MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU

MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD - Numbers 6:22-27

We begin the New Year in the company of Mary of Nazareth, the mother of Jesus, the Messiah. Today, we acclaim her as the Mother of God or Theotokos. We may find such a title very strange, but it was adopted in the ecumenical council of Ephesus (in 431), as a proclamation of faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. By calling Mary Mother o God, we say that her son, Jesus, is divine, or that the son born of her is God who came to be with us. He is Immanuel, that is, God with us (Mt 1:23). In no way do we mean that the Son of God was generated by Mary, but through her, He assumed a human body for him to live with us. By God’s favour and choice, Mary played an important role in the fulfilment of God’s plan of salvation. The gospel of John presents Mary at the beginning and the end of Jesus’ ministry. Before dying, Jesus entrusted her to his beloved disciple, who cared for her as his mother. Each one of us is called to be that beloved disciple. Like him, we must welcome Mary in our homes, being sure that she will pay attention to our shortcomings and then she will take them to Jesus for him to transform our sadness and suffering into happiness and wholeness.

We address Mary, as the Mother of God and ask for her intercession so that we may find peace. Indeed, as we enter the new year, we are called to pray for peace, so that we may give praise and glory to God. Every year, on the first day of the year, the whole Church prays for peace. With Europe at war, a war that is in danger of escalating, we must kneel and recognise that “no one can be saved alone”. Peace is only possible when everybody is ready to work for peace, giving the best of themselves and accepting the contribution of others.  asking for God’s blessings. We must recognise that God has made us his children. Through the spirit that He has poured on us, we can address Him saying: “Abba, Father” (Gal 4:4-7). We are not slaves, but children and we must live according to our dignity as children. We may apply the Bemba proverb: Cimumbwa pala noko pala wiso ukuwama. You creature, be like your mother, be like your father, how that is good.

At the beginning of the year, the Church presents us with God’s blessings, as it is given in the book of Numbers:

The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Say this to Aaron and his sons: “This is how you are to bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them:

May the Lord bless you and keep you.

May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you.

May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace.”

With the Virgin Mary, let us ask for God’s blessings, so that we may work for peace.

CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT JESUS, THE CHRIST

CHRISTMAS - Isaiah 9:1-7

As we celebrate Christmas, we may ask ourselves what are we celebrating? It sounds like an absurd question, since the word Christmas refers to Christ. However, looking at the celebrations of the season around us, we are bombarded with images of Father Christmas, trying to entice us to buy all kinds of gifts. Christmas has become a highly profitable season for all the big shopping centres. And we may get the false impression that everything is about children, while, in reality, it is about profit. And we lose sight of the one we are celebrating, Jesus Christ. Christmas is about Jesus, the Christ, and nothing else. And we should not be distracted from that. At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, who is proclaimed as the Saviour of the world.

The great feast of Christmas represents an effort of inculturation. It falls on the winter solstice, which happened on 25 December in the Julian calendar. The solstice was celebrated in many cultures, being considered a time of renewal of life, as the days begin to grow in the northern hemisphere. And people celebrated and welcomed the light that makes possible life. And Jesus came as the Light of the world (Jn 8:12). Isaiah had announced such a time of blissfulness:

The people that walked in darkness

has seen a great light;

on those who live in a land of deep shadow

a light has shone. (Is 9:2)

We must rejoice and give praise to God because he has look upon us with compassion and, in order to set us free, he sent his Son, who, becoming a human being like us, open the way for us to become divine in Him. Indeed, a child for us is born:

For there is a child born for us,

a son given to us

and dominion is laid on his shoulders;

and this is the name they give him:

Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God,

Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace. (Is 9:6)

He came as the Prince of peace, opening the way of reconciliation with God and with one another. That’s why we sing with the angels:

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and peace to men who enjoy his favour.” (Lk 2:14).

And those who enjoy his favour are all those who give glory to God and become themselves a manifestation of God’s glory. According to John:

“to all who did accept him

he gave power to become children of God”.

Let us welcome the Child Jesus in our hearts, our homes and our communities, for us to become like Him children of God.

Let’s go to Bethlehem and greet the great King born for us. Bane, imeni!

HE IS IMMANUEL, THAT IS “GOD-IS-WITH-US”

IV SUNDAY OF ADVENT - Romans 1:1-7

Paul begins his letter to the Romans by presenting himself with three titles: “servant of Christ Jesus”, “called to be an apostle”, and “chosen to preach the Good News”. So he is a servant, an apostle and a preacher. What is he preaching? What is the Good News that he proclaims? The Good News announced by Paul is about the Son of God, that is Jesus Christ, who, according to human nature, is a descendant of David and, according to the Spirit, is the Son of God, which is testified by his resurrection. It is through Jesus Christ that Paul received his apostolic mission to lead all nations to obedience to Jesus Christ. All of us are called to be saints.

Jesus Christ, the Saviour, is the Son of God. He is Immanuel, that is “God-is-with-us”, He came to fulfil the promise made in Prophet Isaiah and that fulfilment is presented in the Gospel. In this Sunday’s gospel, our eyes are turned to Joseph, who was engaged to Mary of Nazareth. The passage presents a catechetical lesson about the incarnation of the Son of God, leaving it clear that Jesus is that Son. Through Joseph, he belongs to the family of David, but he is generated through the power of God. Like the first Adam, this second one is a fruit of the Spirit. With Adam, God used the dust of the ground, with Jesus, God used the womb of Mary to bring forth the Saviour. 

