Homily: December 20, 2025, Saturday of the Third Week of Advent

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 “The Lord spoke to Ahaz: Ask for a sign from the Lord, your God.”

Some people have special gifts, they are able to see signs of divine intervention or direction everywhere. Almost every day, they recognize God’s hand directly at work in their lives. I have friends who seem to be gifted in this area. They notice signs that I overlook and would dismiss as normal daily incidents, but only to realize later they were truly divine intervention.

Recently, I read an autobiography. The author shared that on one occasion she was waiting a long time for a friend to join her for lunch, but who did not arrive. She later learned that her friend was killed in an accident. Overwhelmed with grief, she went to church to pray. An infant baptism was taking place, and she heard the newborn baby cry.

At that moment, she felt God speaking to her, consoling her that though her friend’s life on earth had ended, at the same time, a new life was brought into Church, reborn through water and the Holy Spirit, a soul sealed by God for eternity. That moment of baptism became a sign of hope and assurance that every life, every soul is precious to God. She understood that her witnessing the baptism was God’s visible sign to remind her that death is not the end, that life continues in Him.

Throughout the Old Testament, God has given many signs to His people, through His priests, prophets, and kings. It is His way of communicating. Yet, again and again, they failed to recognize those signs, they could not discern what God was revealing to them.

Mary, however, was able to perceive and ponder God’s signs with deep faith. Raised a Jew, she would have known the promises and signs spoken by the prophets. When the angel visited her and announced the good news, that encounter was the greatest sign for her, that God’s promise would be fulfilled. She believed the message of the angel, trusted God’s word and embraced His will with great humility and love.

God is not biased, He gives everyone signs every day, not always dramatic, not always extraordinary, but always real and purposeful. God does not stop giving us signs; the problem is we do not always notice.

Today, let us ask for the grace to see our lives and this world with the eyes of faith, to recognize God’s presence in both joy and sorrow, in life and even in death. If we learn to discern the signs around us, we will see God’s hand in everything.

Amen.


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