LET US WELCOME GOD IN OUR MIDST

HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD, JESUS CHRIST (CHRISTMAS), YEAR A

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

The newly born Jesus is singing for you my dear friends and readers today. He sings: A no m n’etiti unu, udo diri unu. Ano m n’etiti unu. Ano m ya, ano m ya. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men who are God’s friends.

AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH; AND DWELT AMONG US. It is Christmas. It is the day of the Lord. It is the most important day that marked some continuity in discontinuity in the history of humanity. What do I mean by that? Socio-economically, the birth of Jesus inaugurated a fresh calculation in the global calendar. Thus, without any breakage in history, emphasis was shifted to Anno Domini. The birth of the Lord became an epicentre of the global history. Spiritually, the birth of the Lord marked a palpable step by God towards the liberation of humanity in the hypostatic union (the divine-human union in Christ). The oracle of Isaiah was fulfilled. Our victory over sin and death has received an insurmountable appearance. Humanity has indeed received the omnipotent back-up. Humanity too has received her greatest privilege of having God in the form with which he made us. This is Christmas.

The very first sentence of the Gospel Reading (John 1:1-18) summarizes the eternal status of the logos (the word) who is Jesus Christ. It is about this singular Word that the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews in the Second Reading (Heb. 1:1-6) states that God has spoken to us by a son as against the prophets of old. God’s manifestation of Himself to the people takes some form of progressive stages. Hence, the stage in which the word became flesh is the highest of all revelations.  

In the beginning was the word...

It is John’s great idea that Jesus is none other than God’s creative, life-giving and light-giving word; the power with which the world was created and the reason for which the world is sustained. The sentence in the beginning was the word can be placed side by side with the very first sentence in the Bible: in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Gen1:1). By using the same formulation (in the beginning) as of the first sentence of the Bible, John tries to make us understand that the Word was not part of the created things. The word possesses the character of eternity. This Word which is uncreated never existed apart from God. The Word was with God. There was never a time when the Word separated Himself from God. And if there can be any person to tell us about and to lead us to the Father, that one person is Jesus the Christ who has never lived a life apart from the Father. The Word was God. This same Word that never was separated from God had every attribute that God has, in such a manner that anywhere and anytime, He is God. Jesus hence was so perfectly identical with God. In Him, we perfectly see what God is like. To have seen Jesus is to have seen the Father. When Jesus works, it is the Father that works (cf. John 14:10-12). And because Jesus is everything as the Father, He is a Creator.

Many people have failed to understand the power that lies in the words of our mouths. God’s word made the world. God’s word was made flesh in Jesus Christ. The word is so powerful. The Lord sends out His word and it melts every hardened structure (Ps. 147:18). With this omnipotence that lies in His mouth, the Lord made man, and breathed into him (cf. Gen 2:7). Since then, man’s word also assumed this power since he is also created in the image and likeness of God. How many times have we uttered bad words with our mouths? How many times have we cursed people with our mouths? The word of man can as well be powerful. Try your best to control the words of your mouth. The very best we can do is to utter words of blessings to people. Remember that the word made flesh is a blessing to all of us. Jesus is the best thing that happened to humanity.

The word of the Lord also guides and protects us. Psalm 119:105 unequivocally stated that the word of the Lord is a lamp for our feet and a light for our paths. Proverb 30:5 states: every word of God is pure. He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Hence, the word made flesh is pure and was actually made flesh to direct us, guide us and protect us. The Word made flesh who is born for humanity today has come to show us the way and protect us as we journey towards the light.

It is the visibility of this word made flesh that we celebrate this Christmas season. Christmas is the feast of merciful love. The love of God was made palpable through the nativity of Him who as son is God. We must imitate our Lord by loving God as He loves us and loving our neighbours as ourselves.

Christmas uplifts. The season of Christmas is here to initiate such grace of been sought after, of being made popular due to the way people regard us and believe in us. Christmas initiates a paradigm shift in the life of all; it raises a nobody to somebody, the rejected to most welcomed, the disregarded to most regarded, and the forsaken to most visited. It is not for no reason that the first witnesses of the nativity of Christ were the shepherds. Shepherds were those looked down upon, and they were not respected. Yet, they were the first witnesses of the nativity.

Christmas comes with a message. The message is simple. Christ, our king is born. He is born in our midst to save us and to ensure that the devil is completely destroyed. We must conform our lives to that of the king for a total crush of the enemy and for the holistic salvation of our body and souls.

