Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Happy Feast of Ephiphany


We celebrate today the Epiphany of the Lord ?by which we mean the Manifestation of Christ to the World. We commemorate the arrival of the Three Wise Men at the stable in Bethlehem. It is in some way curious that this encounter does not take place at some later stage in the life of Jesus at a time when he is more able to properly reveal himself to them. But this is not God?s way of doing things; his ways are much more mysterious. 

In the Bible we are simply told that the Wise Men find their own way to Christ completely unaided by him when he is but a tiny child. They leave their gifts at the manger and just as mysteriously, without saying a word, they return home by a different way. 

Matthew in his Gospel presents us with two contrasting approaches. Firstly God reveals himself through the Scriptures and through the words of the Prophets to the People of Israel; but secondly he also reveals himself through natural phenomena such as the star the Wise Men followed. Ironically God?s more direct revelation through the words of the Prophets is ignored by those who should know better. 

And yet his very indirect and almost tenuous revelation by means of that star is noticed by the wise men who resolve then to undertake a very laborious journey to find the Christ Child. These kinds of things are things are not confined to ancient times but are just as relevant to us today.

 It is sad how many people who know the scriptures, and who have had the Good News thoroughly explained to them during their childhood, despite these great advantages somehow manage to drift away from their faith.

 This is a problem we face every day in the Church and in our families. God gives us the great privilege of being brought up in a practicing family and reveals himself to us in all kinds of ways and yet this is still not sufficient to bring some of us to faith. And on the opposite hand we see these Wise Men who go to extraordinary lengths to find faith and give due homage to the Christ Child

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