23 December 2023 – 4th Sunday of Advent (Year B) (Sunset Mass)

by Fr Fabian Dicom

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

It does not happen very often that the fourth Sunday, that is tomorrow the Fourth Sunday of Advent which we are celebrating today, coincides with Christmas Eve. The Season of Advent has been shorter than usual. The waiting of Advent has been reduced to three weeks, if you noticed. Some of us may feel that we could do with a little bit more time to prepare for Christmas. We may feel that everything is not quite ready. And I do not mean preparing your roast chicken. Neither do I mean soaking the fruits in rum, waiting to bake your fruit cake. Or even organising some Christmas novelty in the parish.

I mean, obviously you know, preparing our hearts, our mind and our spirit. And perhaps there is never enough time. Now as we gather on this Fourth Sunday of Advent, our heart resonates, our hearts resonate with anticipation, not only for the culmination of the Advent journey but also for the joyous celebration of Christ’s birth.

The scriptures today weave a beautiful tapestry that connects the Old Testament promises, the proclamation of the Gospel and the mystery of God’s divine plan for salvation. The three beautiful weaved in in the Readings. Let us then in turn weave the profound messages from today’s Readings into the very fabric of our lives. Recognising that the promise of God’s love is not just a historical event but a vibrant reality that continues to shape our existence. 

In the First Reading from 2 Samuel Chapter 7, we encounter Prophet Nathan conveying God’s message to King David. God promises to establish a house for David, a lineage that will endure forever. This promise holds the key to understanding the Gospel passage from Luke that we heard just now where the Angel Gabriel appears to the young virgin Mary. The Angel announces the fulfillment of God’s covenant, revealing that Mary’s son will be the long-awaited Messiah, the fulfillment of the promise made to David.

Now the Angel describes the promised Son and His destiny in terms borrowed from the Old Testament, especially from the Oracle of Nathan that we heard just now in the First Reading. But it takes it to a higher level when the Angel says this:
The Holy Spirit will come down upon you. And the power of the Most High will cover you with His shadow and so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God.

Son of God – that is the crux of it all. Not just this ‘king’ but the ‘Son of God.’

And then we have Saint Paul in his doxology in the Second Reading, Romans, underscores the mystery hidden for ages but now revealed through the prophetic writings. The birth of Jesus is not a mere historical event. It is the unfolding of God’s divine plan for the redemption of you and me. The redemption of all humanity.

Paul’s words remind us that God’s wisdom and knowledge are beyond our comprehension and yet, and yet they are revealed to us through the person of Jesus Christ. The Son of God. That is our focus, my dear brothers and sisters.

And in the Gospel passage, we witness this beautiful encounter, sublime encounter between the Angel Gabriel and Mary. In the hushed silence of Mary’s heart, the divine plan is set into motion. I want to repeat that – In the hushed silence of Mary’s heart, the divine plan is set in motion. Mary’s fiat, her decree, her humble and obedient ‘Yes‘ to God’s will echoes down through the ages as the model of faith and surrender. In the quiet of her acceptance, the word became flesh and salvation entered the world.

As we reflect on these Readings, my dear brothers and sisters, we are invited to consider the profound interplay of silence and action in our own lives. I know I have been advocating silence quite a lot in recent days but it is really very important.

The Season of Advent with its moment of waiting and preparation teaches us the importance of cultivating a prayerful disposition that values silence. Often we are uncomfortable with it and that is the very essence of our life. It is in the silence of our hearts that we hear God’s gentle whisper, guiding us in the way of righteousness. However, this silence is not passive. It is a sacred space that prepares us for action. Mary’s ‘Yes‘ was not just a word spoken but a life lived in faithful response to God’s call.

So in the busyness of our lives, we are called to emulate Mary’s openness to God’s will. We must be attentive to what I want to describe as the divine symphony. Divine symphony playing in the silence of our hearts, guiding us to acts of love, mercy and justice. I ask you, brothers and sisters, to be aware , to listen, to capture this symphony of silence and action. They must harmonise in our lives and you will see our life blossoming, being fruitful.

In practical terms, let us consider how we can integrate the prayerful disposition into our lives. Take time, I say this to you as I say this to myself. Take time each day for contemplative prayer, creating space for God to speak in the silence. Engage in works of reconciliation, both reconciling with ourselves. We need to reconcile with ourselves and with others so that our hearts, our souls, are liberated, making room for God’s grace to work within us.

As we engage in practical acts of kindness and charity during this Season and beyond, let all our actions amplify our spiritual preparation. Let us be attentive to those in need, extending a helping hand to those who may feel lonely or forgotten. In the spirit of Mary, let us embrace our role as instruments of love and compassion in the lives of others.

So my dear brothers and sisters, as we stand on the threshold of Christmas, let us echo the words of Mary saying:
‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be to me according to Your word.’

May the divine symphony of silence and action resonate in our lives, preparing a dwelling place for the Lord in our hearts.

Amen.

Click below to listen to the homily and watch the video:-

Click to live-stream Mass on 23 December 2023