OUR DAILY VITAMIN FOR THE SOUL... Sunday, January 4. Feast of the Epiphany our Lord. Readings: 1st Reading: Isiah 60:1-6 2nd Reading: Eph. 3:2-3, 5-6 Gospel: Mathew 2:1-12 1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, 2 Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: 6 `And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel. 7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; 8 and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him. 9 When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; 11 and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. Reflection & Challenge (homily): They fell down and worshiped Jesus Epiphany is a Greek word which means manifestation (revelation). The manifestation/ revelation of the salvation of God in Jesus which is the central theme of today’s Liturgy. The feast of Epiphany shows that Jesus is Saviour not only for the Jewish people, but also for the pagans or non-Jews represented by the Magi or pagan three wise men; Jesus, the Saviour of the world is for everybody, in every land & in every race & culture. The message, power & love of Jesus are for everyone. This is the fulfilment of what Isaiah describes in today’s 1st Reading: that all people, all nations coming to Jerusalem, to the Lord. The prophecy is fulfilled in Christ & in the new Israel, the Church. The Psalmist proclaims: ‘every nation on earth will adore you Lord.’ St. Paul, in the 2nd Reading expresses the same theological meaning of the feast: God invites Jews & non-Jews or Gentiles to share on an equal footing the benefits of the salvation brought by Christ. The feast shows that election by God is not a privilege for some but a hope for all. The Gospel story brings to fulfilment God’s plan of Salvation to all people of every nation – Jews & non-Jews; it’s the journey of the three wise men who represent the non-Jews whom Christ revealed himself. 1- The journey of the wise men towards the birthplace of Jesus symbolically indicates that we too are pilgrims who should travel towards God, because only in Him can we find our ultimate fulfillment. 2- The journey of the wise men indicates the final destination of our journey & the means to reach them. Their journey was preceded by a few consultations: with Herod, the Scripture & the nature. a - The wise men consulted Herod who represents the people; so it is thru people that we find God & go to God. It is thru people that we can show our love for Him & serve Him. b - The people & the experts of the Law consulted the Scripture; so the Scripture reveals to us where we can find God & learn more about him. The Bible is always available for all of us to read & reflect if we are serious of our Faith. If the members of protestant churches give importance to God’s Word, why can’t we? After all the Bible is our book…. c - The wise men followed the star; so the nature which is the manifestation of the intelligence of God, helps us to reach God. Hence, following the example of the wise men, let us travel towards Jesus, & offer Him the most precious gift of our life lived well, & thus we shall enjoy His presence always. Perhaps, the BIG question we can also ask: Why & how come the Jews who have the Scriptures failed to find Jesus & even reject Him, while Gentiles/pagans come and, with the help of the Scriptures & nature (star) find & adore Him? Answer: Because the Jewish authorities, even though they possessed the shining truth of revealed scriptures, did not follow it. They did not walk in the light of the scriptures. The magi/wise men, who enjoyed only a star light followed its guidance. It is not the possession of the truth that matters, it is how prepared we are to walk in the light of the truth that we possess. It is better to have the dim light of the stars and follow it than to have the bright light of the holy scriptures and neglect it. As Christians, we believe that our religion possesses the fullness of truth. But what does that benefit us if we do not walk in the truth; if we do not walk the walk of faith as revealed by God to us in in the Scriptures & esp. in Christ, the Way, Truth & Life? This is the challenging truth we celebrate today in the story of the pagan wise men who seek and find the Lord, & worshiped Him. And here’s another challenge: Having found and worshiped Christ, the pagan wise men “returned to their own country by another way (different path/route).” This suggest not just new geographical route, but a new mentality (new attitude). Having met Christ & worship Him in the Liturgy, having heard Him in the Scriptures & especially in the Gospel, heard stories of His birth during Christmas, & received Him in the holy Eucharist, we too must travel thru life by a different route/by another way. We too must travel this new year with new/different attitudes, different values, different goals - the best resolutions we can ever make. It is impossible to encounter Christ without it affecting the way we live our lives. We pray: Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you for bringing salvation to all the nations. May the gospel of salvation be proclaimed to every nation today and to every person on the face of the earth. Help me to be a good witness of the joy of the gospel to all I meet. AMEN. (365 days journeying with Jesus Christ our Lord & Savior)
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 00:32:34 +0000
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