HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK OF ADVENT
Homily for Monday of the 4th week of Advent Judges 13:2-7, 24-25; LK 1:5-25 The first reading of today begins by informing us of the circumstances surrounding the birth of Sampson. We are told: "There was a certain man of Zorah... Whose name was Manoah. His wife was barren... And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said, 'although you are barren, having borne no children, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor is to come on his head for the boy shall be a Nazarite to God from birth. It is he who shall deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines" (Judges 13:2-5). Obviously, Samson had a special mission or performance. He was to wage almost a single-handed war against the philistines who raided some part of the territories of the Israelites. God gave him the strength to fulfill this mission. "The boy grew, and the Lord blessed him. The spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Maheneth-dan, between Zorah and Esthta-old" (Judges 13:24-25). Fr...