Christmas must lead you along the path of reflection. We must reflect on the great mystery of the God-man’s nativity. We must remember that this great mystery has the foundation of God’s love for humanity. We must develop serious love for humanity and for the earth. We must care for the earth and must show some charity to our neighbours.

Christmas must make us to glorify God. We must glorify and thank God for the super opportunity He has given us in Jesus. So, Christmas should never pass by without our offering great words of blessing to God for this singular favour. We can as well learn through this act to thank those who were of help to us in the past. Saying thank you does not cost us anything, but even adds more to what we are. Happy Christmas, dear Friends. Felix Navidad. May the Christmas season usher new tidings to your homes and your lives. God bless you.

THE EMMANUEL-PROPHESY: WITNESSING THE POSSIBILITY OF THE IMPOSSIBLE

HOMILY FOR THE 4^TH SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR A

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

Every serious event comes with an announcement. In the African Traditional and cultural setting, whenever there is a message from the king, the messenger gets the attention of the people through the sounding of the gong prior to the message itself. Today we are sounding a peculiar gong concerning the birth of the Messiah. This is the last Sunday of Advent; and already we are at the threshold of Christmas. In this Advent season, we have been lead through the path of a joyous expectation of the coming of a king who comes as a liberator and a saviour. Today, however, we join our voices with that of the Prophet Isaiah and the Angel Gabriel to announce to the world with no fear of equivocation that a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel. The Child will be conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. His mission is to save the world from her sins. We are about to witness the apex of all the theophanies in history, the zenith of all miracles and the highest of all break-aways from slavery and intimidation. We are about to experience the possibility of the greatest impossibility. It is this singular message that I have come to announce to you today.

The Emmanuel-Prophesy (A virgin shall conceive and bear a son...)

The First Reading (Isaiah 7:10-14) champions this announcement. The Prophets exhorts the king to trust in the Lord, and God will show him any sign he pleases. Why should king Ahaz trust in the Lord? Syria and Israel had already invaded Judah but failed to capture Jerusalem, which is the capital of the Judean kingdom. Ahaz, the king of Judah decided to align with a faithless nation Assyria to protect his kingdom against further invasions. Ahaz had forsaken God, living bad life and even had sacrificed (to the point of his own son) to pagan idols. Isaiah saw doom in this political alliance with Assyrians and opposes the king dictating that the Davidic dynasty can only be preserved by God and not by some stupid political alliance. Only God’s power is able to save him and his kingdom. Ahaz was told by the Lord to ask for any sign that can engender trust in Him, but Ahaz refuses. But the Lord himself gave a sign; the sign of Immanuel.

Sign here does not mean something miraculous. Ahaz was to ask of confirmation of the Prophet’s promise. The sign of Immanuel is the sign given no longer to persuade Ahaz, but will in the future confirm the truth of what the prophet has spoken. The sign of Immanuel is the sign that is given to transcend the earthly dynasty of David and that encompasses both the earth and the heavens because God Himself will choose to be born from that dynasty. The sign of Immanuel is the sign which renders the Davidic line divine. Indeed, the sign of Immanuel is the sign of God-with-us; God subjecting (but not subjugating) himself to the human way of birth, but not the human way of conception and allowing himself to have an earthly mother and a genealogy. It is in the choice of the genealogy of David that the confirmation of the sign is made and rooted. It is in giving this sign that the prophesy showcases. And this is the Emmanuel-Prophesy: therefore, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel. Emmanuel means God is with us.

Many of us act like this faithless king who was actually rendered faithless out of his war experience. He lost the trust that God could save the house of Judah, that it can only take political alliance to save it. Our experiences may render us faithless. We tend to lose every bit of trust that we had. Even when the Lord desires to free us from such frustrated, faithlessness and distrust, we block our hearts. I just want you to know that God cannot disappoint you. He works at his own time. The earthly Davidic dynasty Ahaz was fighting to protect was the same Davidic dynasty that God has promised to widen its horizon; no longer being participated by humans alone, but prolonged and sustained by God Himself. He knows the best. The King knows the best for us. Do not be frustrated by your experiences of defeat and disappointments. He is coming with a greater package. Yes, trust Him.

The Divine Announcement and Virginal Conception (Joseph, do not fear to take Mary your wife into your home...)

