SATURDAY DECEMBER 16, 2023
SATURDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT YEAR B
Sirach 48:1-4.9-11
Matthew 17:10-13
THE SPIRIT OF ELIJAH: REPENTANCE, READINESS AND RESILIENCE
We are presented the character of John the Baptist this season who prepared the way of the Lord. He came in the spirit of Elijah, a spirit that seeks to turn around the hearts of men, to make them rethink and change their ways so as to be pleasing to the Lord. A spirit that demonstrated the powers of God and the many feats of a man begotten by God.
For Elijah in the first reading showed the anger of the Lord against every unlawfulness, and evil in the land. Elijah stood for things good and jettisoned anything evil. Because of the evil and sinful inclination of the people, he brought famine upon the people, he even shut up the heavens so that the rains will not fall upon the earth. He also brought fire upon the earth. And at the end of his ministry, he was taken up on whirlwind of fire, in a chariot with horses of fire. And so did not experience corruption of the body.
The main task of Elijah was to restore all things in God and to call people to order and to righteousness. This is what Jesus meant in the gospel of today when talking to them about John the Baptist. He demonstrated to the people that John was the expected Elijah, the Elijah that was supposed to come.
His task is to prepare the way of the Lord. To call people to obedience of faith, to good moral life, to admonish people to listen to the Saviour and key into the plan of God for humanity. And that Elijah is seen in John the Baptist.
Jesus shows that John the Baptist has the spirit of Elijah and a fulfillment of the coming back of Elijah and his task is being accomplished already. So we are called to repentance this season and to submit to the teachings and the ideals of what Elijah represents. To be ready for the coming of the Lord, to be resilient in attending to our God. As such his coming will prepare us if we follow him to meet our Saviour and be in peace with our God who comes to save us.
Heavenly Father, your plan of saving us is real and long planned. Help us to key into this plan by heeding the command and spirit of John the Baptist to drop our wayward life, our sinfulness and our ways that are inimical to the ways of our God. Lead us towards the holy, unblemished sincere life of grace by our repentance and submission of our lives to you through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
