REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 2ND WEEK OF ADVENT 16TH DECEMBER 2023

REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 2ND WEEK OF ADVENT 16TH DECEMBER 2023

Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11b; Ps.80; Matthew 17:10-13

Keying into the Mission of Elijah

Generally, the people expected the coming of the Messiah. Part of the signs that will precede this coming was the return of Elijah as taught by the Scribes. So, the people waited to see Elijah as a sign that the coming of the Messiah was imminent. From the question put forth by the disciples to Jesus in today’s gospel, it is obvious that they too had this line of expectation of events.

Now, the events of today’s gospel took place as they were descending the mountain where Jesus was transfigured. The prominent thing about the transfiguration was the voice that came from heaven confirming the divinity of Jesus Christ. This means that Jesus is the expected Messiah. But the disciples could not understand why the expected chains of events was not followed. Could the Scribes had lied to them about the return of Elijah?

Jesus clarified that the Scribes did not lie neither did God thwart the expected chain of events; the problem was that the people failed to understand what it means for Elijah to return. They understood it like a form of reincarnation. However, the return of Elijah was not in his person but in his mission.

The mission of Elijah was to invite the people to repent and dwell under the Supremacy of God. The promise of the return of Elijah actually means that for us to be able to behold the coming of Christ, we must be pure of hearts. Therefore, our look out for the return of Elijah will not be physical but spiritual. If this was the situation, it would have been easy to identify Elijah’s return with John the Baptist who preached that all should repent for the coming of the Messiah.

Today, many Christians still repeat the mistake of the Scribes and the People. Christ will come again. Our look out for the return of Christ must not be based on the physical. We should not expect that things will begin to happen abnormally before the end will come. Scripture is filled with warnings that extraordinary events will not necessarily accompany the coming of Christ.

Therefore, in the midst of our busy schedule, we must never lose sight of heavenly consciousness. The thought of death should never elude us. God owns us no duty to pre-inform us before calling us back home. See, not everyone will first fall sick before dying. Therefore, we must always expect the Lord. What advent calls us to do is not something for a period of four weeks but something for a life time. If we are always in advent, we will never miss the coming of the Lord (Christmas).