Homily for Epiphany Sunday, January 4-5, 2014.
Readings: is 60:1-6; Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13; Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6; mt 2:1-12
How has this Christmas season changed you? How has it altered your journey, your path?
Today, we celebrate the feast of Epiphany. The gospel reading is very familiar to us. We hear about the magi, following a star in search of a new born king, and with the help of others, finds Jesus and gives him the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Be we actually know very little about the magi from the gospel. We don’t know where they were from other than from the east. We don’t know how many there were, there could have been ten, or twenty, or even a hundred. But tradition from the 5th Century tells us there were three, based on the number of gifts.
We don’t even know when the magi visit actually took place. Was it a few days after his birth, or was it a few months? All we have is the scripture account from Matthew that we just heard.
We do know the magi’s journey began by being inspired by a star, a light in the sky. This light led them to Jerusalem where, with the help of Herod, the chief priests and scribes, it pointed them to Bethlehem. It is there where they found what they were seeking, where they found the savior of the world. That encounter with Jesus, literally changed their path, as we hear at the end of the gospel:
they departed for their country by another way.
At one level, the story of Epiphany is about how God is made manifest. And by this, we simply mean how God came to us as a human, so we were able to physical see him, touch him, understand him.
But at another level, it is a story about making a journey, about changing directions. It is a story about what happens to those who are searching, and in that search, they encounter Christ. It is a story about conversion. It is a story about changing our paths.
For many people, and probably for some of us, life is difficult, there is a darkness that surrounds us. It can feel like we are in a thick cloud. We can feel lost. We can feel frozen in our journey. But like the magi, whose journey began with a star, a light, we too must look for and follow the light.
In the first reading, we hear the prophet Isaiah say:
Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the Lord shines, and over you appears his glory.
Jesus is this light. Jesus will lead us out of the darkness, out of the clouds, and into the light.
Several years ago, an individual caused great harm to my family. As we were dealing with the impacts of this harm, I found myself becoming more and more bitter and angry. My temper was getting very short. I was losing patience. I tried to hide this bitterness, this anger, but as time went on, and it went on for well over a year, it only grew worse. I got to the point I could no longer hide it, the people around me, who were also suffering, ended up on the receiving end of my bitterness and anger.
One day I found myself at a presentation where the speaker was talking about forgiveness. It was like they were talking directly to me. It was during this talk, that I discovered the reason for my anger. After all this time, I had never once prayed for this person that caused the harm, much less even considered forgiving them. This presenter was a star for me, was the light I needed. It was an encounter with Jesus. It was a conversion moment for me. It changed my journey. It changed my path. It changed my life.
So I started to pray for this individual. I started asking God to give this person the graces they needed to change their lives. To give them a light so they could recognize the darkness they were in and to change their journey, to give them a path out of that place that would lead them closer to Jesus. And once I started to pray for them, at first, very superficially, but as time went on, with more sincerity, I found myself arriving at a point where I could actually forgive them. It was at that point, all that bitterness and anger finally left me.
And even though I have forgiven this person, that doesn’t mean I have yet, after all these years, reached the point I like this person. I don’t know if I ever will. But like me, like each of us, this person is still a child of God. And it is up to them to decide if they want to follow the light of Jesus. And if they do change, if they do have a conversion, and God welcomes them into heaven, then I too will love them like God loves them.
But the story of the magi has even another level. The story of the magi reveals to us that Jesus came to save not just the Jews, but also the Gentiles. In the second reading, we hear St. Paul telling us
the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus
In other words, Jesus came to save everyone. To help everyone achieve what God wants for each of us. Because God loves each of us so much, he wants all of us to spend eternity in heaven with him.
As coheirs, as members of the same body, as copartners with Christ, we are called to the join in the mission of Jesus. We are called to love as Jesus loves, unconditionally. We are called to share the light we have seen with others, to help others on their journey, to help light their path to God in heaven. We are called to share our joy, the joy we receive from the Lord, with others.
This can appear to us as overwhelming. It can cause us to stop and think we are incapable of carrying on Jesus’ mission. And by ourselves, it is impossible. But with the help of Jesus, with the help of each other, we can do this. We can be a light for those in darkness.
So how do we do this? How can we be light for others?
As always, the most important first step is prayer. We need to pray, to have conversations with God, on a regular basis, every day, even several times a day. We need to read the scripture, to open our eyes, to open our ears, and to open our hearts to what God is trying to tell us. We need to seek out the light God is shining on us and on the path he is showing us. When we have these encounters with Jesus, we need to be open to altering our journey, open to changing our path.
We need to get the know the people around us, the people we cross paths with every day, in our homes, in our neighborhoods, at our work, and even those sitting next to us in the pew. By getting to know those around us, by getting to know those people we encounter every day, it will help reveal to us why God had them cross your path. It will help us to share with others the light and joy God gives to us.
So, as we go about our lives over the next week, seek out the light of Christ, let it shine upon you. Spend some time in prayer and reading scripture, adding at least another minute or two each day. And share the joy God showers on you, with others that cross your path.
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