Father Valan Arockiaswamy

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HOMILIES

Close Dear Audience,
For better understanding of the spiritual message behind this homily I kindly remind you to first read and contemplate the biblical texts before reading or listening to my preaching - a human reflection on the Word of God!

First Sunday of Advent (Year A)

Dec 1, 2019 Views 969 Listen 28 Downloads 0
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First Reading

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (2:1-5)

This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In days to come, the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it; many peoples shall come and say: "Come, let us climb the Lord's mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths." For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalms of David (122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5)


(R) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

I rejoiced because they said to me, "We will go up to the house of the Lord." And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem. (R)

Jerusalem, built as a city with compact unity. To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord. (R)

According to the decree for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. In it are set up judgment seats, seats for the house of David. (R)

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May those who love you prosper! May peace be within your walls, prosperity in your buildings. (R)

Because of my relatives and friends I will say, "Peace be within you!" Because of the house of the Lord, our God. I will pray for your good. (R)

Second Reading

A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans (13:11-14)

Brothers and sisters: You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and lust, not in rivalry and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Gospel

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (24:37-44)

Jesus said to his disciples: "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."

(P) The Gospel of the Lord.
(R) Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

Bamboos have long been known to survive extreme climatic conditions, where most plants cannot, and to live for more than 120 years. They are also considered one of the most versatile plants on earth because of their innumerable uses. Unlike trees, bamboos have hollow stems but remain very solid and strong. As such, they are extensively used for construction, flooring, furniture, household items and other handicrafts. Young and tender bamboo stems, leaves, and shoots are staple diet of many animals, including pandas, elephants, and gorillas.

Some animals even seem to get drunk from the fermented bamboo stems and behave in much the same way as human beings do when drunk. Bamboo shoots are used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat asthma, coughs and gallbladder disorders. Furthermore, in many Asian cultures, the shoots are cooked and eaten as vegetables because they are rich in proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, fibres, and minerals, and have very low fat. They are so delicious and nutritious that the Japanese call it the "King of Forest Vegetables".

There are over 1200 known bamboo species worldwide. But several studies regard "moso bamboo" as the most valuable due to its usage not only as timber but also for food. The reason for seemingly important and unlimited benefits of moso bamboo is attributed to its growth pattern. Bamboo growers say that after the "moso" is planted, there is no visible sign whatsoever of growth for up to five years, even under ideal conditions. Then, as if by magic, it suddenly begins growing at the rate of nearly two and half feet per day - reaching a full height of ninety feet within six weeks. But in fact, it is not a magic.

The rapid growth of the plant is due to the miles of roots it develops during those first five years - "five years of getting ready". All in all, this plant teaches us many amazing practical lessons for life, especially to us, Christians. It teaches us patience, faith, perseverance, growth, flexibility, strength and most of all, it teaches us that we must take deep roots "below ground", in order to bear great fruits "above ground". Yes, indeed! For a true and everlasting joy, happiness, and peace, we must be rooted in Jesus Christ.

Today, as we begin again a new liturgical year as well as the season of Advent with the lighting of the first purple candle, which symbolizes hope, we must keep in mind three comings of Christ - the coming of Christ in Bethlehem over two thousand years ago; the second coming or the return of Christ in glory at the end of time, an imminent event that could occur at any time; and the coming of Christ today in the sacraments and the life of the Church, and in our daily lives.

Today's second reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans focuses on the second coming of Christ, Romans (13:11-14). Like the other apostles and the early followers of Jesus, Saint Paul certainly believed that Christ would, suddenly and unexpectedly, return to earth in glory within his lifetime to judge the nations and divide the righteous from the wicked and, establish His reign of true justice, love and peace. This was in accordance with the promise of Jesus who had warned his disciples to be alert and ready for they were not even going to know the time or the season, Mark (13:32). However, Paul's writings indicate that he was not so much concerned about the exact time of Christ's return but rather the believers' preparedness for it.

Seeing signs of spiritual sluggishness or dullness among the believers in Rome, Paul used imageries to encourage them to consider Christ's return as a chief motivation to live active Christian life. He wrote, "You know the time", Romans (13:11a). While Jesus had said no one, including Himself, knew the exact time of his return, Paul wrote, "you know the time". What did Paul mean by "you know the time"? Here, Paul did not refer to the general or physical time, i.e. the time which is shown by a standard clock but rather the biblical time, i.e. the current or present time; the time they were living in. Paul then explained himself by adding, "It is the hour now for you to awake from sleep", Romans (13:11a). We can understand Paul's expression this way. Just imagine how we wake up often. We set the alarm clock to wake up in the morning and we do know what time we would wake up.

Yet, if we are awakened from deep sleep suddenly when the alarm clock goes off, we wake up a bit confused and disoriented, not knowing where we are and what time it is. It does not dawn on us that now is the time to wake up. It takes a while to regain some perspective. Paul used this imagery to remind the Roman believers that the time, which they were living in, was the time of salvation; the time to meet Jesus face to face. And because those believers were not consciously aware of the time or the event, the coming of Christ, Paul urged them "to wake up from sleep": that is, to shake off their spiritual lethargy, laziness and retardation. Furthermore, Paul gave a reason for the urgency saying "Our salvation is nearer than when we first believed", Romans (13:11b). In baptism, the Romans had rejected sin and, with faith and courage started seeking the life of joy, peace, and eternal happiness. But at this point, Paul reminded them that the time to experience them in all their fullness was much nearer due to Jesus' return soon.

