Fourth Sunday of Advent
Sunday, December 24, 2023

2 Sm 7:1-5; 8-12,14,16; Rom 16:25-27; Lk 1:26-38
God’s love comes in the form of the life-altering ‘Word!’ The fourth Sunday of Advent invites us to pay heed to it!
The first reading provides a wonderful opportunity to understand God’s workings. King David is bothered by ‘God dwelling in a tent’ and feels compelled to address what he perceives as an issue. However, David has no clue of God’s greater plans. Here, along with David, we are called to remember that ‘Inscrutable are the ways of God.’ Though David’s intention appears noble, it is an idea very limited in scope. Hence, in many ways, it falls short by not matching God’s grand intentions. Out of abounding love, when God was thinking of ‘pitching His tent among people,’ even with all his goodness and sincerity, David could only think of a structure built of brick and mortar. Sometimes, even to the best of our ability, we fail to comprehend the Divine Plan.
The second reading highlights Jesus as the best-kept secret of God, only made known to us. God so willed that we would ever glimpse into His plan of salvation through Jesus. All the forerunners only prepared the way for the Lord’s coming. We have been gifted with the revelation of Jesus, who is God’s love manifested in physical form.
The gospel passage on annunciation helps us understand that the ‘Good News’ is about God’s love. The birth of Jesus announces that God reserved the best portion of His love to be revealed in Jesus. By sending Jesus to the earth, God throws everything at the salvation of humanity. Hence, the annunciation is God’s love uttering a life-altering ‘Word’ that comes to revolutionize the world. The ‘Word’ will help us be reconciled with God. The ‘Word’ will help us live out God’s love and forgiveness. The ‘Word’ will help us transform the world for the better.
The readings of the day invite us to reflect on the following insights.
1.Surrendering to the Divine Will is a response in love. In other words, our love for God should be manifested by constantly discerning His will for us.
2. Out of His love for humanity, God empties every reserve that He has in Jesus. To redeem us all, God let out His best secret. That ‘Word,’ which is God’s love, should catch up with us like wildfire. We are not to gossip about it as if it were still a secret. The secret has been revealed, and therefore we are called to proclaim it loudly. Our proclamation should be so impactful that every lip will utter the ‘Word’ that God spoke – the name of Jesus Christ.
3. The annunciation is a life-altering message to Mary and then to Joseph. But that message is meant for us all. From the moment of annunciation, Mary and Joseph begin to live their lives from God’s perspective. Such was the radicality of the message announced. If we are perceptive enough, we will pay heed to God’s Good News that is being announced through many different channels, even today. Do we hear the echoes of the annunciation? Have they altered our lives?
Christmas announces the coming of the life-altering ‘Word’ that proceeds from God. Come, let us pay heed to it and be transformed by it!
Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar
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