Advent-IV-C:  Mic 5:2-5a; Heb. 10:5-10; LK1:39-45

The wait is almost over. Christmas is only 5 days away. The Church gives us this 4th Sunday of Advent as a last reminder that Christ is coming. The first reading, from the book of Micah, reminds us that Christ is coming. “Bethlehem, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel.”

And then the gospel gives us the meeting of Elizabeth and Mary. The wait is almost over, and Elizabeth realizes it. She says: “How is it that the Mother of my Lord comes to me?” There’s a sense of anticipation, someone is coming. And he is The Prince of Peace.

There doesn’t seem to be a lot of peace in the world. Terrorist attacks abound. We have shootings in our own country. Evil and injustice can appear overwhelming. But in the first reading today, Micah tells us something more. The reading ends with these powerful words: “He shall be peace.”  When Jesus was born the first message the angels announced was “peace on earth”. Ever since man estranged himself from God, he lost his peace - Peace within himself, Peace with the nature and peace with God. And man’s search for peace continues throughout ages.

A story is told of a child who’s afraid of thunderstorms. One night there was a particular violent thunderstorm. The lightening was flashing outside, and each new crash of thunder sent a shiver down the child’s spine. He huddled underneath his covers, terrified and feeling very alone. During a momentary lull in the storm, he gathered the courage to leap out of bed and sprint down the hallway to his parents’ room. He hurtled into his parent’s bed, and hugged his mother for dear life. She hugged him back, and waited till he stopped shaking. Then she asked him a question. “Why didn’t you pray to God when you were so afraid in your room?” And his answer was very telling. “I tried to, but I needed something with skin on it.”

And when it comes to peace, we need something with skin on it to give us the guarantee that peace is possible. That’s why the promise of Micah in the first reading is so wonderful. “He will be our peace.” Peace is not an abstract idea. Peace is not a beautiful theory. Peace is a person, Jesus Christ, something with skin on it.

Why is He peace? Because, peace means wholeness. If we are not OK with God, then we can’t be at peace with ourselves or with others. St.Teresa of Calcutta used to say: “I’m not ok, and you’re not ok, and that’s why Jesus came.”But in Jesus, in the sacraments that make him present here today, we come to be at peace with God. In the sacrament of Reconciliation, our sins are forgiven and we’re at peace with God. In the Eucharist, we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ and we’re united to God.

 

Peace is a state of mind, and there is no point asking for peace in the world if, at the same time, we are constantly in a war mind state with one another: if we give strangers a bad look, if we ignore other human beings around us, if we argue with strangers while driving and if physical fights break out for the most trivial things. 

We have to make peace within ourselves first, then within our family. Peace with our neighbors and peace with the strangers we encounter outside. Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise or trouble. Peace means to be in the midst of all the chaos and still be calm in the heart. The real peace is the state of mind, not the state of the surroundings. It comes from a mindset that is ready to accept others and serve others.

There is a Chinese saying that goes: “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.” For centuries, the greatest thinkers have suggested the same thing: Happiness is found in helping others. “We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.” said Winston Churchill.

Gospels present Mary as the perfect example of this. "Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country to visit Elizabeth” When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb and she cried out, “blessed are you among women.”

Mary was an instrument to bring the prince of peace into this world. Today the same mission is given to each one of us. To be an instrument of peace.

Making someone else feel good is more rewarding and longer-lasting than anything else. So building up a reserve of happiness through acts of service could increase our inner peace. And that will be our best preparation to welcome the Prince of Peace.

We may call ourselves true Christians only if our lives express Christ by our own peace. We must never allow grudges to be rekindled in us in any way… may we never risk the life of our souls by being resentful or by bearing grudges.

Am I bearing a grudge against someone? Ask God to free me from that. Am I resentful against God, against someone else, or about a particular situation in my life? Let that go.

And do we want to know the best way to do that? By giving thanks to God. Let’s take Paul’s advice today in gaining peace for our life:  “With thanksgiving, present your petitions to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”