Homily Fourth Sunday of Advent Year B God's plan
Homily
Fourth Sunday of Advent Year B
Reading 1:
Did you ever had a good or even a great idea but found out it wasn’t God’s plan
for you? This happened to King David. Once he had established his kingdom in
peace and security, he found himself living in a luxurious house fit for a king.
But he realized that the Ark of the Covenant, God’s presence with his people,
was housed in a tent. He felt that this
was not a proper dwelling place for God. So he decided that he would build a
suitable Temple to honor God.
Great idea,
David. But you acted independent of God to do what you wanted to do, to further
your renown. But God, through the
prophet Nathan tells David basically thanks, but no thanks.
David is
reminded of all that God had done for him, since he was anointed by Samuel the
prophet. It was God who enable David to defeat his enemies.
Now, God
reveals his plan to David. He says: “I will make your dynasty, kingdom, house
renown forever. A descendant from you will be king forever. Instead of you
taking on this worthy project, your son, Solomon, will build a temple in my
honor.”
In David’s
mind he was envisioning a political Kingdom that would last forever. God’s plan
was for a spiritual, eternal kingdom. In this God revealed to David and to
future generations the coming of a future Messiah-King, who would rule forever.
Human kingdoms will come and go. God’s Kingdom will be forever. We know that
Jesus is this future king as we will heard in the Gospel.
David
submitted to the plan of God without seeing its fulfillment. Can we submit to
the plan of God for us without seeing it fully unfold?
Gospel: Mary
had her own plans. She was betrothed to Joseph. She was an unknown girl living
in an unknown village like her parents and ancestors before her. Her plans were
to remain as such. But God had other plans for her.
God had
prepared her from all eternity to be the human vessel, the human mother for the
Word to take flesh and become man. He conceived her free from sin so that the
very vessel of preparation would be inviolate. Mary was not aware of this
grace.
While David
heard the plan of God through a prophet, God reveals to Mary his plan through
an angel.
The greeting
of Gabriel was disturbing, but she became more perplexed by what followed: God’s
plan was that she would conceive and bear the Son of the Most High God, who
would fulfill the prophecy of Nathan to David.
Her own plans flashed through her mind.
Knowing this
the angel explained further. Mary would
conceive this son not by the natural human process but by the power of the Holy
Spirit. The child to be born is the holy one, the Son of God.
Then to
confirm the message and the extraordinary power of God, Gabriel reveals that
her elderly, barren cousin Elizabeth is with child. Nothing is impossible for
God.
Mary’s own
response was an act of surrender and obedience to the will of God without
understanding. “Let it be done according to your word.”
God may not
reveal his plans for us that dramatically as he did to David and to Mary, but
as we come into awareness of his plans will we say yes like David and Mary and
eventually Joseph? Or will we seek to do our own will instead. The rebellion of
Israel and the consequences they suffered should be a witness to us. We may not
heed to the word of God but his plan will be fulfilled with or without us.
Reading 2: Paul reminds us that the strength to embrace
and accomplish the plan of God comes from God.
Once we say yes to his plan for us, God desires to be our strength, our
all in all. This is what God commands; this is what the prophets of old stated,
what Jesus and the apostles reveal to us, so that through the obedience of
faith we will be able to accomplish the will of God in our lives. What seems
impossible to us is not impossible to God.
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