However, Paul warned them, "The night is advanced, the day is at hand", Romans (13:12a). What did Paul mean by this? In the Bible, the time of the absence of Jesus is compared to night and darkness, while the time of the presence of Jesus is compared to day and light. So, by saying that "the night is advanced, the day is at hand" Paul implied that while the "night" is almost gone, it is still present; the day has already dawned, but is not fully present. In other words, even though Jesus has already conquered sin, death, and evil through His own birth, life, death, and resurrection, and made all things new, the full transformation has not yet been completed and will not be so until His return at the second coming and the resurrection of the dead at that time.

And therefore, through a "clothing" imagery, which he has repeatedly used in his Epistles, Ephesians (4:22-24; 6:11-17), Galatians (3:27) and Colossians (3:14-17) to underscore the importance of real change or transformation in Christian life, Paul exhorted the Christians in Rome to "throw off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light", Romans (13:12b). That is to say, like the one who takes off the old, dirty clothes or the piece of clothing one is wearing at day's end, the believers were told to discard their evil or sinful acts and cover themselves with the armour of right living.

Furthermore, Paul specified the sins and admonished the believers not to take part in them. At the time of Paul, wild gatherings involving excessive drinking, sexual promiscuity, lust and fighting, frequently used to take place at the festivals of the pagan gods in the darkness of the night. Sadly, the Roman Christians were also indulging themselves in this type of illicit behaviour. Hence, Paul wrote, "Let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and lust, not in rivalry and jealousy", Romans (13:13b). Now, Paul included himself in this exhortation, to encourage all the believers. In the New Testament, the word "conduct" or "behave" is, most commonly, used figuratively to refer to how a believer lives his day-to-day life; whatever a person chooses to look at, to listen to, to say, to think and to do.

So, when Paul admonished the Romans to "conduct themselves properly", he meant that their every thought, word and deed must befit or demonstrate the character of a Christian. By "properly" Paul did not mean "perfectly". However, this caveat is not meant to give us an excuse to behave licentiously, but rather to keep us from disappointment and frustration in those times when we do fail. Remember the only person to behave properly with perfection was Jesus Christ. By "as in the day", Paul meant that they should behave just as people behave during the day when everyone can see their actions which is in contrast to those who behave in the dark, where no one sees their actions. Paul then concluded by saying, "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for "the desires of the flesh", Romans (13:14b). In other words, he exhorted the Christians to live by Christ and live out Christ and, not to easily give into carnal impulses.

What is the message for us?

  • Paul seemingly believed that the return of Christ would be very soon, in his own lifetime. Even our Lord Jesus, at various points during His earthly ministry, hinted that it is very close. He said that this generation, will not pass away before all these things have happened, Matthew (24:34). But of course, it has not happened yet and, we have no idea how long we will have to wait, but both Jesus and Paul are telling us that we must live as if it is just about to happen. However, the imageries in the text serve to tell us more about who we are and who we should be in the present time, rather than the nearness of Christ's return.
  • Before we were baptized, salvation was far away. But from the day we were baptized, we are on a spiritual journey, on the road to salvation. And with each day of our life in Christ, with each day of our life following Christ's teachings with devotion and love, salvation is coming closer and closer. Imagine, if the earliest church believed that the return of Jesus Christ was near, how much closer could it be today than it was over two thousand years ago. This is all the more reason to be spiritually awake and to live expectantly.
  • Like the early Christians of Rome, unfortunately, there are Christians today,
    • who are simply going through the motions of praying, fasting and attending church services without any real direction or purpose;
    • who are living a life of pursuing material possessions and carnal pleasures;
    • who are having little zeal for a wholehearted conversion to Christ and His Way; and
    • who are making no progress in spiritual life.
    If you realize here and now that you are among those Christians then know that it is high time, it is the hour for you to awake out of sleep and to be on guard, because you do not know when Jesus returns.
  • It can be understandable, if an "unbeliever" or a "non-believer", whom the Bible regards as someone who is outside the faith, either by choice or the person hasn't been told; who does not believe in Jesus; who is ignorant of God and His Word and practices rebellion in regard to those things, to live in darkness and engage in works of darkness, such as, lusts, drunkenness, revelry etc.

    But it is unjustifiable, if a "believer", who, according to the Bible, is a child of God, born again by faith in Jesus Christ, Acts (2:44); who knows God and the Scriptures 2 Corinthians (4:4) and 1 Corinthians (1:18); who follows Jesus "the light of the world" and has "the light of life", John (8:12) to live in darkness and take part in the works of darkness. But unfortunately, many of us are believers who conveniently disregard God's teachings and live our lives no different from unbelievers and nonbelievers.

  • Paul's exhortation to the early Christians of Rome, serves as a reminder that we belong to Christ, not to the power of darkness; therefore, we should behave accordingly, not imitating the unbelievers, who do not know God or the gospel of Christ and are only doing "what comes naturally" when they behave improperly. While we may not be guilty of all the sins that Paul has mentioned, such as "carousing, drunkenness, sexual immorality, promiscuity, quarrelling, or jealousy", at least not in deed, we know that, to some extent and even if only in thought, we are guilty of some of these sins. If so, we can make use of the coming season of Advent to start once again to conduct ourselves in a manner befitting our Christian profession.
  • Just like the bamboo plant which develops strong roots deeper in the ground to support its potential for outward growth as well as to become a valuable plant providing lots of goods and services to humankind, we also need to develop strong and deep roots in Christ and in His Word, to be faithful to Christ and His teachings, so that we can bear fruits of holiness, righteousness, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, Romans (6:22) and Philippians (1:11). These are the fruits we bear, first to God, then to others, and lastly to ourselves.
(P) Amen.

God Bless You!

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