The Emmanuel-Prophesy is again seen in the Gospel of today, to show that the promise is being fulfilled in the Virgin Mary, who is betrothed to Joseph belonging to the Davidic dynasty. The infancy narrative is built by Matthew around the person Joseph (unlike the Lucan presentation around the person of Mary. Matthew presents a fascinating character of Joseph who respected both God and men. Joseph never wanted to disgrace Mary who had been found with child after her betrothal. According to Jewish custom actually, if after betrothal, a young girl is found with child, divorce was allowed and has to be done publicly to make the reason for the divorce clear. But Joseph saw that publicity may lead to a ridiculing of Mary’s personality. He decided to preserve Mary’s dignity and honour. This was indeed an inspired decision.  But God never allowed that decision. He sent his Angel to intervene. The angel appeared to Joseph and intervened. Why?

1. In comparison with Ahaz the King who belonged to the Davidic dynasty and distrusted the Lord as regards a sign of His promise, there has to be another person (Joseph) who also belongs to the Davidic dynasty to trust the Lord fully, to be a direct witness of this promise when this sign is palpably fulfilled in Mary’s conception. Ahaz distrust has to be corrected by Joseph’s absolute trust. Ahaz infidelity must be corrected by David’s fidelity.

2. Joseph was part of the magnificent plan of God for the salvation of mankind. Mary could have as well been divorced and remained the mother of God, but God never wanted it that way. Joseph was to be the Husband of Mary and the foster father of God’s son, Jesus.

Nevertheless, Joseph’s inspired decision to divorce Mary secretly revealed a very important aspect which was not vivid in the Isaiah’s Emmanuel-Prophesy –the Virginal conception; the conception by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is impossible for the human mind. Joseph had finally witnessed and heard the greatest mystery that was not made explicit to Isaiah. The pregnancy is the action of the Holy Spirit. The impossible is going to be possible. Mary and Joseph are now confronted with the great mystery of conception without consummation.

The Spirit of Creation and re-creation

The son will be conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Old Testament formula of the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God.

1. The Spirit of God is also active in creation in Gen 1:2. The spirit of God was moving upon the face of the waters. The waters of creation were filled by the Spirit of God. When the Lord sends forth His Spirit, they (creatures) are created (cf. Psalm 104:30). It is the Spirit of God that makes us as it made Job and gave him life (cf. Job 33:4). Now, the Spirit of Gen. 1 brought order to the initial chaos. This same Spirit has caused the virginal conception to restore the order of righteousness which humanity had destroyed. Righteousness, peace, joy, goodness were all rendered chaotic. So, the Spirit of God in Marian conception had the mission to destroy all chaos and to restore sanity and salvation. That was the spirit of Christ’s mission: it is he who will save people from their sins.

Hence, as a child of God, the spirit of the Lord has been given to you to move you into the action of assisting the king Jesus to bring sanity to our world of insanity, to bring peace to our world of rancour and war; to bring order t our disordered world; to bring community spirit to our selfish society; to initiate a message of love and concern to the world that cares only of self preservation. The power which breathed life into that which had no life has come to breathe in life into our weaknesses and frustration. The spirit energizes us in our frustration and works never to allow us to doubt God as Ahaz did. It is the spirit of converting impossibilities to possibilities. Those plans and goals you have thought to be impossible can be rendered possible this season. You will live to share your testimony and not your acrimony.

2. The Spirit of God is the cause of human life in Ezekiel 37:1-4, Job 27:3, and Isaiah 42:5. It is the spirit of re-creation. I will cause breath to enter you and you shall live (Ezekiel 37: 5). The Spirit awakens and enlivens us when we are rendered moribund. In the life of sin, only the spirit of God can wake us into new life. The Spirit of the Marian conception is thus the spirit of re-creation; one that can bring back to life; one can enliven the soul that is dead in sin. It is a spirit of revival of the dry bones; of reformation of the deformed bones; of restoration of the useless and forsaken bones; of renewal of the old bones; of reinvigoration of the weak bones; of reincorporation into the family of the saints; of re-enabling and re-enchanting for a vigorous and radical encounter with the world of sin; of re-encoding us as the sons of God. This Spirit makes life new again.

Never was the Spirit of God so operative than in the virginal conception. It was in it that the move to recreate the human soul was begun; the soul that had been damaged by the disobedience of Adam. This is the Spirit of Jesus with which He carried out his mission. This is the spirit of the King we shall encounter next Sunday at Christmas. Our king is the re-creating power that is among us. He is the God-with-us.  The Second Reading (Roman 1:1-7) makes it clearer. It is through Him that our faith is sustained. In Him, we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith. This is the obedience of faith that Joseph and Mary has shown us through their fiats to the divine will. In whatever you do this Christmas, we must allow this obedience of faith to guide us. Without faith, we cannot please God (cf. Heb. 11:6). I wish you this fidelity as I expect to hear from you on the day of Christmas. Do enjoy in the Lord the Happy New week. God bless You.

