06/01/2006 - EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD
First Reading Isaiah 60:1-6 Psalm 71/72
Second Reading Ephesians 3:2-3.5-6 Gospel Matthew 2:1-12
Today, after the proclamation of the Gospel, the priest will announce the great
festivity of the liturgical year, beginning with Easter. This is the pivotal
day of the mystery of salvation from which all the holy days in which we celebrate
the Eucharist, the paschal mystery of the death and Resurrection of Our Lord,
are derived. Even the feast we celebrate today is a prelude of the central mystery
of our faith. In today's Gospel passage, the presence of hate for Jesus stands
out; that hate which will take Him to death.This hate, though, will not stifle
the love that the humble have for Him; nor the love which makes men humble,
though they might be equal to the greatest of the earth.
The magi are moving towards Him, moved by the reality of this world - the stars
- in search of someone unknown, from whom they are certain to receive glory
and satisfaction. They are obedient to the call of their own pursuits, which
are true, but incomplete: the stars cannot reveal everything! They need help
to get to where they wish to go. They must question other men so that they can
reach the holy pages of the Scripture of the prophets of Israel. These are the
ones who will have answered the quest of the hearts and minds of the wise men!
The wise men of Jerusalem know where the Lord is, but it is not enough to know
where He is to be able to meet HIm. If those who know do not have a humble heart
and do not admit to having the need for salvation, their knowledge produces
nothing. If the knowledge is selfish, it will hinder in bearing fruit from what
they already know.
Herod makes use of his knowledge to give flight to his jealousy and envy. The
wise in the Scriptures make no move to meet the one who was born.
Those who come from afar, the pagans who follow the stars are the ones who move
toward to find the baby. These men, though moved by a limited, human knowledge,
have the desire and the will to meet the one they do not know. They only know
that he is worthy of being seen. Their travel reminds me that I, too, sometimes
am happy to know that Jesus lives, to know what I already know about Him, while
others are struggling to meet Him and to benefit from His love. I am reminded
of the Arabs who face the danger of being killed by their own relatives and
countrymen, or who voluntary accept exile in far away lands, so that they can
come to meet Jesus.
The magi, who come from afar, meet the Baby in the arms of His Mother. Mary
is important to all, because she is important to the Baby. She is the one who
shows Him to them, sometimes in silence. She is the one who accepts their gifts
of adoration, meaningful gifts for Him and for them. The gift of gold signifies
royalty and greatness; incense refers to His divinity and His glory; myrrh refers
to His way to a death, precious for God and for all. For them, the same gifts
mean acceptance of poverty, will and obedience, separation from all royalty
created by any man.
Jesus is a baby, but His story is already coloured by the dramatic tones of
His passion and His glorious Resurrection. In it the words of the prophet find
splendour: "Your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon
you!" and more: Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness
of your dawn". Jesus is the centre of the universe, the goal of all aspirations
in the heart of man. Through Him, all that we seek is found, because in Him
all is fulfilled; in Him, each man's heart will find joy and peace. Though He
is still small and does not, yet, utter a word, He is the gift from God, the
Saviour who satisfies every quest. This is why we, who await Him, wish to mirror
His glory with our love, humble and available, so that many others can find
the way to reach Him. We want to live our life as if it were the star which
leads those who seek Him to find Him and be transformed and enriched by Him.
Today's feast should spring in us a strong missionary spirit, so that our life
may serve Jesus so that others may see the sweet and precious fruit of His presence,
and draw their hearts to Him. Children, as well, may already live with this
desire, so that their contemporaries throughout the world may know and love
this same Jesus who is, for them, peace and joy, consolation and internal richness,
security and serenity.