“Embracing the Blessing” – Fr. Bob’s Homily for Sunday, December 18, 2022

The name “Emmanuel” referred to in both our first reading and our gospel means, literally, “God is with us”. In the prophet Isaiah, the word refers to God’s presence among his people through his Messiah, or Saviour, who will come from the line of king David and whom all of Israel were waiting for through many hundreds of years. In our gospel, the name “Emmanuel” is applied to Jesus, soon to be born of Mary, for Jesus is to be the long-awaited Messiah and Savior. But Matthew makes clear through the angel’s message to Joseph, that what Jesus will save us from is the deadly power of sin, and not any earthly power such as the Romans or King Herod, as the Jews had been expecting. 

Jesus comes into the world to save us, therefore, not to condemn us. John’s gospel tells us that: ”God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17). You would think that would be seen as a good thing, a blessing, to be welcomed and enjoyed. And yet, again and again, I come across people who seem to want nothing whatsoever to do with Jesus, almost as if they are afraid he will do them harm. Story of wanting to bless a woman and she saying “No” and of wanting to pray healing for someone and they refusing – why? And yet many millions throughout the world will be drawn this Christmas to the Nativity scene and bask in the comfort, hope and peace that it seems to exude. Back in my hometown in London, it was quite a familiar sight to have men coming out of the pubs to stand at the back of church during Midnight Mass, and joining in the familiar carols while tears ran down their cheeks. But it would be very unlikely that any of them would want to go any further than that in embracing once again their long-abandoned Catholic faith. 

Jesus comes at Christmas as a baby, vulnerable and trusting and surrendered to us, and no threat at all (except to all those pro-choice advocates who seem to think a child in the womb is the worst kind of threat to the world). But this baby Jesus will grow up to be an adult, and in time, will end up on a cross, once more totally vulnerable, trusting and surrendered, in order to save us from our sins. And yet it is this same Jesus who now, as adult, is a threat to so many, a disturbing reality that has to be rejected ,pushed away, eliminated. Jesus faced this from his fellow – Jews while he was on earth. It hurt him and stung him and mystified him, especially when he went to his home town of Nazareth where he grew up and was known to everyone, and there he wants to lay hands on people to heal them, and they say “No”. Can you imagine how Jesus feels today when so many who used to belong to him have turned away and rejected him? Why do we do that to Jesus? Why do we stay away from him, when all he wants to do is bless us and heal us?

It is the same with King Ahaz in our first reading. You have to read the whole story to get onto what is really happening here, because at first sight it looks as if Ahaz is being pretty pious in refusing to  ask a sign from God that he will deliver him from the two nations who are threatening to attack his kingdom. “I will not put the Lord to the test“, king Ahaz says, and it is like the woman who wouldn’t let me pray for her healing, because she didn’t want to bother God, as he had more important things to do. But it is God himself who directed King Ahaz to ask for the sign, so here God wants to be put to the test , because he intends to fulfil his promise to deliver Ahaz and his capital city, Jerusalem, from attack. But Ahaz refuses to ask God for help, even though God wants to help him. Why? Because King Ahaz has already made up his mind what he is going to do. He will ask help from the great pagan nation, Assyria, even though it means he and his people will then become slaves of Assyria. Ahaz, king of Judah, does not want to ask help from his God, because he doesn’t want help from his God. He wants to do this himself, make his own plans and they will end up in disaster for him and his people. He refuses the blessing from God. Just  likethe two women I offered to pray blessing and healing on, who turned me down, they refused the blessing from God. 

How hurtful, how insulting to God, that, after all he has done to show us his great love and care for us, in creating us, in redeeming us through his Son, in sanctifying us through his holy Spirit, in calling us to share eternal happiness with him in heaven, we refuse him, we refuse his blessing. It puzzles me to no end, brothers and sisters, I have to say. Perhaps you have an answer. Why when God is continually sending his Son, Jesus ,in different ways into the world, in order to bless, heal and save the world, does the world insist in saying “NO” to him? On the other side of the world, millions are turning to Christ and receiving the blessing of the Christian faith daily – be it in Africa, in Asia, in so many Muslim countries – yes , there too, although there is a concerted effort from the imams to keep that fact secret, thousands of Moslems are having visitations from Jesus and being converted, even as each day, over here in the West, millions are turning away from Christian faith daily. This is a huge irony, folks. In years to come, these Muslim converts will be coming over to the West to evangelize us back into faith in Christ. Just as so many African and Asian priests, descendants of people who once used to be pagan, and were converted to Christianity by missionaries from the West, are now coming to work in Europe and North America, making up for the shortage of priests here . 

God will have his way, will find a way to break through our stubborn stony hearts and wills to bring blessing to us. But why does it always have to be a fight between him and us? Why do we so often have to hit rock bottom and be forced to turn from our stubborn “No” to God , to finally ask for his help and his healing and his blessing? Why cannot we model ourselves on Joseph, who, when assured by the angel  that the child to be born to his wife, Mary, was a blessing, and not a curse, immediately obeyed the command of the Lord, received the blessing and, in so doing, helped bring that blessing of salvation and healing to the world? St Paul says in our second reading today, that he was sent to bring about the obedience of faith to the pagans, so that they might receive the blessings of grace and peace that come to those who belong to Jesus Christ. We belong to Jesus Christ, brothers and sisters, through our baptism. If we have drawn away from our relationship to Christ for whatever reason, perhaps because we have been influenced by others to look with suspicion on what is meant to be for us a gift from God, maybe we can this Advent and Christmas open our hearts to embrace the blessing of Christ in our lives, for healing, forgiving, saving, and receive the gifts of grace and peace in this wonderful season. And then take that wonderful gift of Christ out to others who have never known him or have turned away from him.