Fourth Sunday of Advent Homily

If you aren’t careful, you will miss the fourth week of Advent. If you aren’t paying attention then you will definitely miss it. The fourth week of Advent is only one day this year. This is because Christmas falls on a Monday. This means that the fourth week of Advent begins and ends on Sunday. The fourth candle of the Advent wreath will only be lit for one day. Next year being a leap-year, Christmas will fall on a Wednesday.

There is nothing that we can do about the shortness of the fourth week of Advent. In some way, it makes it feel like the season of Advent has been rushed. It feels like we just started Advent, and it’s over already. Christmas is here, ready or not.

There has been a sense of urgency though. Advent begins with the admonition to “Be Alert!” “Stay awake!” “Be watchful!” This advice is meant to help us be prepared for the coming of the Lord. We don’t want to be caught unprepared. Of course, many people are prepared for Christmas, in which we celebrate the first coming of the Lord. They have put up a Christmas tree, and decorated their homes inside and out. However, being warned to be alert and watchful is also meant to be prepared for the second coming of the Lord at the end of times. That could happen at any moment. But we are also asked to be prepared for the coming of the Lord into our hearts at any moment of the day or night.

The Lord is always in our presence, and He seeks a relationship with us. Jesus is like the friend that you are always glad to hear from. You may receive phone calls or text messages from that special friend. Rather than ignore them, you gladly respond. One of my sisters responds immediately to just about every text message that she receives. I will be spending some time with her and if her phone chimes letting her know that she has received a text, then she immediately stops the conversation, picks up her cell phone and responds to the text. It can be a little bit annoying when she does this. I am quickly forgotten as she carries on this conversation via texts. However, I provide this image of my sister immediately responding to a text message whenever it arrives as the image one can have of Jesus always being attentive and ready to respond immediately when we turn to Him in prayer. Jesus always hears our prayers, and He will always respond to them according to His will. Sometimes, it may seem like Jesus is not responding, but He is. We can trust in that.

In our second reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans (16:25-27), St. Paul writes about the mysteries kept secret have finally been manifested in the person of Jesus Christ. God has responded to the people’s prayers for a Messiah. Someone who would deliver them and set them free. Now Jesus has come in the flesh. He has walked amongst His people letting them know that God was in their presence. The Good News of the Gospel was being proclaimed to the nations. Jesus, our Savior, has come.

We know from Scripture that Jesus had some close friends. His twelve Apostles, and a few others such as Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. These people were fortunate to have an intimate relationship with Jesus that most people didn’t. Jesus was able to spend extra time with them. This extra time enabled their relationship to grow and become more intimate. This was a huge blessing that these lucky individuals received.

We are more fortunate today than the majority of the people were when Jesus walked amongst them. Through our baptism, we have the presence of Jesus within us. Jesus is always with us. Much like those few people that got to spend extra time with Jesus and had a strong relationship with Him, we can spend extra time with Jesus at any time. And Jesus encourages us to spend more time with Him. Jesus wants and desires a more intimate relationship with each one of us. This is God’s desire, and He is hoping that it will be our desire too.

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."

Luke 1: 26-28

Advent is a time of preparation in anticipation of the Lord’s coming. The constant theme for Advent has been to prepare our hearts for the Lord. To be watchful in prayer for His presence. This should not be something that is difficult. Although in December it can be challenging because this month is a very busy and filled with many activities. We can fill up too much of our time with these activities and forget to pray. We have to make a conscious effort to pray. But if we do, it will be worth it.

The joy that we feel at Christmas is a foretaste of the joy that God wants to give us all the time. Have you ever wondered how so many saints could be so filled with joy despite their sufferings? For instance, how could Mother Teresa of Kolkata be in the midst of so much misery and suffering, and yet be filled with joy. It’s because people like her sought the Lord with all their hearts. They had a great desire to be in communion with the Lord. God fulfilled their desires by drawing them into a more intimate relationship. This intimate relationship with the Lord allowed them to experience joy despite their sufferings. God can do this for anyone, not just the saints that we read about in books. God desires to do this for every single person.

Seek the Lord with all your hearts, be watchful and alert, the Lord is near. God wants to draw each one of us into a more intimate relationship. One that will satisfy every desire that we have in our hearts. A love and joy that will be greater than anything that we will ever experience in this world. May this Christmas joy be yours now and forever in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Fr. Tim Ilgen