We must look at Joseph and learn from him. He was honest and sincere, more preoccupied with his fiancé’s good than with his honour. Being pure of heart, God became his refuge, protecting him and entrusting to him the guardianship of Jesus, the Son of God.

LIKE JOHN THE BAPTIST, WE MUST LOOK FOR THE TRUTH

III SUNDAY OF ADVENT - Matthew 11:2-11

John the Baptist is one of the dominant figures in Advent. He gathered some disciples and initiated a movement that lasted beyond his life. In Ephesus, Paul met a group of John’s disciples who had received his baptism (Ep 19:1-3). Jesus was influenced by John and his movement. Jesus went to him to be baptised and then made an experience in the desert, maybe attracted by  John’s lifestyle. However, Jesus parted ways with John. He did not remain in the desert but chose to travel up and down towns and villages, mixing with people and proclaiming the great good news of God’s time of salvation. If we look at John and Jesus side by side, we can find big differences between them. John abandoned city life and went into the desert. Jesus, after a short experience in the desert, made Capernaum his headquarters. John was harsh with himself and lived a frugal life. Jesus dressed in a special tunic (Jn 19:1) and ate whatever people offered him. John preached about the impending judgement and punishment of the corrupt society that he had abandoned. Jesus witnessed God’s love, compassion and mercy for downtrodden people who cried out for deliverance. 

John was aware of his mission which he tried to fulfil with earnestness. He was a voice calling on people to prepare a way for the Lord and to be ready to welcome him. He expected the Messiah to come with power to cleanse the world of all evil. With an axe in his hands he would cut down the trees that bear no fruit and burn the chaff with “unquenchable fire.” (Mt 3:12). However, Jesus was not doing that and John was disappointed and his mind was full of misgivings. Maybe he was mistaken! And he decided to send his disciples to Jesus with a straightforward question: “Are you the one who is to come, or have we got to wait for someone else?” Jesus did not answer yes or no, but presented the great signs of the fulfilment of the great Promise of salvation:

“Go back and tell John what you hear and see; the blind see again, and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised to life and the Good News is proclaimed to the poor; and happy is the man who does not lose faith in me.”

Jesus is indeed the Messiah. God’s justice is brought about by his gentleness and compassion. God is merciful and he calls on us to be merciful as well.

After the return of John’s disciples, Jesus made an appraisal of John:

“‘What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the breeze? No? Then what did you go out to see? A man wearing fine clothes? Oh no, those who wear fine clothes are to be found in palaces. Then what did you go out for? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet”.

John was indeed a truthful and honest man that always spoke what he thought to be true. He would not be swayed around by anybody and would remain faithful to the end. That’s why he is much more than a prophet. However, even a prophet must go on searching for the truth and paying attention to the signs through which God speaks to us. God reveals himself to those who persevere in knocking on his door until it opens.

REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS CLOSE AT HAND

II SUNDAY OF ADVENT - Matthew 3:1-12

We may say that Advent is dominated by three extraordinary figures: Isaiah, John the Baptist and Mary of Nazareth. In Isaiah, we hear God’s Promise of salvation that fills us with hope and directs our sight towards a future of freedom, justice and peace, because the Lord of history will intervene in our favour. That future, the fulfilment of which is already beginning, seems like a dream that can be made a reality only by God’s merciful love and power. We pray and hope that Isaiah’s vision may come to be true:

The wolf lives with the lamb,

the panther lies down with the kid,

calf and lion feed together,

with a little boy to lead them.

The cow and the bear make friends,

their young lie down together.

The lion eats straw like the ox.

The infant plays over the cobra’s hole;

into the viper’s lair

the young child puts his hand.

They do no hurt, no harm,

on all my holy mountain,

for the country is filled with the knowledge of the Lord

as the waters swell the sea. (Is 11:6-9).

John was the last of the prophets, greater than a prophet (Lk 7:26). He is presented as the one who came to fulfil Isaiah’s prophecy:

A voice cries in the wilderness:

Prepare a way for the Lord,

make his paths straight.

John was “a voice” at the service of the great message of salvation. Sent to announce the coming of the Messiah, he made his proclamation clear: “‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.” Like those who heard him for the first time, we are invited to repent and that must be done with urgency.

We must repent because we have gone astray. Thus, confessing our sins, we must change direction and turn to the Lord. John’s way of life was a protest against the values of most of the people in Judah. He abandoned city life and went into the desert, where he survived on a very frugal diet. People went there and listened to him. With John, Jerusalem and the Temple are no more the points of reference. To encounter the Lord and recognise Him as our refuge and salvation, people abandoned their city comfort and experienced the harshness of the desert, which made them aware of the need for conversion. To the Pharisees and the Sadducees, John did not mince his words: “‘Brood of vipers, who warned you to fly from the retribution that is coming?” We must produce fruits of repentance to escape the harsh punishment that is coming for all those who do not change their ways.

Let us pray with the psalm 72:

In his days justice shall flourish, and peace till the moon fails.

O God, give your judgement to the king,

  to a king’s son your justice,

that he may judge your people in justice

  and your poor in right judgement.

In his days justice shall flourish, and peace till the moon fails.

In his days justice shall flourish

  and peace till the moon fails.

He shall rule from sea to sea,

  from the Great River to earth’s bounds.