Advent: The Goal of Salvation

 Reflection on Today's Readings, Friday of 4th Week of Advent, Year C, December 24th, 2021
Texts: 2 Samuel 7: 1-5.8b-12. 14a.16; Ps. 89:2-5.27.29; Luke 1:67-79
We need to ask ourselves today the goal of our salvation. Are we save to be rich. Perhaps, we are saved to be powerful people. Some of us do not believe they are saved until God solves their problem. For some people to be saved is to be free of challenge. For some the goal of salvation is to make us pious. Today, being the last day of Advent, we are told the goal of salvation.
The goal of our salvation is revealed to Zechariah in today's gospel reading. Being filled with the Holy Spirit, he says, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, ... to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life". We are saved to serve God in holiness and righteousness. This means the goal of being saved is to render service to God in holiness and righteousness.
King David is given, in today's first reading, as a person who fulfilled the goal of salvation. Before David could become king, he had to fight a lot of enemies and defeat them. King Saul was against him and determined to kill him so that he could not become King. However, God wiped out all his enemies before him and granted him the throne. At the defeat of his enemies, God raised him up to become the king of the whole Israel. Having witnessed God's salvation, he decided to build a house for God, a place to worship Him. Hence, in the first reading, it is said, "Now when King David dwelt in his house, and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies round about, the king said to Nathan the prophet, 'See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.'”
Just like David, our salvation must give glory and honour to God, that is, being saved we are to serve God in holiness and righteousness, we are to live to the glory of God. Being saved, we are to submit to the will of God. We are saved to give our time to God.
Today we recall when our forefathers in faith were at the threshold of salvation, for the following day Christ was born. As we call to mind that day, we are to examine ourselves whether we still keep the purpose of the birth of the Christ, whom we claim to believe in. If we have missed the goal of the birth of the Saviour, today, we are reminded to come back to the right path, which is the service of God in holiness and righteousness. As from today's evening we start to celebrate the birth of our Saviour.  The celebration we make meaning only to those who fulfil its purpose.

Lord God, thank You for revealing to us the goal of salvation, help us to keep the goal; grant that we may serve You in holiness and righteousness. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke