6.01.04 The Epiphany of Our Lord
First Reading: Isaiah 60, 1-6
Psalm 71
Second Reading: Ephesians 3, 2-3, 5-6
Gospel Reading: Matthew 2, 1-12
Today I thank the Lord Jesus for my baptism. On that day my parents gave me
to him as a gift, as the Wise Men gave their gifts. So today the light of the
hidden mystery, revealed through the Spirit, began to work in my life!
The mystery of which St Paul felt himself to be the announcer is the work of
grace and of new life that is announced by the Church and not only announced,
but also communicated through the Holy Sacraments! This work is salvation! No-one
else and nothing else can communicate the salvation that the mysteries of our
faith communicate: for this reason it is desired by many and for this same reason
it is hated by the various Herods who wish to dominate the world.
Today Jesus is presented by his Mother, Mary and by the Mother, Church, to all
the world, to all people, to all religions, to all cultures, as he who came
for all of us, to receive us and to give us the joy we are searching for. The
Magi in the gospel reading, represent the search of human hearts. Not only the
people of Israel were awaiting the Saviour, the Messiah, all people know that
they need someone who can fill the void in their hearts. Everyone is in search
of the child who is to be born for everyone. Wherever one looks, even if one
looks to the stars, one arrives at the conclusion that a child must be born
and that we must know him for whom and through whom all was made.
The gospel passage is about a meaningful event, almost a photograph of what
happens to every man and every people. Whoever sets out to search for the meaning
of life and of history, will meet up with important characters who are famous
for their wealth or power or intelligence, just as the Magi met Herod and his
priests and scribes. And through them the Holy Scriptures become decisive!
Contact with the Scriptures begins to clear the fog from the way. Certainties
come, safe indications on how to continue the search with greater precision.
Together with these certainties there is joy and that is a sign that God is
near!
That joy remains even in the presence of envy, of jealousy, of the falseness
of men who are obtuse and are interested only in themselves. Joy accompanies
the final phases of the search when one realizes that the greatness of man is
not that of the powerful, of the rich or of the so-called clever ones.
When at last we find the hidden treasure, the Son of God, the child, in his
mother's arms, then all our worries for ourselves, for our lives disappear.
We find joy in being poor, small, hidden, in giving every glory and every attention
to that Son who has filled our minds and hearts with his humility and kindness,
with his life and with his mysterious poverty. The Magi, having found the child,
open their treasures and leave their riches (gold) and their dreams of glory
(incense) and their desires to become famous in the future (myrrh) , leaving
all of it to the Child: it is he who knows how to use gold with love, it is
he who merits the obedience of nations, it is only his name that can give merit
to the centuries to come.
The Magi are our representatives. We repeat the stages of their search for Jesus
and having found him, they also find the true joy, that joy that does not need
things in order to exist, if anything it makes us give things and in so doing
becomes even greater.
The Magi represent the pagans, the various religions of the world. All the world
is searching for Jesus, even if it does not know it.
We, who carry him in our hearts, can, in at least some small way, be a ray from
that star that shows the way to Bethlehem where the child can be found resting
and waiting in his Mother's arms. Let us continue to carry Jesus in our hearts,
to cultivate his love, to stay with him, to obey his word: our lives will become
a witness, an attraction, an indication as to how to reach him! And we will
be full of joy even if the anger and hate of others make us suffer!
Isaiah also announces this joy, revealing that all the world will gather in
one place to proclaim the praises of God: and we know that that place is the
stable in Bethlehem!