EPIPHANY OF THE LORD
Introduction: The visit of the Three Wise Men is more than a charming story. Since St. Mathew allocates a substantial amount of space to it in his Gospel, we can infer that it contains an important message for us. The Magi were gentiles, rich and influential. St. Mathew was Jewish, and his Gospel was written for a largely Jewish community, and a wealthy one at that. Therefore, his story of the Magi’s visit was a striking way of saying that Jesus came to save not only Jews but also all mankind; and that, at the very outset, Jesus was recognised as Saviour by the non-Jews. After Mary and Joseph and the poor shepherds, those who were the first to recognise Jesus were not Jews. Thus the scene was set for the ministry of Jesus, a ministry that was entirely open and inclusive. This gives us the cue to the nature of our ministry and prayer: readiness to work for the good of all and to pray especially for all who are suffering, non-Christians and Christians.
HOMILY: When we read of the Magi in the Gospel, we are really reading our own story: the story of our own pilgrimage. The Wise Men or astrologers were men of power and influence in their own homeland. Their material wealthy knew no bounds. Their future and the future of their families were secure. The world was their oyster. At some point in this serene and secure existence a light shone. An inner voice said: Leave all and travel on a route I will map out for you by means of a star, until you reach a house. There you will find him – the Saviour – yours and mine. There you will open your world to him. Speak from your heart and carry back to your people the hope, the joy and the promise, which this birth offers you.
Led by the star, these astrologers from far-off Persia (Iran) took the risk, struggled through rough terrain. They even lost their way, and these rich and powerful men had to be humble enough to ask for direction and even got wrong advice; yet they persevered in their times of darkness and doubt, and successfully asked their way through indifference and politics until they found the Child they could worship. It is our history we read there. Or, better, it should be our history. We are on pilgrimage, with no fixed abode; we are continually changing as time flies and the days wind down. We set out as soon as we are born and never return to the old places. And the journey’s path moves through childhood, cutting through youthful strength, treading the maturity of age, dancing through a few festal days, and working through the routine weekdays. We go from the morning of prime to the evening of retirement and the night of death: attaining the heights and touching the lows, the enlightenment and the disillusions.
Uniquely placed in the procession, each one is invited to ask where they are headed. Is there a goal that they secretly suspect or will their life be exposed to blank futility? Is there a road map that is reliable despite the cynical people who say there isn’t and that it is all one shady scam? We know that God is the goal of our pilgrimage, and that the free spirit of man finds only what it looks for. And God has promised in Jesus that he lets himself be found by those who seek him. One step for man, and a giant leap for God. Crawl one inch towards him and he rushes a thousand miles to meet you, eye to eye, heart to heart.
If Epiphany means revelation, then we are dealing with a God who wishes to reveal himself, who labours constantly and complexly in his relationships with us. He is always tossing down clues and introductory notes here, there and everywhere like an ambitious hostess: a God who yearns to be loved and known and engaged with. And since at depth his revelation is complex and scary, he appears genuinely as a sweet little helpless infant.
So the Wise Men have set out, their feet pointed toward Bethlehem, thirsting for knowledge and rectitude. They see a strange Star rising in the East, and a considerate God allows their primitive astrology succeed this once, since their simple hearts knew no better. (Only the wise and simple will see God. There’s no difference between the wisdom of simplicity and the simplicity of wisdom). And they teach us that to live successfully means that we are always changing, and that perfection means passing through many a level of change: intellectual, emotional, spiritual.
Success also demands tenacity. The common perception of the three travellers led them to look at the obvious place, the royal palace of Herod, only to turn up a blank. Yet they had the tenacity to keep searching and finally arrive at their unlikely destination. Like them we can step forth on the adventurous journey of the heart to God, the God of future possibilities and eternal newness. Sadly, there are people who queer the pilgrimage by their political ploys; other people who remain sitting at home with the sullen wisdom of their narrow hearts. We can help them rediscover the folly of goodness to be more sensible than the cunning of egoism.
Sometimes we make some life-changing decisions based on faith, e.g. to commit ourselves to some charitable project, even to leave home to become a missionary. When we engage in a worthwhile project, it always involves pain, self-sacrifice and risk, and with this comes the temptation to say it is not worth the trouble or I can’t do it. If we look at the Magi, their journey could give us the spirit we need at times like this. The Magi on their unrelenting journey is a source of inspiration to us in any challenge we take up in our lives.
The Wise Men were the ambassadors of all who have used natural reason to know the truth of the human person, the universe, the very being of things. Their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh were the best fruits of the pagan wisdom that would later be taken up in the service of true religion. Supernatural light had aided their senses and intellect to help them discover the Incarnate Word, whom they worshipped in wonderment. A rewarding end to their wonderment wander.
| ||
| ||
| ||
uniquely mine.
A Happy New Year
No comments:
Post a Comment