Article Title: HOMILY OF 3rdSUNDAY OF ADVENT,YR B.
Author: Fr Ben AGBO
Date Added: 2008-12-22
Theme: SPIRIT OF THE LORD-SPIRIT OF FREEDOM!
In the first reading of today from Isaiah chapter 61,verses 1 to 11,the prophet Isaiah says; ‘The spirit of the lord has been given to me(cf. Luke 4;18where Jesus himself says “The spirit of the lord is upon me”.) He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, To bind up hearts that are broken, To proclaim liberty to captives, Freedom to those in prison, To proclaim a year of favour from the Lord’ The Christian message fully summarized in the above kerygma has the following characteristics;
1. It must be good news not message of doom; Not gospel that divide kindred apart; Not gospel that will activate fear and multiply the list of our enemies.
2. It must bind up hearts that are broken; it must console not frighten the people; it is not a gospel that will bring guilt and remorse without superimposing the hope of divine love and forgiveness even after sin(cf Lamentation 3:20).
3. It must proclaim liberty to the captives; not Gospel that will enslave someone to any “man of God” or ‘adoration centre’ It is only when the Son sets you free that you are free indeed (cf. John 8:36)
4. It must bring freedom to those in prison; the Gospel should remove the darkness and ignorance of our old lives cf. Hosiah 4;6,and Colossians 1;13. Real deliverance comes from the knowledge of the truth of salvation in Christ cf.John 8:31. The word of God must educate the people. The word ‘educate’ from Latin word “educare” means to lead one out from one’s original state of nature (ignorance). Think of the ignorant years of the past-when sickle cell was regarded as ‘Ogbanje’, when twins were a gift from evil spirits, when people trekked long distances due to lack of modern means of transportation.
5. It must proclaim a year of favour (spiritual blessings) from the Lord. Today our young men are seeking liberation and breakthrough from the so called obstacles from the sins of their fore fathers or from the evil machinations of their enemies. But they never stop to ask themselves: How do liberation and breakthrough come when one doesn’t worship God on Sundays, When one does not make offerings to God (tithes, donations and charity to the poor .etc.), When one is not living in purity and holiness. The truth is that failure to repent places us on the same pedestal of blessing as our fore fathers. cf. Ezekiel 18; 14f.
The second reading of today from 1st Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 16 to 24 encourages us to be happy at all times (positive thinking) ,to pray constantly and for all things give thanks to God. Being in constant prayer does not merely mean continuously ‘storming’ God with our needs/wants but being in constant communion with God. St. Paul says ‘may the God of peace make you prefect and holy and may you all be kept safe and blameless; spirit, soul and body for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Real peace and happiness is found only in God through the Christian practice of purity and righteousness cf. Romans 14:17.
In the Gospel, John 1 ;6 -28. we hear the voice that has been crying in the wilderness; the voice that is carrying the message of the Lord; A voice that calls us for repentance. It keeps saying ‘make straight the way for the lord’. We must repent if we must experience the peace and happiness that Christ brings. We must repent if we must experience the liberation and freedom from ancestral curses or protection from our enemies. True men of God are known for their humility for they say like John the Baptist “I am not the Christ…The one coming after me is greater than me..”True men of God should push people to God and not to themselves. Drawing people to one self is “church business” not church ministry. Let us get back to the word of God for our true deliverance and for our lasting peace and progress.The year of favour has come in this new year (advent) of the Lord.
