Fourth Sunday of Advent 2024

God is constantly calling us back to Him and seeking us to renew our commitments to Him. He does not just seek a half-hearted “yes” to His call, but a decisive turn of heart towards Him and our neighbor (Mal 3:24). Sometimes this turn of heart confuses those who are close to us, especially if they expect us to act a certain way. We see the shock people have when Elizabeth and Zechariah decide to name their child John, against the traditional custom, due to the angel Gabriel’s message to them. But also note, as Zechariah takes the decisive step to follow God’s will for his life, “immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God.” (Lk 1:64). And those who were originally opposed to this decision were in awe and took the events to heart (Lk 1:65-66). Following God along His path frees us and gives us joy, even in the midst of life’s difficulties, and this is picked up by those around us.

The Advent season is a wonderful opportunity for turning our hearts back to Christ. Each day of life we are called to turn back to the Lord’s path, but the Church has instituted particular seasons focused on this to help reinvigorate our efforts. In Advent, we anticipate Christ’s Second Coming by examining our life and seeing what needs to be changed. Just as Zechariah surely had to reflect on his decision to follow God’s will after a previous fall, we also must examine our lives and bring them into conformity with Christ. In a few days, we will celebrate in joy at Christmas, when we are truly made present to Christ’s birth on earth through the liturgy. We ourselves must internalize this mystery, take it to heart, and allow it to change our life into that of Christ.