St. Paul uses the one word that succinctly summarizes this Advent Season and the most holy event it precedes, the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The word he uses is “mystery”. The Mystery of the Incarnation, the mystery of God enshrouding Himself in human flesh is the mystery of God’s abiding love for us. Because of this love, “Christ emptied himself and took the form of a slave, being born in the likeness of men” (Phil 2:7). Fully God, fully man, Jesus enters human history to reveal the fullness of God’s love for all creation.
We read today of two people who were drawn into this mystery of God’s self-revelation to the world. They are David and Mary. The Prophet Samuel tells us that David wants to build a dwelling for God. But God has other plans. Yes, David will establish a house for the Lord, but not in the way that David envisioned it. The household that the Lord will establish through David will be one that will last forever. It will be a household that includes Joseph and Mary and that finds its completion in Jesus who fulfills that promise by becoming a “dwelling place” for all.
On this Fourth Sunday of Advent as we hope for an end of the violence in Israel and the Ukraine, our hearts are yearning for the Divine to come to us. We turn away from the noise and clatter and frenzy of the world to hear the deep silence within give way to the chant, “Come, come, Emanuel, come Emanuel” as we invite the Holy Child into our lives, that He may abide in us and we become Temples of the Holy Spirit.
What is our heart’s desire this Christmas day? What is it that will make us complete? What will it take to fill our emptiness? My guess is that material things can’t come close to satisfying the cravings of our human spirit. What we really want, what will satisfy our innermost longings are the gifts that only God can give us, such as: calming our restless spirits, consoling our loss of a loved one, filling us with an inner peace, bringing us true joy, and, perhaps, a bit of happiness. Or, perhaps, we are in need of help so that we can let go of old grudges and to jettison old hurts or memories. We are in dire need of spiritual or emotional comforts and healings.
It is not possible to imagine that the infant whose birth we await desires that we remain in the constant state of hopelessness and despair. On the contrary, He came to set us free from all that would keep us bound up. He came to proclaim, “release to the prisoners”. That includes freeing us from our own self-imposed bondage(s).
May the mystery of God’s love revealed in the Infant Jesus free us from all that keeps us from loving Him and from loving one another.
May you experience a most wonderful Christmas and a New Year filled with Christ’s abiding Peace and Joy!
Deacon Tom
OTHER RESOURCES
Recommended Reading: Reasons to Believe - A Personal Story Belief is difficult. Sometimes we need to see to believe. Jesus was gentle with Thomas and his doubts. He allowed him to touch His wounded heart. Is He doing the same for us now, in this new millennium? As a compelling and thought-provoking witnesses to their faith, Ron Tesoriero, lawyer author, and Michael Willesee, investigative journalist, take a look at several Eucharistic Miracles and build a powerful fact-based-case for belief in Eucharist
Recommended You Tube: Eucharistic Miracles of Buenos Aires - Bread to Human Heart by Robert Ellsberg, Editor of Orbis Books on the release of her recent book, Father Ed The Story of Bill W.’s Spiritual Sponsor. Wonderful overview of this timely book.
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