Sunday Homily with Rev. Fr. Ambrose Anene SDB: ‘We await Jesus with hope’

• December 1, 2024, First Sunday of Advent (Year C)

Today, the church begins the first week of Advent, the season that begins the Liturgical Year of the church.

Advent focuses our attention on the coming of Christ. The purpose of advent is to help us prepare for Christmas. We can understand Christmas only when we have the knowledge of the history of our salvation.

Today’s first reading points the first coming of Christ.  It shows that the Messiah will be a descendant of the stock of David and his reign will be marked by wisdom, justice and integrity.
As clearly stated in the first reading from the book of Jeremiah 33: 14-16, he gives us hope of better days to come.

Our first hope is that the coming of the Messiah will fulfill all the promises God made to His chosen people.

What is the promise?

Firstly, the promise is that the Lord will cause a righteous Branch to spring forth for David; The second promise is that he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

This is the best way to prepare for the coming of Our Lord Jesus.
We are in an unjust world where the quest for truthfulness, justice and righteousness is mocked. However, the coming of Jesus is to restore truthfulness, justice and holiness.

The gospel reminds us that before the coming of the Son of God, so many horrific signs will appear in heaven and on earth. Jesus urges us that when these things begin to take place,  we should persevere in faith.
“But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand” (Lk. 21:28). 

The gospel is talking about the terrible signs that will behold the earth and heaven before the coming of the Son of God.

The coming of Christ is to overthrow every evil way of life and any abode of evil principalities, powers, dominion, altars etc.

However, one thing is very important when all the terrible signs are taking place. What is that?

The gospel says, “stand erect” for your liberation is at hand.
How do we stand erect? We do that by being vigilant. Vigilant so as not to give the evil one an opportunity to dribble us.

Secondly, we need to be prayerful. Without prayer, we cannot make it. Prayer gives us the inner strength to overcome the evil one and his agents.

Almsgiving is very important. Out of all you have, set some portion of your wealth, time and give them to those who seem not to matter.

I pray that Almighty God may grant us all the wisdom we need in order to do his will.

May Almighty God bless us and protect us from all evil through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Have a lovely Sunday and happy New month.

• Rev. Ambrose Onyeka Anene SDB, is Parish Priest of Church of the Archangels, Gaduwa, Abuja.