SUNDAY DECEMBER 22, 2024
SUNDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF ADVENT C
Micah 5:2-5
Hebrew 10:5-10
Luke 1:39-45
BE CHANNEL AND SOURCES OF BLESSINGS.
Drawing near the feast and season of Christmas, the church presents to us the great examples of Jesus, Mary and Joseph who became channels and sources of blessings to our world. During the advent and Christmas seasons, we recoup the spirit of being sources of grace and blessings to our world and other people particularly by the various visitations to orphanages, prisoners, sharing of gifts to the poor, the prisoners, and the lepers. These are laudable activities considered during these season and times. Many engage in these not just for the fun of it but for the best reasons that it is God who actually gave us the best and greatest gift, the gift of his Son, Jesus Christ who came in human form to take away our sins and renew us in his love. Our giving is therefore in the spirit of our good God who gave us Christ, our redeemer and God.
We do these things in imitation of the same spirit of not just our good God but also, Mary our mother, who showed us the way to be caring, loving and giving to the world. As we therefore witness in the life of Mary the same spirit of giving when after being told of the situation of Elizabeth as bearing the child John in her womb in this her old age, Mary went visiting her and staying with her for three months. The very thought of helping an aged pregnant woman is a very great act of charity and consideration. Even though, she herself had conceived her son Jesus Christ in her womb, she considered that Elizabeth needed her special care and attention. She under took that over 100 miles journey to visit and stay with Elizabeth for as much as three months until Elizabeth has given birth to her son, John the Baptist.
This visit of Mary to Elizabeth is one of divine encounter which nourished their lives and became a great source of blessings for each one of them. For they were full of joy, and the Holy Spirit was granted to them. Extraordinary manifestations took place that Elizabeth was filled with Joy and even the child in her womb leaped for joy.
There is great joy in sharing, in visiting, in giving and in making sacrifices for others. That is the great lesson we gain in today’s gospel message.
We also learn that this period of advent and Christmas is the period of giving and sharing God’s blessings and being source of God’s Grace and blessings to others.
Bethlehem is a little town, insignificant and unidentified but became great and proclaimed as such because from it the Saviour of the world was given or came forth. The greatness of Bethlehem was seen in the act of producing the Saviour of the world. This is the great lesson from the first reading. When we become source of blessings, we become great and even blessed the more.
And what such giving does is not limited to the great and mighty. Giving is not reserved for the super rich and the overly rich. But giving is expected from all who are human and recognize the needs of the world and the needs of man. It is only the humble, compassionate and loving person that actually gives. Without the virtue of humility, compassion and love we may not consider the act of giving or being the source of blessings to the other persons in the world. The act of giving is reserved for the humble and it is always sacrificial.
Giving means diminishing oneself to enrich others. It means dying to self to give life to others. The letter to the Hebrew states this fact in today’s second reading. It is much more than just sacrifices and burnt offering but it is more of giving oneself, doing the will of God and being consumed by the love of God to act in the manner of God.
So when Mary left her problems, her comfort and her pride as the mother of the savior of the world, and went visiting Elizabeth who actually acknowledges her worth, saying, “And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” We see that the act of being source of blessings to others require humility, great sacrifice of self giving. And the result is that it enriched others and elevates them.
The basic question we should ask ourselves today is, are we sources of blessings to others who encounter us in life? Or are we sources of hurt, disgrace and sorrow to them? The season of advent calls us to examine ourselves on these terms. We are meant to be sources and channels of blessings to our world, our church, our family, our friends and colleagues and others we encounter in this journey of life. And until we are such, our Christian life is only but a farce.
Remember that our world does not need just those who are rich in money but much more those who are rich in love and compassion. Recall the story told of the great composer and performer Bradley James. He tells us of his experience with living out the teachings of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. That we do not need to go to Calcutta to help the poor as he quoted Mother Teresa. But we must help those in front of us. So he applied this lesson and tried helping a poor beggar by giving this beggar some money as well as shaking the beggar’s hand. But the beggar acknowledged the money but stated in simple terms saying, “thanks for the money but what I really needed was a hand shake. So, it is not so much the gifts of money, clothes, food and others that matter most in this time in our world. We have seen how people who went to share gifts from charitable organizations have met their death in the last few days in Anambra, in Abuja, in other places. What our humanity needs most is upholding our human dignity, respect, honour and love. Showing compassion and being of service to them comes first.
So, let us carry Jesus today in our hearts as Mary did and share to others in selfless sacrifice. That is the act of giving.
Secondly, like Mary, let us be channels of blessing to others in great respect and great compassion
Thirdly, allow the presence of Christ to permeate in our world as we celebrate Christ, God in our midst.
Heavenly Father, in Christ Jesus, you gave us the greatest gift to humanity, the gift of a Saviour and you called us to be channels of blessings and of grace to our world. Help us to humbly serve our world, our families and all by giving them love, compassion and comfort as Mary and Joseph did and taught us. Bless our days with joy and happiness, peace and wellbeing even as we enter the great season of Christmas through Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
