Homily: December, 22,2024, Fourth Sunday in Advent (Mother- Peace)

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 "His greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace."

The prophecy of Micah proclaimed 700 years before the birth of Jesus, had already foretold the extent and essence of our Lord’s greatness – it shall reach to the ends of the earth, and He shall be peace.

Now 2,700 years later, Christianity has indeed spread to every corner of the world and for everyone who truly knows and follows Christ, will experience His peace.

Here we are, celebrating the Fourth Sunday of Advent, just days away from Christmas, are you at peace?

Almost every society throughout the world is celebrating Christmas, albeit with commercial overtones, but is there peace around the world?

During this holiday season, in the confessionals and from conversations, I hear the same issues brought up - stress, worries, anxieties about the preparations, the family gatherings, the expectations. Shopping, cleaning the house, buying and wrapping gifts, writing cards, getting new clothes - all these tasks are pulling us in various directions. Many of us feel overwhelmed and burdened.

Is this how we feel during this season of love?

Do all these activities help us experience the true spirit of Christmas?

I too am anxious about the countless little things that demand my attention in preparing for Christmas Masses happening in the next few days.

Am I at peace? Not really. I am definitely not joining the crowds at the malls, nor stressing over decorating my residence or getting gifts. But I have been rushing to finish writing greeting cards, preparing for the liturgy and many other parish tasks during this period. These too, seem to block me from experiencing true peace.

What are we missing?

As I was thinking hard about what to preach for this homily, I was in the sacristy, away from the noise and distractions. I happened to look at an image of Mother Teresa, beautifully painted and gifted to our parish by one of our youths. 

I thought, “How did Mother Teresa prepare for Christmas? How did she celebrate this sacred season of love? How did she maintain her peace and calm, amidst the sick and dying people around her every day?”

Every single day, Christmas or not, she and her community, the Missionaries of Charity nuns, loved, cleaned, fed and cared for thousands of poor, hungry, sickly and dying people, those abandoned and lonely people who needed attention every moment.

Yet, I am so sure Mother Teresa was not stressed, nor anxious, nor worried as she prepared for Christmas. Because she knew exactly what she would do, she knew exactly what Jesus wanted from her.

Every day, without fail, Mother Teresa found time for adoration. Advent or Christmas, Ordinary Time or Solemnities, Lent or Easter, she would spend two hours in quiet conversation with Jesus. She looking at Him, He looking at her. She said it was the source of her strength, enabling her to offer everything she did for the greater glory of God.

She said, “It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you.”

Everyday Mother Teresa let God love the sick, the dying, the poor, the hungry, the lonely, the lost, through her. That was how she prepared for Christmas. To her, every day is Christmas day, every moment spent with Jesus, for Jesus, is Christmas.

If you have met Mother Teresa in person, you would agree with me that nothing disturbed her, she was always calm, composed, and confident, with a deep peace, a quiet joy, an aura of love.

For the rest of us, Christmas is undeniably a busy season. We know we can’t do what Mother Teresa did. Some of us really do need to shop, wrap gifts, clean, cook and host. We know we can’t escape these.

But let us try to approach these tasks with the mindfulness of Mother Teresa.

Let us be mindful that we are preparing to welcome Jesus, let us offer everything we are doing to Him, and find deeper meaning in all the tasks we do.

Let us be mindful that there are people around us who might not be able to celebrate this season the way we are, let us offer something for them and share some joy with them. Let us remember the poverty which baby Jesus arrived in and see His face in everyone we reach out to.

Let us be mindful that the birthday boy wants us to spend time with Him. We might think we can’t do two hours daily like Mother Teresa, but surely, we can reduce 30 minutes of our day’s activities and give it to Jesus, the key person in this celebration, the real reason for this season.

In the Gospel, we see Mary, despite her own pregnancy, traveled far to bring the Savior in her womb to her cousin Elizabeth. Mary brings the Prince of Peace to the world. She brings Jesus the Christ to us.

Have you invited Mary, the mother of our Lord, to your home, to your party, to your celebrations?

Do you believe that God really came to earth to be among us?

Are you putting this belief into concrete action in your Christmas celebrations?

Will you grow in weight with all the feasting, or will you grow in faith with all the time spent conversing with Jesus?

Remember our B-A-G on this journey. Continue to carry it with you in towards and throughout the Christmas season.

Jesus, help us to always remember that You are the source of our peace and our joy, and You are the reason why we are celebrating this season.

Amen.


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