Homily for the Second Saturday of Advent
By Fr. Williams Onyilo, CSSp
Readings: Ecclesiasticus 48:1–4, 9–12; Matthew 17:10–13
When people die, those who remain often recount the good they did while alive. Sometimes these memories are written down and read at the funeral, especially when the deceased lived a virtuous life. In today’s liturgy, the Church invites us to remember two such remarkable figures: St. Lucy and the prophet Elijah.
Lucy is remembered as a woman of unwavering faith. She consecrated her virginity to Christ, refused a wealthy pagan suitor, and was denounced for being a Christian. She gave her wealth to the poor, refused to sacrifice to the emperor, and even refused to be forced into prostitution. Tradition tells us that neither fire nor cruelty could break her, her body would not burn, and her eyes could not be destroyed. She remained steadfast until she gave her life for Christ.
Elijah, too, is praised in today’s first reading. Sirach describes him as a fiery prophet whose words blazed like a torch. He sealed the heavens so that rain did not fall for three years. He called down fire from heaven on three occasions. And in the end, he was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind with horses and a chariot of fire. A life of divine power and uncompromising mission.
Bringing it closer to our own time, I recall a priest in Lagos of whom many beautiful things were said. He welcomed seminarians who were struggling in their formation. During the Covid–19 lockdowns, he cared for those who had no food and nowhere to turn. He loved children, supported their talents, and completed a school building that served them. He worked tirelessly with his parishioners, helped a brother priest acquire a car, and refused the enticements of corrupt elders—choosing integrity over comfort.
This brings us to a personal and sobering question: What will be said of me when I leave this world? What legacy am I building? What memories of goodness will others recount because of the life I lived?
As we continue our Advent journey, may God grant us the grace to live in such a way that we leave the world better than we met it. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
