Homily For Tuesday Fourth Week of Advent Year C, 24th December, 2024

 

Readings : 2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-12,14,16, Ps 89, Luke: 1:67-79

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

ARE YOU PREPARED TO EMBRACE THE LORD’S DIVINITY IN EXCHANGE FOR YOUR HUMANITY

For the past four weeks now, we have been preparing for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; by evening today, Jesus is coming to us for an exchange; he is coming to offer his divinity in exchange for our sinful humility. Jesus is offering everything, he is sacrificing everything. He is giving up his glory in exchange for our sufferings. He is taking human flesh and becoming a man in order to elevate the human person to share in his divinity.

This is evident in our first reading today, where we heard about King David, who was now a king of the United Kingdom of Israel, who set out to build a house for the Lord. But the Lord, knowing David’s plan, asked him through the prophet Nathan to stop, for instead, it is he, the Lord, who will build a dynasty for David, a dynasty that will last forever.

Dear friends, Jesus is coming to exchange his glory with everything about us: our weaknesses, our strength, our filthiness, our sinfulness, past, present, future, everything we can ever think about in our lives. But are we prepared to embrace the Lord’s Divinity in exchange for our sinful humanity? Are we ready to exchange our life with that which Jesus is offering us today? Are we ready to exchange our humanity with that of his divinity? Are we ready to embrace the love he has for us? Are we ready to exchange our worries, burdens, sorrows, failures and fears with the smiling, peaceful and loving face of the baby Jesus who will soon make himself present to us?

Zechariah experienced this loving mercy of God and surrendered everything about his plan in exchange for God’s plan for humanity which he expressed in his Benedictus canticle in our Gospel passage today. What about us? What are we offering in exchange? What are we sacrificing? What do we give up in exchange for God’s love in our lives?

LET US PRAY: Lord God, for four weeks now, we have been preparing for the birthday of your Son Jesus; as we await his coming at dawn, may you fill our hearts with the joy of his presence, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. Wishing you a fruitful and joyful day.