Homily given by Bishop Anthony Randazzo
Bishop of Broken Bay
Fourth Sunday of Advent Year C
22 December 2024
The Presence of Christ Among Us
As we approach the final days of Advent, our journey of preparation reaches its highpoint. Today, the Fourth Sunday of Advent, the Word of God directs our attention to the greatest gift of all: the presence of God among us.
Today, we are invited to consider how Jesus Christ, the long-awaited Messiah, is coming into the world to fulfill God’s promises. Not as a distant hope, but now, as God who dwells among us. As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ in just a few days, might we focus on the deep truth that God is with us. This is the hope that sustains us, especially as we walk through life as pilgrims on the journey of Advent and beyond.
The prophet Micah speaks to us today of a humble and unexpected place — the town of Bethlehem: “You, Bethlehem Ephrathah, the least of the clans of Judah, out of you will be born for me the one who is to rule over Israel.” (Micah 5:2)
Micah’s prophecy, spoken over 700 years before the birth of Jesus, points to Bethlehem as the birthplace of the Messiah, the ruler who will bring peace and security. This small, seemingly insignificant town becomes the place where God’s promises will be fulfilled. It is here, in the humblest of surroundings, that the Saviour will be born. Micah’s words remind us that God often chooses the humble and the lowly to accomplish great works.
Jesus will not come in grandeur, but in humility — He will come to be among us, to walk with us, and to bring peace to our hearts. Bethlehem, a small town, becomes the place where God’s Kingdom of peace and justice will be established.
For us, this is a powerful reminder of where we encounter God: not necessarily in the places of power and prominence, but in the humble and everyday moments of life. As pilgrims of hope, we are called to recognize that Christ’s presence is with us, often in unexpected places, and that He comes to bring us peace, healing, and security.
This is the presence we celebrate at Christmas: not just a baby born in a manger, but the Saviour who comes to lay down His life for us. He comes to transform us, to invite us into a new relationship with God, and to restore what was broken.
For us, my sisters and brothers, this truth is a powerful source of hope: Christ’s presence is not passive or distant; it is active and life-giving. As pilgrims of hope, we walk towards the fulfillment of God’s Kingdom with the assurance that Jesus’ sacrifice is at the heart of that Kingdom. His presence, offered for us, is the foundation of our hope.
In today’s Gospel, we hear of the Visitation, when Mary, pregnant with Jesus, goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who is also expecting a child — John the Baptist. When Mary greets Elizabeth, the child leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, exclaims: “Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” (Lk 1:41-42)
The joy that Elizabeth experiences is a sign of the nearness of God’s presence. She recognizes that the Lord is truly with them in a new and tangible way — He is present in the womb of Mary, and that presence fills her with joy. The unborn John the Baptist, too, reacts to the presence of the Lord, as he leaps for joy within his mother’s womb.
Can we see in this moment a prophetic sign of the nearness of God. God’s presence is no longer distant or abstract; it is tangible, embodied in the person of Jesus Christ, who is with us even now. The joy that Elizabeth experiences is not just her own — it is the joy of all of creation, anticipating the coming of the Saviour. The presence of Jesus Christ brings joy, hope, and regeneration.
My sisters and brothers, as pilgrims of hope, we are called to rejoice in the nearness of Christ’s presence in our lives.
This Advent has been an invitation, given anew, to recognize that God-is-with-us.
As we have seen over these four weeks, Jesus’ presence is not something we await passively — it is something that we encounter now, in our lives, in our communities, and in the Word of God and in the sacraments. Just as Elizabeth and John leapt with joy at the presence of Christ, we too are called to respond with joy, knowing that Jesus Christ is with us and that His presence is the source of our hope.
As we prepare for the Jubilee Year 2025, we walk with hope, knowing that our sovereign God is with us, guiding us towards His Kingdom.
As we stand on the threshold of Christmas, might we reflect on the presence of Christ among us. He is the fulfillment of God’s promises, the Saviour who comes to dwell among us and to transform our lives and our world.
May this Advent prepare our hearts to recognize the presence of Jesus, and may we, like Elizabeth, leap for joy at the nearness of our Saviour.
Come, Lord Jesus. Maranatha. Amen.