EPIPHANY Behold the Light of the World My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the feast we celebrate today is called Epiphany. The word epiphany means, ‘a manifestation or revelation’. Literally, the word means a ‘drawing back of the veil’. Today we are celebrating the twelfth day of Christmas and the manifestation of Christ to the world, represented by the three wise men who came to visit the new born king of the Jews. Though we have one more Sunday to go in the season of Christmas, next week’s celebration of the Baptism of the Lord is already reflected in today’s celebration. Each one of us today is called to be a witness to Christ as saviour of the world by the Christian lives that we lead. Christ comes to meet us, to manifest himself to us, in a special way in each Mass. Let us always prepare to meet him. In the early Church the Epiphany celebrated three events of the life of Jesus: the visit of the Magi, the baptism of the Lord at the Jordan River, and the changing of the water into wine at the wedding feast of Cana. The Magis visit is seen as the manifestation of Jesus as King of the world, with the Maggi being the first gentiles to see him. The baptism of the Lord, which well celebrate on the coming Sunday, was remembered because this was the first revelation of Jesus Christ at the beginning of his public ministry. The third event of the Epiphany was the first miracle recorded in the Gospel of John, the changing of water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana, the beginning of the miraculous transformation of the world by the Messiah. The main focus of the Church on the Epiphany is the revelation of Jesus to the Gentiles, symbolised by the story of the Maggi. These pagan astrologers went beyond searching for the meaning of the strange star they saw. They completed their journey by worshipping the one who had been predicted by the Jewish prophet Micah as being born in Bethlehem. Their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh were returned to them in unfathomable joy they experienced in the presence of the Lord. First Reading (Isaiah 60:1-6) In the last few weeks of Advent, we have read a lot from Isaiah about the dramatic events that led to the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple. Many people especially the able-bodied ones were deported to Babylon and the once glorious city of Jerusalem was left just in its shadows. Isaiah however remained a messenger of hope in the midst of adversity. Even in very difficult situations he was able to see God at work for the good of His people. Isaiah’s inspiration might have come from the mountain top experience. In the morning, at sunrise, the city is flooded with sunshine, while the valleys are still immersed in the darkness of the night. Isaiah then prophesied, ‘arise, shine, for your light has come and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you’. The natural occurrence in the morning has become a sign of deliverance. Just like the city is resplendent with beauty when the sun appears, so also will it happen once more for Jerusalem. Isaiah saw in this vision, the very light of God, God’s glory. All those who had been taken into exile will return, and according to Isaiah, returning with their captors. It is a double victory for them. Above you the Lord now rises, above you his glory appears. This prophecy of Isaiah could only reach a perfect fulfilment in Christ. Christ is the light rising above Jerusalem. He brings back his captors as the victor. The Church becomes that New Jerusalem from where the Lord shines forth to all nations. The Church therefore constantly needs to rediscover its light and let it shine forth. It’s a kind of light that cannot be diminished. “You are the light of the world, a city built on a hilltop cannot be hidden…let your light shine forth for the world to see.” Second Reading (Ephesians. 3: 2-3a. 5-6) God’s preference for the people of Israel over all other nations and peoples is celebrated all through the Old Testament writings. The Jews constitute the chosen people of God. Paul’s own interpretation of the events of salvation is that God has widened the group of the chosen to include others. Paul was very direct in his interpretation of the signs, ‘this mystery’, he said, ‘that has now been revealed through the spirit to his holy apostles and prophets was unknown to any men in the past generations’. To Paul, as a result of the coming of Christ, even pagans now share the same inheritance with us (Jews) because they now have the opportunity to hear the word of God and repent. This is not unique to Paul alone, even Peter the head of the Apostles shares the same view when he said, “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”(Acts 10:34-35) Gospel (Matthew 2:1-12) Gifts to the new born is a usual thing but usually not from strangers as in this passage. We were informed by Matthew in the Gospel passage, that after the birth of Christ, one of the wonderful things that happened was the visit of the Maggi–the wise men. Their identities were not revealed by Matthew. Where were they from? Their names, how did they travel? How many were they? Perhaps such questions never bothered Matthew as at the time of his writing. The idea of the wise men being kings and the number three were read into the passage based on the first reading of today and some Old Testament writings. The number three may be based on the type of gifts presented. Perhaps the wise men were part of the group of persons well known in the olden days, capable of interpreting dreams and foreseeing the future by looking at the stars and observing the flight of birds. These men were able to interpret God’s will through ordinary and extraordinary life events. The Jews had the scriptures, and the revelations, but did not recognise the Messiah when he came, but these strangers came by the light of a star, interpreting signs in the sky only to use the scriptures, to locate the Messiah. Here is the case of the prophet, that is not honoured among his own people. With the appearance of Christ, the veil that covered all peoples is removed and each one can now have access to God. The Church is the star that is leading us to eternal life, but we cannot be satisfied with just locating the star in the sky, there is the need for us to see him face to face in heaven just like the men who sought the baby after they had seen the star. Let us again look at the life of the Magi. This particular story, was presented only by Matthew of the four Gospels and he was not just presenting historical facts but trying to show us how the Old Testament prophesies were fulfilled in Jesus. So the journey of the magi was not that easy. They saw the star ‘rising or as it rose’ and took off on a journey to seek out what had happened. Perhaps they never saw the star again until they were about their journey’s end. That means in between they had to travel in darkness. They must have encountered difficulties and doubts and dangers. Yet in spite of these they persevered in their quest for the truth. This is why their story is relevant for us. Our journey to Christ is not easy especially for converts. They see the light of the faith and are attracted to Christ. They encounter all kinds of trouble on their way. Yet with perseverance they will meet the Lord. The wise men took a step of faith and were drawn to the Lord. They gave him gifts that symbolised who He is and the role He plays in the redemption of the world. Gold is the gift for the King. Jesus is the only one we can allow to direct our lives. Frankincense is the sign of the priest. Jesus is the great high priest who bridges the gap between God and the human race. Myrrh is the perfume used to anoint the dead. Jesus is the sacrificial lamb whose death restores life. Once the wise men approached the Lord, they were overjoyed. Technically, they were greatly, exceedingly, and vehemently joyful. They were ‘beside themselves’ with happiness, for now their own lives were complete. Their happiness was due not as much to what they did, as due to the fact that they were giving a sharing of the life of Christ. Herod would remain rich and powerful, but spiritually impoverished for he despised the presence of the Lord. The chief priests and the scribes would remain in the Temple debating passages of the Law, but refusing to recognise the fulfilment of the Law in the Christ child. But the wise men were transformed by the presence that makes all life complete. Our lives can only be complete, meaningful, fulfilled, if we are guided by the Spirit of God. We can only be truly happy, with the happiness that does not end after the presents are unwrapped or the game is won, we can only be truly happy if we share the life of the Spirit. And we can only receive the Spirit if we allow ourselves to be drawn by the Light of Christ. Today’s Liturgy presents us with the story of the Maggi who refused to give up in the face of the odds they encountered, particularly when they lost sight of the star. In our life’s journey, we face the temptation to give up at different times yet repeated efforts in the right direction do bear fruits. It is worthy of note that they were able to recognise a king in the baby lying in the manger. We must learn to recognise the Lord in those around us and do what we can to support them. As the light of the nations, Jesus brings a new relationship between Jews and Gentiles, He unites them into one people in himself. May we be drawn by the presence of Christ in our world to his presence in eternity. May we also be manifestations of his presence for others. In all things may we recognise that only Christ, can draw us beyond the limits this world imposes to the life of grace. Amen. Have a blessed and wonderful week.
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 20:40:26 +0000
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