Wait, prepare and watch out for Christ’s coming.
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR B, ST. RITA, NDAKWO, ABUJA, 3RD DECEMBER, 2023. HOMILY BY ARCHBISHOP I. A. KAIGAMA
Readings: Is 63:16-17, 19; 64:2-7; 1 Cor 1:3-9; Mk 13:33-37.
Wait, prepare and watch out for Christ’s coming.
Dear members of St. Rita Ndako, my visit to you today is not the usual pre-arranged pastoral visit whereby I would have planned with you and your parish priest to come to pray with you, to administer the sacrament of confirmation and even to celebrate the sacrament of matrimony.
When I sent your parish priest, Fr. Cyril Nwafor, to serve your spiritual and pastoral needs, you were already a vibrant pastoral community, of mixed ethnic groups as is the case with many of our church communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). I was aware of your zeal, your effort at self-reliance, your welcoming spirit and good collaboration with priests. Even the outstation of St. Mark under your parish is fast-growing and promising. I am convinced that it is even ready to be created as a pastoral area. I have, however, come here today following a visit each by the Dean of Garki deanery and the Vicar in charge of pastoral areas, to see things for myself before I take certain pastoral decisions. I wish to encourage you not to lose that wonderful spirit of love, unity, and cooperation you are known for, so that you will grow to become one of the big parishes we have in Abuja. After this Mass I shall have an interaction with your officials of the parish and your priest to know how things have been going on in the last one year and what future prospects there are.
It is also providential that I am beginning the first Sunday of Advent with your parish. It is the beginning of another liturgical year, another opportunity for positive change, towards God and positive change towards one another. The word “advent” is derived from the Latin adventus which simply means “coming.” The coming of Christ is viewed in three ways: first, His coming in history which we celebrate at Christmas, second, His coming in mystery which we celebrate in the Eucharist, and His coming in glory which is at the end of time.
During this season of Advent, the Church reminds us that Christ has placed us as gatekeepers in the various places we find ourselves and He expects that we remain alert while we wait for His coming. Jesus was not speaking of being alert in a physical sense but in a spiritual sense. One danger is to lose sight of the spiritual essence of this period and to concentrate on our material preparations for Christmas.
The ideal preparation for Christmas is to seek righteous living and not evil. As we begin our journey through Advent, let us have Jesus Christ as our focus. In as much as we make external preparations, we must also make use of this period for intense spiritual renewal and preparation by intensifying our prayer life; being generous to the less privileged; going for confession; more reading of the Bible, and frequently receiving the Holy Communion in a worthy manner.
In the first reading today, the people of Israel referred to Yahweh as “Father” and “Redeemer.” The people of Israel had put so much trust in a “human redeemer,” but after the destruction of Jerusalem, they could no longer count on a “human redeemer.” They sought the intervention of God in the face of the adversities and calamities that befell them. Today, as usual, we are reminded that our God is our Father and Redeemer. As salvation does not come easy, we must keep praying and working for it. There are some Christians who seem to have become tired of waiting; they have become spiritually stagnant, some indifferent and some even have the audacity to question faith with their knowledge of science, anthropology or sociology; some in the midst of severe crises or frustration even question the existence of God; while some in the name of freedom redefine gender, marriage, and accept unnatural things as natural.
St. Paul in the second reading, reminds us of the grace God has already given us. He urges us to utilize this grace as we await the coming of Christ. We are to recognize Christ in the poor who come to us for assistance, the sick, the dejected, the prisoners and today, those traumatized by terrorists and kidnappers’ activities. We must never grow weary of doing good, especially in this time in our country when the prices of food and other necessities have skyrocketed to the extent that even those who were considered average income earners now beg for one necessity or another. The times are indeed rough and tough. We therefore ask the government of the day to hasten action even though they often tell us to be patient, promising that things will become better. The sooner this happens, the better.
In the gospel, Jesus in using the image of the man travelling abroad and leaving behind his servants to take care of the house, recalls the image of His second coming for which we must be ready to “stay awake and pray” (Mt. 26:41). The relationship between the master and the servants is based on trust. Jesus trusts us, despite our sins and failings. He entrusted to us many gifts, talents and responsibilities. He hopes that we can render a good account of our stewardship at His second coming.
The servants left behind to take care of the house are we, the followers of Jesus. By virtue of our baptism, Christ gave each one of us certain obligations and duties to perform in the Church. We are expected to carry out these tasks faithfully and diligently. We must not bow to complacency and irresponsible living since we do not know when the Lord will come. We were shocked to the bone marrows seeing recent pictures of horrendous murders in Yangtu, Takum Local Government of Taraba State. What surprises me more are the attacks, killings and kidnapping in the Igu and Sabon Kawu areas of the FCT. These and many others are begging for very urgent concrete security responses.
This season comes with a penitential nature; calling us to introspect and recognize our need for divine assistance to soften and shape our hearts, making us ready to receive God’s grace. I therefore invite us all to dispose ourselves to the promptings of God’s Holy Spirit, so that our lives are modelled after that of watching and waiting Christians, ready to meet the Lord Jesus our Master.
I wish you all a blessed season of Advent.
