faults, and the faith to renew our commitment to you each day of the year. We make our supplication through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
Second Reading: Romans 16: 25-27.
Brothers and sisters: To him who can strengthen you, according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages but now manifested through the prophetic writings and, according to the command of the eternal God, made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith, to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Comment
The African Bible tells me that Saint Paul’s letter to the Romans is the longest, most influential and rewarding of Paul’s undisputed letters. He seems to have written it in Corinth (in modern-day Greece) around the year 57 AD.
Saint Paul did not found the Church in Rome; it probably was founded by Jewish Christians from Judaea, or by Jews who had been converted to Christianity while on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. There were frequent contacts between Rome, which was the most important city in Paul’s world, and Jerusalem. Paul was planning to visit the Iberian Peninsula (Spain) and wanted to make a stopover in Rome to visit the Christians there and perhaps get some help from them. The visit did not materialize and the only time he came to Rome was as a prisoner where he was finally executed because of his faith.
In this letter, Paul stresses the universality of salvation because all have sinned: Jew and Gentile alike. God has revealed himself not only to the Jews through the Laws of Moses, but also to Gentiles through his creation and natural law.
In the passage of this day’s reading, Paul has made known the Good News in his preaching about Jesus – it is the power of God to instill his message in the Romans and ensure they lead their lives true to Christ. God commanded the Good News of Christ to be preached not just so that men might hear about him, but so that they would accept Christ’s saving work by personal commitment and submission. God’s providence is praised because he has arranged everything so that all men and women will be united by being joined to Christ, the Saviour.
Paul is absolutely certain that God has a loving plan of salvation for the entire world. The mystery of the Father’s purpose in Christ is focused on salvation, and is open to all people. His grace is everywhere because he desires that all men and women be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4). Let us pray to the Holy Spirit to enlighten us so that we may have the grace, the strength and the courage to preach the good news of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, Prince of peace, the peace we so badly need in our country today.
Let us say this prayer for peace which Pope St John XXIII gave to the church: “Lord Jesus Christ, who are called the Prince of Peace, who are yourself our peace and reconciliation, who so often said, “Peace to you.” Make all men and women witnesses of truth, justice, and brotherly love. Banish from their hearts whatever might endanger peace. Enlighten our rulers that they may guarantee and defend the great gift of peace. May all peoples of the earth become as brothers and sisters. May longed-for peace blossom forth and reign always over us all. Amen.”
Gospel acclamation: “Alleluia, alleluia. Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word. Alleluia.”
Gospel: Luke: 1: 26-38.
The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Comment
In his beautiful book Harden not your hearts, Cameroonian Jesuit priest, Father Kisito Forbi, sj, says that Christmas is a time when many good things happen to us. Families come together; kids receive many gifts and there is rich food in just about every home. There is good music, like Christmas carols, to soothe our souls. Many people dress up in new clothes and new shoes and there is a smile on just about every face. Businesses make more money. This is the festive side of Christmas; but it is not what is essential for Christmas.
The most important side of Christmas for us Christians, is, or should be, the spiritual side. This is the only side that makes Christmas meaningful to us Christians. This is the side that was promised long ago to Adam and Eve, to King David, and to the prophets. God made a promise to king David that one of his sons would be King forever, who would rule over people and bring them peace and joy. It was a promise that evil would be defeated and hope and love and peace would prevail.
This would be brought about by a woman, a virgin betrothed to a man of the house of David called Joseph. The virgin’s name is Mary but she doubted that this could be true. But when she finally understands and says, ‘Yes!’ to God, joy and peace come into her heart and she is able to say ‘My soul magnifies the Lord.’
Christmas is a time God is asking every one of us, as he asked Mary, to bring his promises into the world. Sometimes we ask, as Mary did, why should it be me to bring God’s promises to those who are sad? Why should it be my spouse to take God’s joy of Christmas to those who are sick, those who are hungry, to prisoners or to the homeless, when he or she should be at home attending to our own needs?
The hope of the world rests on the shoulders of us, Christians. Christmas calls us to make a difference in this world, especially in that small corner of the world where we live.
These promises can only come true if, like Mary, we say to God: ‘I am your servant, do unto me as you wilt’. Let us not turn our backs on God’s call on us to serve the least of our brothers and sisters. If everyone were to say, “Not me, the other fellow!”, how would God’s plan of salvation be fulfilled? God can only do things in the world through you and me. We are the salt of the earth because we are the Lord’s hands, his feet, his eyes and his ears in the world. He needs us to make his kingdom on earth a reality to all.
Let us reflect for a moment on the role Mary plays in the plan of our salvation. She is the one Isaiah prophesied would bear a son of the house of David (Isaiah 7: 13-14). It is her who the prophet Zephaniah hails as the “daughter of Jerusalem,” called to rejoice that her king, the Lord God has come into our midst as a mighty Saviour (Zephaniah 3: 14-17). Her obedience to God’s message sets the process of our salvation in progress. She is what someone has called the most important as well as the most hidden of all the figures who prepare us to receive our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. God is with her, gracing her for the task she is to fulfill.
The spirit of Advent largely consists in living close to Our Lady during this time when she is carrying Jesus in her womb. She imparts a great joy to our souls because when we turn to her, she leads us to Christ. She teaches us hope, which is all that Christmas is. We are called to marvel with Mary at what the Lord has done throughout the ages for our salvation.
One Catholic theologian, Father Francis Fernandez, says that devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary is the greatest guarantee of our achieving the means necessary for our salvation and the eternal happiness for which we have been destined. Mary is truly the safe port in a storm for those who are shipwrecked in life. She is the consolation of the world, ransom of captives, joy of the sick. As we celebrate the birth of Redeemer tonight, let us ask our Lady to teach us how to hope in her son Jesus Christ, the Messiah, whose advent was foretold by the prophets.
Let us pray. All-powerful God, increase our strength of will for doing good that Christ may find an eager welcome at his coming and call us to his side in the kingdom of heaven, where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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