Homily for
the 4th Sunday of Advent
21 December 2014
21 December 2014
Just as the term Church refers to the living temple, God's
People, the term Church also has been used to describe "the building in
which the Christian community gathers to hear the word of God, to pray
together, to receive the sacraments, and celebrate the Eucharist." That
building is both the house of God on earth (domus
Dei) and a house fit for the prayers of the saints (domus ecclesiae). Such a house of prayer must be expressive of the
presence of God and suited for the celebration of the sacrifice of Christ, as
well as reflective of the community that celebrates there.
Built of Living
Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship, 16
God’s
dwelling.
That’s
where we’re at.
That’s
who we are.
That’s
what we’re trying to build.
That’s
who we’re trying to be.
Our
First Reading retells the story of David’s desire to build God a proper
dwelling place, a temple. While we know that it was eventually Solomon who
built the first Temple, God reassures David that He dwells among His people. He
also assures David that there will be a descendent that will arise from His
people who will be the fulfillment of David’s kingship and royal heritage.
Fast-forward
one thousand years: A young woman fulfilling the duties of her day has the
experience of an angel of the Lord coming to her, telling her that she is to be
the Mother of the Son of God. God, again, reassuring His people that He
continues to dwell among them. However, by becoming one of us, God fulfills His
promise, and His Son, the One to be named “Jesus”, will bring to fruition what
David had started centuries before: Namely, the establishment of the Kingdom of
God – a Kingdom which will have no end.
Now
jump ahead two thousand years to today: The Kingdom of God continues to be
present in our world, but not in Its fullness. Yes, He continues to dwell among
His people; His presence is abides among us. We build these great buildings in
His honor for His presence to reside – these domus Dei, these domus
ecclesiae. But it is not here that our Lord wishes to ultimately dwell.
Rather, as we
know, He wishes to dwell within us, we who are His living Temples.
Yet, as we are
remember how a church building must be
expressive of the presence of God and suited for the celebration of the
sacrifice of Christ, so must we, as
Temples of the Lord, be a fitting place for the Lord to dwell.
On this Fourth and
final Sunday of Advent, Mary’s example of preparing herself for so great a
calling urges us to take a look at our lives and ponder if we are prepared to
accept a similar calling. Mary, the greatest Temple and first tabernacle to
house the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, provides the
model par excellence of what it means
to be prepared to house Him who desires nothing more than to dwell with those
who He hopes desires Him.
So the question
arises: What is it that makes us as Temples lacking in the expressive presence
of God? How suited are we for the celebration of the Paschal Mystery, as well
as the Mystery of the Incarnation, in our lives?
In these last days
heading toward the celebration of Christmas, what have we allowed through the “temple
gates” to defile the dwelling of the Most High? Has it been the sins of
gluttony, sloth, envy or lust? Has it been an addiction to alcohol, drugs, tobacco
or pornography? Have we slandered the character of another through gossip? Have
we used people to get what we desire, not really caring about their well-being?
Have we neglected the needs of the poor? Have we allowed anger to fester in our
hearts, prohibiting the repentance or forgiveness that we seek or another seeks
from us? Have we respected the gift of life and the dignity of the human person
from conception to natural death? Have we immorally used artificial birth
control? Have we simply presumed the mercy of God in the Sacrament of
Reconciliation or performed the sacrilege of receiving the Eucharist while a
mortal sin rests on our soul?
If we answered “yes”
to any of these questions, what are we planning to do to make of ourselves a
worthy dwelling for the Lord?
If we’re able to
receive the Eucharist this day, how will we allow that great Sacrament to not
only abide inside us – these Temples made of clay – but also to purify that
which is impure in our lives? If we’re unable to receive the Eucharist this
day, how does our desire to share in the Sacrament prompt us to be reconciled
to God and our brothers and sisters?
As members and
heirs of the Kingdom of God, it is up to us to direct all of our thoughts,
words and actions to the continual building up of the Kingdom. All the same, as
living stones of the Temple of God, we must
be expressive of the presence of God and suited for the celebration of the
sacrifice of Christ.
While
this physical building reflects the spiritual reality that we live, we strive
to become both the house of God
on earth (domus Dei) and a house fit for
the prayers of the saints (domus
ecclesiae), since we are called to be a living house of
God while we are on this Earth and a place where we can develop our vocation to
be saints.
At
the end of this Advent season, we once again look to Mary to be that example
for us to learn what it means to be open to the movement of the Holy Spirit so
that we, too, may be living Temples of God. We look to the Blessed Mother to be
for us that paradigm of what it means to allow the presence of Christ to be
housed in us – Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity – as we carry out the vocation to
be living tabernacles of His dwelling in the world. We ready ourselves in a
special way in these closing days of preparation for Christ’s coming in giving
of ourselves to God with reckless abandon so that Christ may be birthed through
our thoughts, words and actions. And we prepare ourselves for the day that the
establishment of the Kingdom of God is fulfilled – and we, God willing, can
share in the eternal inheritance promised to us.
God’s
dwelling.
That’s
where we’re at.
That’s
who we are.
That’s
what we’re trying to build.
That’s
who we’re trying to be.
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Enjoy the journey . . .
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