Epiphany of the Lord
Isaiah 60:1-6 Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 Mathew 2:1-12
Theme: Jesus is unveiled
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. This is a celebration that talks about the manifestation or the unveiling of the person of Jesus as King. We are told today that the magi (the wise men from the East) were guided by a Star and the Star led them to the child Jesus (the infant King). From these magi we can learn some virtues. First, the virtue patience!
The magi were patient in following the Star to their destination to meet the newborn King. They never allowed the obstacles on their way to deter them from pursuing their cause. They were patient and they persevered and finally met with the infant KING. Today we also have our ‘star’ that is guiding us to the infant King in the church. This star is in the form of the rich teaching-traditions of the church and her sacraments. The question is, how are we allowing these teachings to lead us to Jesus, the infant King? Let us learn from the Magi today to be patient and to be guided to Christ through the instrumentality of church- The Star.
Some other virtues to learn from the magi are determination and focus. My brothers and sisters if we are persistent in our quest to meet Jesus like the magi did, then we must remain focused and determined. This entails trying as much as possible to keep out any form of distractions like we see in the gospel reading of today. Herod wanted to become a distraction to the magi but through their corporation with God’s grace, they did not lose focus. So, if we listen to God like the Magi did and stay focused on our course, we shall meet Jesus. If we cling unto God and continue to seek His face and make honest and sincere effort to get closer to Him, He will always protect us from the Herod(s) of our time.
Therefore, as we go through the unveiling of the person Jesus today, let us take this opportunity to make firm resolutions that we will remain with the Lord at all times, continue to seek His face, continue to strive and allow the church to guide us to Him through her sacraments, her teachings, her traditions, as well as, emulating the lives of holy men and women in our midst and those who have gone before us. May the good Lord grant us the graces we need to remain focused to make good use of the opportunities presented to us by the church, to ensure that we see God as he really is, at the end of our earthly pilgrimage. In the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit, Amen. Peace be with you!