Discovering the fullness, the Godliness and the humanness in Christ
Fourth Sunday in Advent - December 24, 2023
2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-12,14,16; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38
The Fourth Sunday of Advent invites us to discover the Reign, which we have been expecting, preparing and celebrating in the weeks that have gone by. This year, the fourth sunday already marks the eve of the great feast of Incarnation, bringing much more into focus the intimate relationship between the mystery of Incarnation and the promise of the Reign. In a few hours we shall already begin our festivities of Christmas, an event that generations have been waiting for in centuries - the Word becoming flesh.
The first and foremost affirmation in this regard is an oft-repeated truth which we have more than once underscored during this season - the Reign is not something that has to come from elsewhere. It is in our midst and it needs only to be discovered, uncovered, unraveled, beheld. The disposition to discover the Reign is a fundamental capacity that we are called to grow in - the capacity to understand and recognise the fullness, the Godliness and the humanness that stand revealed in Christ.
The key is in these two terms that can summarise, not only the readings of today, but the entire message of Incarnation - 'revelation' and 'response'. Incarnation that we are preparing to celebrate, is indeed a self-revelation of God, entreating a response from humanity. This we see all through the salvation history of the creation - right from the moment sin entered the realm of existence, God's promise has been alive to redeem the whole creation and restore it to life. The plan of this redemptive love was revealed to humanity in varied ways, through the prophets where were sent to "go and tell" as we see in the first reading today, through events and experiences, and finally through the person of Jesus Christ, the promise come alive. All through the beckoning call was that human persons and humanity, as representatives of the whole creation, respond to this revelation from their hearts.
That the redemptive design of God shall be fulfilled only when we respond to, in our inner freedom, is exemplified in the Christ event - where Mary beholds the revelation and responds to it whole heartedly: I am the handmaid of the Lord, where Jesus beholds his call to be the Lamb of God and responds in all sincerity: thy will be done. Revelation and Response summarise the crucial dynamic of the Reign, which remains to be discovered.
Discovering the fullness in Christ: Discovering the Reign is discovering the Fullness in Christ. In Christ we see the fullness of everything, the fullness of the entire creation. We are called to recognise that fullness in Christ, "who alone is wisdom" as St Paul reminds us in the first reading today. The Word, the Wisdom, the Son of God reveals to us that our life's meaning is in our union with God. It is this perfect union with God that will amoung to the Reign of God - the fullness that we have lost due to our confused priorities, compromised principles and complicated personal choices - which we call in a word, "sins". It is only Christ, who comes to be like us in everything but sin, who can manifest to us this fullness that can take us to the promised salvation.
Discovering the Godliness in Christ: Discovering the Reign is recognising the Godliness in Christ, who is the visible image of invisible God, in whom God was pleased to have all God's fullness dwell (Col 1:15, 19). The world thought it was making space for Christ when he came - the famous Christmas narration is that isn't it - that he came unto his own and his own received him not (Jn 1:11)! But like David in the first reading today, the world thinks it has to accomodate God and give God the space or decide whether God will have a space or not here. How foolish and childish of us to look at it that way! Is it not God who sustains us and wills us to exist, and accomplish all that we do? We will do well to recognise that and come to terms with that truth as soon as possible in our lives, and stop making of ourselves the fools that the Psalmist spoke of - "the fool says in his heart, there is no God" (Ps 14:1). Christ comes to reveal to us Godliness in such simple terms, for us to see, behold and understand.
Discovering the humanness in Christ: Discovering the Reign is learning to see the humanness in Christ. There is no doubt Christ revealed God to us, but more primarily, he revealed ourselves to us; Christ revealed to us who we really are - the children of a Loving Father, the image of a Compassionate God, the beloveds of a Searching Shepherd, the covenantal people of a God madly in love with God's own! Humanness is all these - it is not merely about sinfulness and limitedness, selfishness and craftiness - it is about love, compassion, forgiveness and relationship. Jesus reveals that in his very self, in his life choices and in his fathomless fidelity to his Father. Our humanness has to strive to reflect the humanness that Jesus reveals, and that is the challenge of discovering the Reign.
The season of Advent is coming to an end, with this clarion call - to discover the Reign amidst us, to behold it and to sustain it, that the entire creation will know and realise the immense love of God. We are very close to contemplating the great event of incarnation - the highest revelation of God's love to world. May these few hours left aid us to meditate more on the loving mystery we are about to behold and celebrate.