Is 60:1-6; Ps (71)72; Eph 3:2-3.5-6; Mt 2:1-12
The Manifestation of the Lord
Dear Friends, Today is the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. This is celebrated on January 6th, but due to its importance, in many dioceses, it is celebrated on the closest Sunday to January 6th so that as many people as possible may participate. Epiphany simply means manifestation. After many attempts to reveal Himself to humanity through prophets, judges, and kings with little success, God chose to manifest Himself to us through His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
The aim of this divine manifestation was to restore the original image and likeness we lost because of sin. The first manifestation of Jesus was to the poor shepherds of the house of Israel, to whom the birth of the child saviour was announced by an angel. The second manifestation was to the wise men from the East, who represented people of all nations. The third manifestation will be at the Jordan where John the Baptist reveals the identity of Jesus. At this point, the father himself introduces him as his beloved son (Lk 3:21-22; Jn 1:29-31). Today, Jesus is made manifest through the Church in Word and Sacraments.
In the first reading, Jerusalem is called to rise because the days of suffering and destruction will be over soon. A new king will come and restore her lost glory. All those who were scattered by war and captivity will gather, and there will be a new dawn. It was indeed great news to the people of Jerusalem. There are too many people living in what we could refer to as modern-day slavery. There are so many held captive, the modern-day masters, namely: cultures, political ideologies, ambitions, greed, toxic relationships, social media, etc., and are unable come out of them. Worse still, many more have become slaves of false prophets who claim to possess direct access to heavenly powers that can bring instant prosperity. Are you a slave of any of the above masters?
The psalmist is exalting the King of Justice and Peace who has come to set free all those held captive. Everyone will be delighted in him, and kings from all over will bring him gifts. Everyone will be attracted by his way of ruling, which will be different from other world leaders. We all crave better things, a better life, better governance, better systems, better relationships, etc., that would make life a little bit easier. Our fulfillment is to be found in this newborn king. He comes restoring true freedom in the world. Do you think that you are free?
The birth of Jesus is the greatest gift from God to the world. Through Christ, God has revealed his face to us, and we can dare to approach him and call him Abba. He has come to unite all the nations so that there will be no ‘us’ and ‘them’ anymore. All will be one. The three wise men represent people from all corners of the world who have come to adore the new king. He is the star that will illuminate the whole world. The gift of Gold given to him by the wise men represents his kingship, Frankincense represents his divinity, and Myrrh represents his death for the deliverance of all.
The first principle of Christianity is unity in Christ. The Pope is ‘Vicarius Christi” or Vicar of Christ. He is the symbol of unity among the Catholic community. He is the human representative of Christ, the end of the Church. The priest acts “in persona Christi” or in the person of Christ who offers himself continually for the salvation of the world. Jesus gave his disciples the role of acting on his behalf to continue the work of salvation – “Do this in memory of me” (Luke 22:19). Christ, who is no longer physically present with us, is active in his ordained ministers and the Sacraments he offers through them. All this is possible because God chose to do so for the love of his people.
In the Gospel, we hear that King Herod urged the Wise men from the East to go and find out more about the child and bring him information. According to Herod, he too wanted to go and worship the king. However, we are told that his real intention was to kill the child-king because he considered him a threat to his position. When everyone else rejoiced at the new king’s birth, Herod saw a threat to his rule. He invested a lot of time and energy trying to inquire about the child who even the stars rose at his birth. Herod represents us when we act with jealousy, envy, and hatred towards others, especially when they succeed or prosper. Since Joseph was a just man and God was with him, he alerted him of the looming danger to the holy family. Are you just enough to deserve God’s guidance?
Today, we have many Herods seeking information about others to destroy them. Not everyone who is seeking information about others from you has good intentions. Jealousy, envy, and rumour mongering have hurt many, ruined countless relationships, stressed many, and even taken lives. Therefore, be careful what you share about others. Sometimes they come to us disguised as good people, and innocently we feed them with information about our family members, our colleagues, our children, and our friends. Later, they use this information to cause harm to them. How many people have I betrayed through gossip or sharing sensitive information about them?
Dear friends, as we rejoice over the birth of Christ in our hearts, I invite you to listen to God’s warnings so that we may not betray others and ourselves.
Have a blessed feast.
Fr. Lawrence Muthee, SVD (See also http://www.svdkentan.com)
SVD JAMBO KENTAN 