The Reign of God

Homily of Tuesday in the First Week of Advent, Year C. Tuesday 3rd, 2024 (Memorial of St Francis Xavier)
Texts: Isaiah 11:1-10, Luke 10:21-24

The season of Advent is one that affords us the opportunity to be hopeful about God’s promises. The great difference between the promises of God and that of humans is that while human promises may be unsure, God’s promises are always sure.

Dear friends, in the first reading of today, after a long period of the reign of evil and darkness, God promises to intervene in human affairs. All that will happen at this intervention are described. It is going to be a reign of justice, love and peace. These are very important in any human activity if life must be sustained. By this, God will chase away the darkness of the devil that creates the platform with which every evil thrives. What we need to learn from this is that evil has an expiration date. Oppression will not remain forever. Darkness will be put to flight

Fulfilling an aspect of this with the coming of Jesus, in the Gospel we see Jesus thanking God for revealing this reality to those of humble hearts. While the proud concern themselves with what they consider matter (glory of the world), God is revealing himself to little children. To be able to understand the mystery of the reign of God and prepare for it especially its full realization in the eschaton, we must be like little children.

Let us ask God to help us to keep hopeful regardless of what we experience now because we know our hope will not fail us.

The Lord be with you