Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened…

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR C, NOVEMBER 28, 2021. ST. MARTIN’S PARISH, MABUSHI, ABUJA. HOMILY BY ARCHBISHOP I. A. KAIGAMA

READINGS: Jer. 33: 14-16; Ps. 24(25): 4-5, 8-9, 10, 14; 1 Th. 3: 12-4: 2; Lk. 21: 25-28, 34-36

“Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened…”

Welcome to the Advent Season. Advent, from the Latin word “adventus” means “coming,” the coming of Jesus, our rock, our shield, our refuge and our salvation into the world; a special period for sober reflection in anticipation of Jesus’ birth. The mood of the season is that of expectation, hope and vigilance; a hope which is firmly anchored on Jesus, the perfect fulfillment of all of God’s promises to humanity. God is saying to us, “I will be with you” (Jer. 30:11).

We pray with the Psalmist saying: “to you, O Lord, we lift up our souls” (cf. Ps. 25:1) as we wait patiently for the manifestation of Christ. With confident hope we say: “Let us see, O Lord, your mercy and give us your saving help” (Ps. 84: .

Prophet Jeremiah gave hope to the people in our first reading today. Jeremiah’s life was mostly spent ministering in a country whose future was characterized by destruction and doom. The city founded by David and the Temple built by his son Solomon suffered great destruction, with people taken into exile in Babylon. In the face of these calamities the people became so terribly frustrated, and in their despondence, they questioned if God was still with His people. To such a people, the words of Jeremiah in our first reading addressed to them were greeted with immense joy and optimism.

The words of Jeremiah to the people of Judah also comfort us; for we too are a people besieged by many troubles and struggles. God announced through Jeremiah a New Covenant with the people of Israel, to invite them to a new relationship with their God.

The coming of Christ at Christmas should inspire in us a new relationship with God. For those who have been away from God for some time now, this is a moment of renewal of your covenant with Him; for true joy is only found in Him. For those who have abandoned their baptismal vows, this Advent should be a period of your return to the terms of the covenant you made with the Lord on the day of your baptism. For others who have been away from the sacraments for a long time, Advent is also a time for you to wake up from your spiritual slumber and begin to practice your Christian faith.

To usher us into this period of spiritual preparation, St. Paul prays for us in our second reading: “May he so confirm your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless in the sight of our God” (1 Thess. 3:13). We must all struggle to make progress in our spiritual life as we begin Advent today. Holiness of life in our world today appears to have lost its meaning and is conceived to be an abstract concept. To many, holiness is seen as something impossible or unattainable. Yet, it is a necessary condition for meeting the Lord when He comes. Hebrews 12:14 reminds us that “without holiness no man can see the Lord”.

St. Paul admonishes us to conduct ourselves in the way that pleases God. We must do away with negative actions such as greed, licentiousness, inordinate ambitions, anger, malice, backbiting, drunkenness, immodesty, and all sorts of vices, and imbibe the virtues of love, modesty, kindness, compassion, generosity, sympathy and many others. We must also forgive those who have offended us as we ask forgiveness from those we have hurt knowingly or unknowingly.

As the God of “second chance,” indeed of many chances, He gives us yet another opportunity that we may be blameless when our Lord Jesus Christ comes. May He, the God of peace make us holy and bring us to perfection, to be completely blameless in spirit, soul and body (cf. 1 Thess. 5:23).

The words of Gaudium et Spes, the Constitution of the Second Vatican Council on the “Church in the Modern World” are quite timely, “we are taught that God is preparing a new dwelling and a new earth in which righteousness dwells (cf. 2 Cor. 5:2; 2 Pt. 3:13) … far from diminishing our concern to develop this earth, the expectancy of a new earth should spur us on, for it is here that the body of a new human family grows” (GS. n. 39).

As Jesus encouraged His disciples not to be afraid, but to stand erect and raise their heads because their redemption is at hand, we too pray for strength, because when we are strengthened in our Christian faith, we witness to God’s unfailing love in all circumstances.

The Pauline Sisters, dedicated to disseminating religious publications today celebrate the conclusion of their Year of the Word of God, which started from November 26, 2020, with the theme: “That the Lord’s Message May Spread Quickly” (2 Thess. 3:1). We happily join you the Pauline sisters in St. Martin’s Parish, Mabushi, to pray that as you have shown great zeal and commitment in welcoming the invitation for renewing the centrality of the Word of God, we too will be committed to the spreading of the Word of God, realizing that our yearnings for peace, joy and fulfillment are found only in faithful obedience and living out the word of God.

Dear Sisters, please continue with the good work in the spirit of your founder, Blessed James Alberione, so that many more people through careful, diligent and prayerful study may imbibe the Word of God, and take His message of salvation to all the ends of the world, so that many may find fulfillment in God.

To the candidates for confirmation, you are challenged during this season of Advent to strive to live out your faith with conviction and to daily make progress in living the life that pleases God, praying and watching with great vigilance.

As we make material and spiritual preparations for the birth of Christ, may He dwell in our hearts to transform our hearts and our nation (cf. Jer. 33:15); to bring us security; to enable us establish a right relationship with God in our nation inflicted by violence and hardships of many kinds.

I invoke God’s abundant blessings upon the Parish Priest, Fr. Alexander Ogbanunfe, and all you parishioners of St. Martin’s Parish, Mabushi, and I wish you all the best of the season of Advent.