Sermon for the 4th Sunday of Advent, December 19th, 2021

 In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

My dearly beloved in Our Lord,

Today St Paul reminds us that we are “servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.” (Epistle) A steward must be trustworthy, he explains.
What is the stewardship to which we have been appointed? - Divine Revelation, Redemption and all the means that Christ has given us so that he may remain with us until the end of times, through the Church which he has founded.
As I have often told you by now, Catholic doctrine is mostly about making the right distinctions in the right places. It is true that we possess nothing in this world, being only “migrants”, strangers and pilgrims on earth between our birth and death. This in no way contradicts private property – Catholics are not to be taken for Communists!
The right distinction to be used here, is that we possess nothing as coming from our own self, or with an absolute right or freedom of use. Everything has been created by God, and entrusted to the care, the stewardship of man; and man will have to give a most rigorous account of his stewardship to God.
Therefore we must be trustworthy and faithful and loyal, as a steward must be with regards to the things entrusted to him by his master.
Today's Gospel is a most beautiful illustration of true and untrue, faithful or unfaithful stewardship.
We have mentioned St John the Baptist before during this Advent season. He is the forerunner announcing the coming of the promised Savior. He is being found loyal to him who has sent him, to such extent that Our Lord attributes him the first place among those born from women (Mt 11,11, i.e. the verse following the Gospel of the 2nd Sunday of Advent). Today he announces what his listeners should do, in the words of the Prophet Isaias: Prepare the ways of the Lord... all mankind (flesh) shall see the salvation of God. (cf. Gospel, end)
But before speaking about John, St Luke, as a striking contrast, is mentioning the temporary rulers of that time in Palestine. Not only are they the historical witnesses and proofs of Christ’s true coming and Passion; but also have they been very unfaithful stewards! The Holy Land is divided among all kinds of rulers – the land which had been promised to Abraham and given to his posterity, the Hebrews, after several centuries. What had once been the desire of all the just, is now degraded to a series of small counties being ruled by princes who cannot stand each other.
But not only the land is divided, even the religious leadership is disunited. Two high priests are being named although there could only be one single acting high priest in the Old Testament – as there is also one Pope ruling Holy Church (when there is a Pope). This was because a former high priest would also keep his title – and his influence, of course.
Thus we see that, much like today, the natural and supernatural institutions which God had given to mankind for its material and spiritual benefit had become a hostage of human desire for power and wealth. Mankind has forgotten about the all-powerful, the almighty God who has created and who is sovereignly governing the world. As a consequence God is leaving man to his own devices for his punishment. For can we not see how true Our Lord's word is: “Every kingdom divided in itself will be devastated; and no city or house divided in itself will last” (Mt 12,25)?
The family is falling to pieces because it has been divided – over 200 years ago a deadly virus, that of civil divorce, totally contrary to Our Lord's institution (cf. Mt 19,6), has been introduced into Europe which was on a long descent into apostasy. Civil divorce has laid this most important of divine-human institutions, the family, in ruins.
The state is falling to pieces because it cannot stand upright without sane and strong families; and because it has given itself over to greed and lust as its ruling powers.
Even the spiritual kingdom instituted by Our Lord, in as much as it can be altered by man, has been laid waste. Its princes, led by apostate-minded popes, have sought to “conform themselves to the world” – an enterprise explicitly condemned by Our Lord (passim) and the Apostles (Jac 4,4).
What is the remedy? What is our hope? The same as that of all ages! Christ Our Lord, coming into this world “propter nos homines, et propter nostram salutem – because of us humans, and for our salvation” (Creed); coming in no other form but in humility, poverty, purity, integrity. He, the prince of peace announced by Isaias, chooses not to be born in a prince's palace, but in the meekness, humility and poverty of the heavenly King described by the Gospels. As he has been the guiding light of “all those who have received him” (Jn 1,12), and to whom therefore “he has given power to become children of God” (ibid.), so he shall be our guiding star in this utter darkness of all human institutions and in this eclipse of the light of Holy Church.
Let us make a great effort during these last days of Advent, and all throughout Christmas time, to clear the way for his coming, and to keep that road clear.
Let us focus on the Emmanuel, God-with-us announced by the Prophet Isaias (Is 7:14). Nothing shall disturb us, as St Therese of Avila prayed, all things pass; God alone remains, God alone suffices. Let us stand, as faithful servants and stewards, by Christ Our King in Bethlehem and on Calvary – for he has come to save us by dying on the Cross – and we will be safe, and set for Heaven!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.