HOW CAN WE LOOK FOR ANOTHER? YOU ARE HE.

HOMILY FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR A

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

The woman said to him: I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things. Jesus said to her, I who speak to you am He (John 4:25).

All of us at one time or another has had one expectation or another from the Lord. Some of us have really felt great disappointments when our expectations are not met. Some have lost the love and friendship they had with some others due to series of disappointments. Some have also felt scandalized about the actions of people they hold at great esteem. Some have actually felt displeasure concerning the dispassionate attitudes many people they expected fine treatment from have shown them. These are the kinds of thought that may come into the mind of a Christian who encounters today’s Gospel message. Some Christians tend to interpret the question of John the Baptist as a question of an unbeliever or someone who is unsure of Christ. Some commentators have also backed this kind of idea with the response of Christ about John when he said that he is the least in the kingdom of heaven, advocating that it was a message that portrayed Christ disappointment with John. But I tell you, the passage was mainly about the Messiahship of Christ and not about John’s question. The goal of the question is to lead the reader to the discovery of the mission of Christ and thereupon to unequivocally believe that Jesus is the Messiah. This is the intention of the Matthew. Yes, Jesus is the Messiah.

In the Gospel Reading of today (Mtt.11:2-11), we encounter in the very first sentence this question from John though his disciples to Jesus: are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another? John was in the prison and already was a dying man. There would be nothing to make his happiness greater than confirming that the person he introduced as the Messiah (Mtt. 3:1-17) was at his best. The Messiahship of Jesus would render the most ample meaning to the forerunning of John. If Jesus were not to be the Messiah, then John’s forerunning would have been in vain. If Jesus were not to be the Messiah, then John’s imprisonment and death would be very frustrating to John Himself. John needed to confirm his mission; for in confirming his mission can he be more formidable and decisive with his message for repentance which actually sent him to jail. If Jesus had answered John that he was not the Messiah, John would have immediately rushed to Herod to plead for mercy, because nwa o biara iku anwuola (i.e, if the goal is shattered, the work is frustrated). Hey! Who really knew the happiness in John for such answer that was given by Jesus? Many times, we need the confirmation about the mission of others to render our own mission meaningful. We need the knowledge of others to acquire more solid and formidable knowledge. The questions that we ought to ask God and the Church must have the sole intention of an increment in faith and the solidification of our Christian lifestyle here on earth.

It is best to inquire about any person from the particular person about which the inquiry is made. To inquire about Jesus, go to Jesus. To inquire about Christianity, become a Christian. Asking another person can make or mar the intention for which you inquire. When someone offends you as a Christian, do not go around telling everyone you see. Learn to go to that particular person whose acts offended you and ask for an explanation. Yes, it is a really hard thing to do, but wise men do it. You run away from gossip, from rancour, from acrimony and from hatred. You will be clarified and will be far from frustration and disappointments. When you think the owner of your destiny (God) has disappointed, why not go to him; and not to places that may not provide you with the most credible answer? Yes, Jesus is the Messiah.

A trial will convince you. The question of John too, as some have argued may not be for the sake of John himself but for the sake of his disciples. It is very probable that when John and his disciples talked in the prison, the disciples questioned whether Jesus was really the Messiah. John’s answer could have been: if any of you has doubts, let him go and ask Jesus himself. This means that if anyone begins to argue with us about Jesus, and to question his kingship, the best of all answers is to say: give your life to Jesus, and see what he can do with it. The supreme argument for Christ is not intellectual debate but an experience of his changing power.

Jesus’ answer confirmed his mission. He outlines the liberating works of the Messiah as foretold by the prophets. There is liberation for those who are captives of one natural or physical ailment. God himself is the saviour. Indeed, this is the message of the First Reading of today from the oracle of Isaiah 35:1-6a.10. When the king comes, there must be liberation, testimonies, happiness, joy, thanksgiving, and their likes. Yes, Jesus is He who comes.

