06/01/2010 - EPIPHANY OF THE LORD
1st Reading Is 60,1-6 Psalm 71 2nd Reading Eph 3,2-3.5-6 Gospel Mt 2,1-12
This day is always very particular: the great seek the little one, a new born child!
As if they cannot do without him! As if he is their joy, their hope and support!
This is what we see in the Magi, high rank men who come from far away: they can
be for us either a reproach or an encouragement. Coming from a pagan people seeking
the king of kings, the Son of God, Jesus. Without knowing it, they teach the Jews,
experts in Scriptures, that the Lord is among them. They even show how he is to
be adored, looked for, loved. They, with their long journey, witness that Jesus
is important, worthy of attention and obedience. Their person is for us an image
that should make us think. Amongst us, in our society, there are persons, who came
from afar lands, who look for Jesus with the desire to know him, to love him: from
him they receive life and great joy. They never knew him, but now that someone has
spoken of him, see that he is someone whom they need to understand the sense of
life and of humanity.
Without knowing, the Magi, reveal the mission of the Church and show how much this
mission is important. The mission of the Church holds various aspects: it is the
star that shows the presence of the King of kings, a presence to be sought with
all strength and possibilities; reveals the presence of the Savior even through
the Holy Scriptures; it is like a mother who presents the Son in her arms to be
contemplated, adored and receive the gifts that every heart want to present to him.
The mission of the Church in the world today, in our world, has still this role
to play. She, like the star, shows the presence of Jesus, as the one who saves from
the disastrous effects of sin and allows us to enjoy in full the joy of being in
communion with others. The Church, as the Scribes of Jerusalem, can offer the Holy
Scriptures, and offer to all the wisdom, and offer them as lived in the life of
the saints: they indicate the way to all those who want to come close to Jesus with
love. The Church, at the end, like Mary, offer Jesus himself, alive and active in
the Sacraments. And in the Church there is a place for all those who feel called
to offer not a rich and perfumed object, but their own life, is to find several
help and possibilities.
The mission of the Church is the work to which all the faithful contribute or should
contribute, thanks to the various charismas' they have received from the Lord. Even
the children participate in her, many times without knowing but fruitfully. Because
of this the Church turns her attention towards them and for them instituted the
Children's Mission Day. Kids and children love Jesus spontaneously as they help
one another, often help their parents, considering him a friend, a brother, a father,
and open up for him so that he can bring change in their lives. Today, kids and
children, are made conscious of the need to guide all the people to Jesus, and they
are many to whom the song of the angles have not yet reached them, peoples who does
not share in the joy of the hope we enjoy, who does not know the love for the little
ones, who does not know the forgiveness, who does not know what is give and take
in love without putting any conditions. The Prophet Isaiah speaks this reality with
vivid images: "The darkness covered the land, thick clouds covered the peoples".
Today we contemplate Jesus surrounded by marvelous, wondering, but sure eyes of
his silent presence. He is doing nothing in his mother's arms, but still spreads
around joy and hope. He is there. We enjoy of this presence. We know that his presence
is not appreciated equally by all: Herod has other intentions and invents strategies
to eliminate him, and with him all those who had interests to defend. Somehow they
present part of our heart and those moments of our lives in which we want to do
our own will without listening to the voice from on high. Unfortunately we all can
have those moments, and so we cannot say only others reject Jesus, and lying, they
say that they want to adore him. Certainly there are persons and groups who want
to eliminate both Jesus and his Mother, but we are not to be afraid of them like
the Magi. Instead we are to vigil on our heart, because we risk to make it difficult
for the Lord to reign in us and show us his ways.
Freely and with joy we come closer to the Child and in the silence of Mary we open
the treasure of our heart and give him all that we hold in it: our health, our work,
our reputation, our future, our crosses and our little joys. He will fill us with
his peace. Let us put in front of him our commitment to meet with him every Sunday
during the year so that he remains always alive and operative in our story and can
use us to reach someone else with his love that saves.