HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK OF ADVENT

Homily for Friday of the 4Week of Advent

 Malachi 3: 1-4; 4:5-6; Lk.1:57-66

Dearest friends in Christ, as we draw closer to Christmas, we continue with the story of Zachariah. We recall how God blessed him and Elizabeth with this miraculous pregnancy at old age after being barren. The Angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah in the temple to reveal this glorious event, but Zechariah received it with disbelief. Hence, he was struck mute until the day of his son’s birth. 

Today’s Gospel reveals God's intervention in the distress, disgrace, shame and agony of Elizabeth and Zachariah, and how Zechariah untied the knot of his disbelief. 

It began by telling us: "Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. Her neighbours and relatives heard that the Lord has shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her" (LK 1:57-58).  God removed the veil of shame from the eyes of Elizabeth and Zachariah. She said: "This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favourably on me, and she took away the disgrace I have endured among my people" (L 1:25). Friends in Christ, nothing is impossible to God.

At the birth of his son, Zachariah burst into a song of praise, the Benedictus (LK 1:68-79). There was so much rejoicing in the hill country of Judea. However, the people pondered and said: "what then will this child become? For indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him" (LK 1:65-66).

Zachariah followed the angel’s command to name the child “John.”  Traditionally, the child was to be named after his father but God picked the name “John.” This gave Zechariah and Elizabeth the opportunity to embrace and manifest their faith in God by accepting the name given to their child. This brought about the return of the power of speech to Zachariah and they praised God (LK 1:

What will this child become? John was always filled with the Holy Spirit (LK 1:15). He turned many of the people of Israel to God (LK 1:16). With the power of Elijah, he will go before the Lord, to turn the hearts of parents to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (LK 1:17). He gave the baptism of repentance to the people of God (Mt3:5-6). He also baptized Christ, the give r of baptism, in waters made holy by the one who was baptized (preface of John the Baptist). He was a prophet and more than a prophet (Mt 11:9).  He was worthy of a martyr's death, the last and the greatest act of witness to Jesus Christ.

Dearest friends in Christ, John the Baptist was a gift to the church. So also, each child is a gift of God to the church and to our world. It is the will of God that a child be born as a fruit of the live of its parents who are married to each other. A child is not an object produced in the factory but a gift from God. God had determined how human being should be born. Procreation shall be fruits of the sexual act done in marriage. 

Children are indeed bundle of possibilities. At our births, many may have also asked: what will this child become? (LK 1:66). Will the child become a saint? Or a corrupt person? A cause of rejoicing or a bringer of pain and sorrow? Beloved in Christ, this so much depends on the parents, educators, relatives, friends and neighbours. 

All must give their responsible quarter to the upbringing of a child in a modest way, so that he or she may freely in humility realize his or her purpose in life and fulfilled it graciously. 

We pray that God will continue to bless our parents with strength and courage to perform parental roles upon their children.  May the Holy Spirit abide with our children now and always that they may grow into Christian maturity in the presence of God. 

Have a blessed day

Fr Remi Osj