Misplaced Identity: Are You The One Who is to Come, Or Do We Expect Another?

Homily For The Third Sunday Of Advent, December 11, 2022.

Sunday Readings

“Take time to be aware that in the very midst of our busy preparations for the celebration of Christ’s Birth in ancient Bethlehem, Christ is reborn in the Bethlehems of our homes and daily lives. Take time, slow down, be still, and be awake to the Divine Mystery that looks so common and so ordinary yet is wondrously present.”
–Edward Hay

My Dearest Friends In Christ,

Live By The Example of The Prophets

The readings of today reiterate the importance of Advent preparation. James, in the second reading, encourages us not to complain about one another and to follow the example of the hardship and patience of the Prophets of God. John, indeed, was one of such Prophets and the greatest. He was thrown into prison for being a controversial figure, preaching repentance, and living what he was preaching.

Preconceived expectations can be misleading

The Gospel narrates how John sent his disciples to find out who Christ was. Curiosity is a remarkable character of human behavior, especially in the face of something significantly surprising and remarkable. Christ came in a manner and fashion that defeated the expectation of an average Jewish man or woman. His works were what testified to His messianic character, but His identity as the expected Messiah was questionable by the Jews. At Christmas, He assumed a lowly state, being born in the likeness of men, in a manger. John came as a forerunner of Christ. He dressed and lived a lowly life of humility and that is one of the qualities that made John the greatest.

As humans, we have some expectations or a mental picture of how powerful, wealthy, and influential people should look. For instance, if a Bishop is seen playing tennis on a court, an average Catholic would hardly recognize him because he or she is accustomed to seeing him in clerical regalia. You would hardly convince such a person that the man on the tennis court is the Bishop. Such a person can only be convinced if he or she dares to move closer to ask, “Are you the Bishop? In the same way, the disciples of John asked, “Are you the Christ, or are we to expect another? This question reflected their lack of understanding of who Christ was. When John appeared in the wilderness with his unconventional lifestyle, many could not believe his message because Christ did not look like what they were expecting a Messiah would look like. So when the Messiah came, they could not recognize Him. As humans, we often miss opportunities in life simply because we have a mental image of what we are expecting should look like, or the way it should come. A lady once narrated how on the day of her interview for a customer relations position, she snubbed the gateman not knowing he was the recruiting manager. who was going to interview her. Her interview ended at the gate. In our spiritual life, we often miss moments or special opportunities to encounter God simply because our minds are filled with preconceived expectations. Therefore, we often fail to recognize what God has already made available to us.

Recognize Christ In the Faces of the Poor and All You Meet

Advent may seem to be a familiar season we go through every year, but this should not diminish our preparation and expectation to meet Christ again. Let’s recognize Christ in all we meet, especially in the faces of the poor and the homeless. Let’s feel His Presence in all we do. It is not enough that the disciples of John should ask who Christ is; what is more, important is to listen to His message and live by it. You don’t need to know someone’s identity to treat them well or listen to their wise counsel.

The Messianic Age and Miracles

Miracles that accompanied the Messianic Age were Christ’s response to the disciples of John. Those miracles highlighted the signs of the Messianic Age and testified to the work of Christ. At Christmas, Jesus comes again and brings with Him blessings and miracles. Jesus did not come to gain earthly power. He came among the people to serve them and to give them life. Christ did not cast away those persons who were at the margins of society, persons that many would want to send away and out of sight. It is precisely those people that the Messiah came to restore and save.

Focus on Christ, not on the miracles

If we wait for the miracles we miss Christ, therefore our focus should be on Christ and not on miracles or any other side attraction. Advent is the time to prepare to receive Christ. It is a special season of Grace. Don’t allow this opportunity to pass you by. Use this time to make peace and settle all the scores you have with anyone. In obedience to the injunction of James, be patient, and never allow the hardships of today to rob you of the blessings of tomorrow.

Prepare For A Heavenly Encounter

Christ praised John as the greatest, yet said John was so little when compared to the least in God’s Kingdom. Christ said this because the Kingdom of God is the highest reward and achievement anyone can attain. Our earthly preparation to meet Christ has heavenly implications. We are not simply preparing to meet Christ at Christmas for the fun of it, but we are preparing ourselves for a spiritual encounter and the destination is God’s Kingdom, where each person is greater than John was in this earthly life. We are privileged to be alive this year to celebrate His coming again. In a beautiful line in the first reading, Isaiah the Prophet says, ”Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy they will meet with joy and gladness and sorrow and mourning will flee.” We are preparing to experience the joy that Christ will bring and like those ransomed by God, we shall sing and rejoice. As we decorate our houses during this period, let us also decorate our hearts with the graces that this period pours into our lives when we say no to sin and repent of our past sins. Our hearts are the mangers where Christ will be born again. Let’s be a source of joy to all we meet, beginning with our families. Let’s heal our broken relationships and heal our bleeding and broken world. May your sorrows flee as we prepare to meet Christ.