Action speaks louder than words. Jesus’ answer goes straight to his action and not his words. To be candid, the world today needs more doers of the Gospel message than preachers. Our actions confirm our Christianity, not merely our words. In this case, Jesus demands that he be judged by his deeds. Can you be judged by your deeds? Can you leave the comfort of your home and help the struggling brethren out there? It is in our sacrifices that we are edified.

Jesus spoke about John with a high sense of admiration. His questions portrayed John as an extra-ordinary man who was sought after for the rare gift he possessed, as a spiritual man who was neither materialistic nor moved by the things of this world, as a preacher of the word who was solely interested in the repentance of the people, as more than a prophet who showed the people the God-man. John was more than a prophet about whom other prophets spoke of (cf. Mal. 4:5, Behold, I will send you Elijah the Prophet, before the great and terrible day of the Lord.); and no man could have a greater task than this. John was a herald of God. He is indeed the greatest of all the prophets. Little wonder Jesus states that among those born of women, John was the greatest. But why is the least in the kingdom of heaven greater than John?

Jesus is the kingdom of God Himself. In him is the kingdom of heaven. He is the auto-basileia.to experience Christ is to experience the kingdom of heaven. To be with Christ is to be with the kingdom. To know Christ is to know the kingdom. To preach Christ is to preach the kingdom. This is exactly what Christians have that John never had. He pointed Jesus to the people as the Messiah but never did he experience and knew Christ very closely while on earth. He was like a sign post pointing towards the destination (Christ). Hence, it is logical that those who enter the destination have more knowledge and experience than the person who points to the destination. The signpost does its work so well. That is why it can be regarded as the best leader towards the destination. However, its destiny to be the signpost has rendered its experience of the destination insufficient, whereby the persons who enter come out with a greater knowledge. John sowed Jesus to the world, but could not experience his Messiahship and his redemptive acts on earth. The apostles and the Christians were privileged to experience Christ, and to see and hear what the prophets all dreamt to have but never had. In other words, Jesus may have been inadvertently saying: John could have prophesied about my coming and pointed me as the messiah, but there are those who will preach me to the whole world, make converts, live holy lives for my sake and die for me. These people are greater than John even though John is the greatest of the prophets before him.

We have all been giving this opportunity to be great in heaven and to proclaim the king who is coming. As a Christian, grab the opportunity now, and never be weighed down by troubles and tribulations. I thus conclude with the admonition of James to all Christians (James 5:7-11, the Second Reading): Be patient and wait until the Lord comes. Do not be worried by the uncertainties of this life. Do not grumble at your various disappointments in life. Be patient just like the farmer who waits until the crop is fully watered by the rains of heaven. Yes, He is coming. Jesus is the Messiah that comes. We shall not wait for another. I wish you a blessed week ahead. God bless you.

REPENT AND PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE KING

HOMILY FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR A

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

It is a generally recognized courteous act to prepare and clean one’s house when he/she notices or gets some form of information that a distinguished friend (or a visitor) is coming to his home. Everyone at home is busy, some sweeping and mopping, some cooking, and some arranging the home gadgets and keeping them at their proper places. This is the first sign of a warm welcome that any person can give to a visitor. When this visitor arrives, and notices that the household prepared for his/her visit, he/she feels honoured and at home. Indeed, since the warm welcome has begun before his arrival, the visitor cannot but experience the aura that preceded his coming. The word repent has to do with a change of mind while the word prepare has to do with a change of action. Conversion starts from the mind, and showcases itself in the action. You cannot sincerely demonstrate an acceptance of someone in the act unless you had welcomed him/her in the mind. These are the two keywords which form the corner stone of my reflection today.

METANOIA (REPENT!!!)

Repentance denotes the condition of being sorry for something, a feeling of regret or remorse for doing wrong or sinning and a sense of pain and sorrow for what one has done or omitted to do. This is a general understanding of this word. Beyond all this, there is a foundational root out of which these illustrations are made. The verb used in the Gospel passage today in its original language (Greek) is metanoein which is of course in its imperative mood. The Gospel Reading (Mtt. 3:1-12) exposes the fore-running of John the Baptist and his message of repentance and preparation. The Evangelist narrates that John was preaching in the desert: repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. From the Greek word, metanoia, to repent simply denotes a change of mind. Repentance does not end in a feeling of guilt or in being sorry for one’s sins. It is repentance when there has now been a change of mind: from thinking evil to thinking good, from suspecting to trusting, from scepticism to surety, from segregation to congregation, from individualism to community, from atheism (the belief that God does not exist) to theism, from insincerity to sincerity, from pride to humility, etc. Yes, these are the signs of a change of mind.

