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Epiphany of Our Lord - The Journey

Fr. Michael MachacekNativity of Our LordJanuary 5, 2020
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Epiphany of Our Lord 2020

The story is told of a religious superior, while blessing a group of priests ready to depart for missionary lands, reminded them of a basic truth: “Please remember that God reached these people long before you will!”

As part of the Church’s celebrations of the Christmas season, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord highlights how the saving love of God is revealed and shared with all the peoples of the world. The Epiphany event reminds us that the love of God is not limited to the chosen people of Israel, but that God’s love for all people is made known by the coming of the wise men, who were foreigners, to Bethlehem. And what we celebrate today is a decisive chapter in the history of salvation.

What is the history of salvation, you may ask?  It is a history of God’s revelation to humanity, which we particularly read about throughout the Old Testament.  But when Jesus was born, the fullest and most perfect revelation of God took place.

In our gospel (Mt. 2: 1-12) we hear of the wise men, more formally known as the Magi.  To this day Scripture scholars are not sure who they were, or precisely where they came from.  We don’t even know how many there were, although the traditional number is 3, based on the 3 gifts they gave to Baby Jesus. We do know that they read a sign in the heavens – a star, which suggest that they were astronomers, and that sign led them to seek and to find the new-born Prince of Peace. 

In so many ways the story of the Magi is our story.

We are people of faith.  And as people of faith, we Christians are invited to search for God, like the Magi did.

As Christians our entire faith life is a search for what is good, and what has true meaning and value.  Along this search there are lampposts to guide us on the way, including what we are doing right now, celebrating the Sacrament of the Eucharist.   At times, though, we see no light to guide us – we feel like we have gotten lost.

But the story of the Magi tells us to keep going.  God will always open new ways for us.  New signs to guide will appear. And the star will shine once again. 

Searching for the new-born child, the Magi know they are close when they find thermselves in Jerusalem, in Herod’s court.  There they ask for help, and there they receive an answer as to where the Messiah would be born from those scholars who studied and knew the scriptures.  But they did not know God.  Because if they did, they would have joined the Magi.

As the Magi once more set out on their journey, the star appears again and guides them to that place in Bethlehem where they found the child and His mother.  There, they presented their gifts and worshipped Him. 

What the Magi saw there was not a great miracle or a powerful manifestation of God’s glory and power.  All they saw was a baby and mother – a common, every-day sight.  But it was in that simple, common scene that they found God.

Yes, God can be found in the powerful events of history.  But the story of the Epiphany shows us that God is most often found in the simple, daily events of our life. 

The story of the Magi also has a very important ending for us to note. For after they met the Christ, they returned home by taking a different road.  

Truly, they had changed.  For their story is one of conversion.  You see, when anyone meets the Lord, we are not the same; we are different. A real encounter with Christ changes the very core of our lives. That’s what happened to the Magi.  That is what can happen to us.

As we celebrate Epiphany this weekend, let us remember that every single one of us, just like the Magi, are part of a people on a journey, a pilgrimage.  God has placed before us many signs that speak of His love and presence which encourage and lead us on our pilgrimage, especially in the daily events of our life. Once we have found Him we change. Then we start becoming the person that God made us to be.