Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures and as we continue to progress through this blessed time and season of Advent, all of us are reminded that the Lord alone is our hope and our strength, and the sure source of salvation and liberation from our troubles, challenges and trials. Each and every one of us should always do our best so that we may indeed be focused on the Lord and remember all that He had done for us, particularly in this blessed season and time of Advent when we are preparing to welcome the Lord into our hearts, minds, into our beings and our homes, and celebrate His coming into our midst at Christmas, as we all gather in faith as one united people of God.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the words of the Lord to His people in the kingdom of Judah, giving them reassurance and confidence that if they all put their faith and trust in Him, they will be guarded and protected, and they will be prosperous and strong. All of these would have resonated very well with the people of Judah, which at the time of the ministry of the prophet Isaiah, had been beset by many difficulties and troubles. Those among us who are familiar with the history of the kingdom of Judah and the prophets would have known that the prophet Isaiah ministered to the people of God during the reigns of the King Ahaz and Hezekiah of Judah, and during the reign of the latter, the Assyrians had come to destroy their northern neighbour, the Kingdom of Israel, and then went on to besiege Jerusalem and beset Judah with their mighty army under King Sennacherib.

Therefore, in the context of what the people of Judah and Jerusalem have experienced at that time, it was indeed a soothing and comforting message that the Lord has brought to His people, reassuring them all of His protection and help, so that despite the many challenges and trials that they all may have to face, the Lord will provide for them. For the case of King Sennacherib of Assyria and his mighty force that came to Jerusalem to besiege it, God destroyed most of that mighty force through His Angel, and wiped off the pride, ego and hubris of that wicked king, who also claimed that he was greater than God Himself, by saying that not even God could have saved the people of Jerusalem and Judah from his forces.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Lord Who spoke to His disciples and followers using a parable to show and teach them, using the parable of the foundations or the houses, in which He compared what happened when people built their houses on the shaky foundation of sand versus the firm and strong foundation of rock. He mentioned how those who placed their trust in the other things besides the Lord, they are like those who have built their houses upon the loose and weak foundation of sand, which is easily destroyed by the forces of nature. Meanwhile, those who have placed their trust and faith in the Lord are like those who have built their houses upon the firm foundation of rock, which would endure even against the greatest challenges.

All that we heard in our Scripture readings today are reminders for each and every one of us that we should always put the Lord at the centre and the focus of our lives, and we should not be afraid or fearful because God will always be by our side, providing for our needs and protecting us. And while we may suffer and endure hardships, trials and tribulations, but in the end, all of us will be triumphant with God, and the Lord will lead us all into His loving and holy Presence, to enjoy forever the fruits of His inheritance and promises. This is what all of us should remind ourselves and one another during this season of Advent, when we are reminded again and again of everything that God had done for us through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, coming down into this world to save us.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of one of the great saints of God, a truly renowned Church father and a devoted man of God, shepherd to his large number of flocks, both within his diocese, as well as those in the larger Universal Church that he has ministered to, and inspired in following the Lord and His path. St. Ambrose of Milan was one of the early Church fathers and was a very influential Church leader as the Bishop of Milan, which is today part of northern Italy. St. Ambrose of Milan was renowned for his works as bishop, his great piety and devotion to God, and for his inspirational leadership of the Church, within Milan and beyond, during the times of great divisions, struggles and conflicts, both within and outside the Church at that time.

St. Ambrose himself was once an important Roman governor and statesman, born into a very prominent Roman family, with his father being a very senior member of the Roman governance, as a praetorian prefect in some accounts. He was born into a Christian family and was brought up well in the faith as well as academically, eventually making his way to be the governor of Liguria province in what is now part of northern Italy, centred in Milan. It was there then St. Ambrose was trust into the limelight in the Church because of the divisions and rivalries that happened at the time between the followers of the Orthodox and true faith against those who sided with the heresy of Arianism. The bishop of Milan, one known as Auxentius, an Arian heretic, died and his succession was very contentious.

St. Ambrose of Milan came to prevent any uproar and rioting that happened because of the disagreements during the election, only for him to be acclaimed by everyone assembled as bishop, which led to St. Ambrose being properly baptised, ordained and then consecrated as the new Bishop of Milan. St. Ambrose proved to be a great bishop and administrator, and a great shepherd to his flock. He helped to reform the Church and then was involved in combatting the heresy of Arianism that had spread over much of Christendom at that time. He even courageously went up against the Roman authorities, many of whom favoured Arianism back then, including the many high level clergy throughout the Empire and the Church.

St. Ambrose championed the cause of the true, orthodox faith, and did not hesitate to use his power and influence to overcome the grip that Arianism and its heretical teachings had on the Church and the Empire. Later on in his life and ministry, he did not hesitate to chastise a powerful and mighty Emperor, Theodosius the Great, for his irresponsible and wicked action in being an accomplice in the slaughter and destruction of innocents in the great city of Thessalonica. Eventually, the Emperor himself relented and as a penitent, in sackcloth and ashes, came humbly before the Bishop of Milan, St. Ambrose himself, and was reconciled to the Lord and His Church. There were many other great things that this great and holy man of God had done for the Church and for God’s people, and they should inspire all of us to be faithful in the manner that St. Ambrose himself had done.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore do our best so that we may always be faithful in the Lord, and that we may always be focused on Christ, the very reason why we celebrate Christmas, and why we spend this time to prepare ourselves this Advent, spiritually and wholly. Let us all do our part so that we may indeed be filled with the true joy of Christmas, and be ever more focused and committed to the Lord at all times. May our every actions, words and deeds be filled with true and genuine faith in God, and may all of us draw ever closer to Him, now and always, in all circumstances. Amen.