Our change of mind must initiate the mentality that sees everyone as equal, one that accepts all irrespective of our cultural differences, ethnic groups, different ideologies, racial discrepancies, etc. To say you have repented, one must regard evil as evil and regard good as good. One cannot regard evil as good or good as evil, and still brag to be a repentant person. The repentance of the thief at the side of Jesus started when he saw the innocence of Jesus, and changed his mind (as against the other thief) about the suffering of an innocent man. Peter’s repentance started when he remembered Jesus’ prediction of the denial and wept bitterly (Mtt 26:75); this change of mind reflected in the manner he carried out the rest of his apostolate. John was calling for a change of mind when he told the Pharisees and Sadducees not to presume that they have Abraham as their father. If they are able to change their minds about such thinking, the journey of their repentance has started.

The message that followed the call for repentance in the mouth of John is the kingdom of God is close at hand. The kingdom God is at the heart and centre of Jesus message of salvation. The words were on the lips of the evangelists: “the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near” (mark 1:15); but if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demon, then the kingdom has come upon you (Luke 11:20), “the kingdom of God is not coming with things that are observed; nor will they say, look, here it is or there it is for in fact the kingdom of God is among us (Luke 17:20-21); from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of God has suffered violence and the violent take it by force (Matt. 11:12). This kingdom of God is meant to stand for two things in our lives today:

1.    

 The kingdom of God is a saving event for sinners, not a judgement of vengeance on sinners and godless men. God’s mercy and forgiveness are preached to all and are made visible in Jesus’ actions: the revelation of God’s love for sinners is a sign of the coming reign of God. Thus, the nearness of the kingdom of God urges us to repent and eschew from us all those sins that make us shy away from God.

2.     The kingdom of God demands a radical decision for God, not a demand for men to follow a new, improved moral code. It must be either God and his reign or the world and its reign, no two ways about it. Repentance (metanoia) is involved which is made possible by faith. It is the necessary and fundamental condition of entry into the reign of God – Repent and believe in the Gospel (MK 1:15). The changing of our minds must be seen in our belief in the good news of Jesus Christ.

PREPARE THE WAY

The Evangelist immediately makes a link to the oracle of Isaiah: prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. John is the one for whom Isaiah spoke, says Matthew. This oracle of Isaiah was one that was meant to console the people during the post-exilic moment when there was seemingly no hope. It was a message that exhorted the people not to give up, but to stand erect and start preparing for that king who is coming to bring total restoration to them. There was a detonation (an instantaneous explosion that causes destruction and brings about shocks) in the entire experience of the people, and so was the need for restoration. There may be detonation, but Restoration must follow it. Our preparation is channelled towards this restoration. If you do not prepare, you will not be restored. We must prepare the way for the king who comes. John the Baptist announces this way (Mark 1:3), and Jesus declares that he Himself is the way (John 14:6). Christianity can thus be regarded as the way. She is the way that connects you with the kingdom of God. She is the way that beckons on you to bear fruit that befits repentance.

Preparation involves action, for action speaks louder than words. It is preparation when it flows from repentance, and not a mere ostentatious manifestation; from favouritism of some to treating everyone as one; from war to peace; from doing evil to doing good; from licentiousness to continence, from lust to love,  from hard-heartedness to perfect contrition; from stinginess to charity; from bad words to good/kind words, etc. Our preparation must initiate the actions that can sweep out the evils in our society, and can decorate and adorn it with perfect virtues of Jesus Christ. Our preparation must be one that will never allow us to give up on the insistence on the truth, and on persistence on the good. It must annihilate the injustice and vices that are eroding the world today. This preparation must come with it a break-away from the evil alla mode. Having killed evil and strife, it initiates a new good thing.

The First Reading (Isaiah 11:1-10) relays the apparently impossible experiences that come with the dawn of the King. After the king has judged with righteousness and not by appearances or hear-says, there will be a totally peaceful world that is allegorically represented in the form that wild animals that prey on one another will turn to be peaceful with themselves. There will be no longer fear as no one will be a wolf to the other; animals will no longer attack men and children will no longer be afraid of them. All these are possible because they dwell in the holy mountain of God. Yes, in His days, justice shall flourish and peace till the moon fails. To repent is a good. To prepare for the Lord is a good. May our repentance be in-depth, and may our preparation be one that will gladden the king. I wish you more and more blessings this Advent. Happy New Week; God bless you.