Fourth Sunday in Advent
December 19

Homily Code: Y-3

At this time of the year, the emphasis seems to be on gifts -- gifts we may receive and gifts that we are planning to give to our loved ones. This year, however, there is a different emphasis on everything. This is the millenium year and , as a result,many people are pre-occupied with lists ... lists of the greatest events in the last 100 years. The are lists of the greatest athletes, movies, actors and actresses. So, I thought it would be appropriate to combine the two practices of the times. Let’s make a list of the greatest gifts we have received in our lifetime.

We have received many gifts from loved ones but I would suggest the three greatest gifts we have received have come from our God. Without ranking them in order, the gift of Christ’s life began, as we hear in today’s gospel, when Mary accepted the invitation to become His mother. It continued in a manger in Bethlehem and ended on a cross on Calvary and it has effected millions of individuals through the last 2000 years.

Very simply, the greatest gift we have received is our faith. It is a gift!!. We could have been born in many areas of the world ... China, Muslim North Africa or India, and, if we had been born there, we possibly would have never known Jesus Christ. Can you imagine what life would be like if we did not have our faith. It can be inconvenient at times, that’s true, but without it, would our life have any meaning? What would be the purpose of our time here on earth: to amass a certain amount of wealth or fame or popularity?

Imagine a Sunday without God. It’s true, that sometimes we’d rather play golf, or sleep, or go to a sporting event rather than attend Mass. However, those experiences would soon be forgotten. Now, we come to praise our God because we are sure He is our Maker and our Redeemer. Without our beliefs there would be no promise of life hereafter .. no promise of Heaven. Death would be just that ... the end. We know there is more than that .. there is Eternal Salvation.

Another gift we’ve received from God is the Commandments. I know, some might say, "Wait a minute, I’d have a lot more freedom if Moses hadn’t gone up on that mountain? But, would we really be better off? Do you enjoy someone lying to you? "Well, no! No one likes a person who is untruthful." Would anyone here enjoy being killed by someone else? No? Would we like to be robbed? And aren’t we sad when our loved ones, our children, mother or father or grandparents are involved in a practice that can ruin one’s life... alcohol, drugs, sex outside of marriage? And so, once again, we look to our God in thanksgiving for the wonderful gift of His commandments. Without them, we would have no order in our lives.

And the final gift is the event we will remember later this week .... the birth of the Child Jesus. Listen again to the words of Mary when she was asked to be His mother. God didn’t order her, He didn’t demand that she accept the responsibility. However, she responded in the most beautiful and humble manner. She said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."

And isn’t that the basis of our lives. Doesn’t our presence here attest to the fact that we too recognize we have a mission while we are here? That mission is simple: to live our lives in such a way that when we die we will hear other words spoken by the angel to Mary. "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the Most High will overshadow you."

That’s why we are here and that’s why we look forward to the celebration of Christmas, the birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ. It happened 2000 yeas ago and this Christmas will be the last in this century. But each Sunday we reenact, so to speak, the same experience that Mary did. The body of Jesus was placed into her body, that seed was nurtured and on Christmas day, 2000 years ago, her Son was born.

Today, we too will take His body and His blood into our body as we relive the miracle that took place the night before He was put to death. The priest will raise the host and the wine and say to us, "This is my body ... this is My blood ... do this in remembrance of me."