Sunday, January 5, 2025 - The Epiphany - How BIG is your CHRIST?

To read the texts click on the texts: Isa 60:1-6; Eph 3:2-3,5-6; Mt 2:1-12

Epiphany (Greek “Epiphaneia” “appearance or manifestation”) has been defined as the manifestation of the divine nature of Jesus to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi. The feast is also sometimes called the twelfth day as it is celebrated on the twelfth day after Christmas.

A story is told of three individuals who professed different religions who were discussing which religions was the right one. They could not come to any agreement and the discussion was turning into an argument. They decided to ask an old man who was sitting near for his opinion. He replied in these words, “Well, you know there are three ways to get from here to the flour mill. You can go right over the hill. That is shorter but it is a steep climb. You can go around the hill on the right side. That is not too far, but the road is rough and full of potholes. Or you can go around the hill on the left side. That is the longest way, but it is also the easiest.” He paused and then added, “But you know when you get there, the mill man doesn’t ask you how you came. All he asks is, ‘Man, how good is your wheat?’”

The choice of the Gospel text of today for the feast of the Epiphany underscores the truth that Jesus is God’s revelation not to a select few, but to the whole world. The magi or wise men or astrologers in Matthew are guided not only by pagan astrology but also by the scriptures. Revelation outside Scripture motivates them to obey the one God; yet, they do not find their way to Jesus without Scripture. This means that God, not the social or political structures of the day, is the source of our light. It teaches that openness and humility are necessary if we wish to read correctly the “signs of the times.” It insists that when we discover the “promised one,” we must be willing to offer him all that we have. The light has come, and we are invited to live in it.  In contrast to the Jewish leaders, the magi act rather than merely hear. The gifts they offer; gold, frankincense and myrrh have taken to be symbolic of the royalty, divinity and the sacrificial death of Jesus, though Matthew does not give such an explanation. Also though Matthew does not mention the number who came to worship Jesus, they have been identified as three because of the three gifts.

What is more important for Matthew, however, is that the magi are Gentiles in the extreme, characters that could not be more remote from the Jews in heritage and worldview. Thus even at the very beginning of Jesus’ life, then, we see the dividing walls between races and cultures breaking down. Even here, at the beginning of the Gospel, the mission to all nations is anticipated.

Paul understood this mission perfectly as is evident in the second reading of today when he announces that the Gentiles are no longer outsiders but "fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel." This is the Gospel that he preaches because he received it directly from God and this is the Gospel of which he is a minister. And that is the paradox that resides deep within Epiphany: we are made, through Christ, to be both those who bring our gifts to offer him and those who receive the gift of God's grace to be ministers and stewards of the Gospel ourselves. As Paul himself notes, this grace was given to him, the "very least of all the saints," so that he might share the "unsearchable riches of Christ" and help all people to know that it is God who creates all things -- not we ourselves.

This universal idea of mission is also spoken of in the first reading of today in which the prophet Isaiah promises a light full of hope. Jerusalem went through destruction and forced migration and is now in desperate need of rebuilding. He proclaims to the exiles that the darkness of despair has been lifted, and a new day of restoration has dawned. At last, the light has come! According to Isaiah, the glory of God will shine through Israel onto the other nations. The whole world will come to join in the new liturgy of the new Temple. The psalm echoes this idea when it speaks of justice flourishing and peace on all humankind. The poor, the needy and the weak will be heard and saved.

Epiphany seeks to remind us that we cannot and must not restrict or put our God in a pigeon hole. He is bigger than we can ever imagine and his mercy and forgiveness are not restricted to only a few but is available to all. Even as it does this the feast also challenges us to be today the star which guided the magi to the Christ child. It invites us to so shine that others who have not yet encountered God in Christ will be motivated to come and encounter him who in his love continues to sustain the world.

Saturday, January 4, 2025 - Homily

 

Saturday, January 4, 2025 - Will today be your tenth hour?

To read the texts click on the texts:1 Jn 3:7-10; Jn 1:35-42

The Gospel text of today begins by speaking of the witness or mediator of God’s word: John the Baptist. Even as Samuel’s mission is to wake people up, the mission of John the Baptist goes even further, namely, to point Jesus out to people. It is interesting that of the four titles that John used to identify Jesus earlier, he chooses here the title “Lamb of God”. While this title may signify the conquering lamb of Yahweh, here it signifies the lamb that is led to the slaughter, the suffering servant of God.  John points Jesus out to his disciples as the one who will save people by giving his life as a ransom for all. The disciples realize that, in Jesus, they will receive more than John could ever hope to give.  The disciples start following Jesus not fully knowing what this will entail. 

The first words that Jesus asks them, which are the first words that Jesus speaks in the Gospel of John, are in the form of a question, “What do you seek?” This question is at once both courteous and penetrating. It requires the disciples to go into the deepest recesses of their beings to answer it. 

They respond with a question of their own, “Rabbi, where do you stay (remain)? They do not seem to be asking for Jesus’ residential address, but want to know where Jesus’ being is. They want to know what motivates Jesus and makes him the kind of person that he is. They want to know the source of his power and authority. 

Jesus does not answer with an address, but with an invitation. They must “Come and See”. If they really want to know who Jesus is, and what he stands for, they must experience him for themselves. They must stay where he stays and they must remain where he remains. They do that and it is the turning point in their lives. 

John signifies this by stating that “It was the tenth hour”. The tenth period, according to some apocalyptic calculations, was the decisive hour, the hour when one had to decide for or against. The disciples decided for Jesus. This, however, is only one part of the story. What follows is as important or even more important. The disciples, like Samuel and John the Baptist, also become mediators or witnesses of God’s word. This time, however, God’s word is not simply verbal.  It is manifest in the most perfect of ways, in Jesus

Friday, January 3, 2025 - Homily

 

Friday, January 3, 2025 - Is “your” Jesus BIG or have you pigeonholed him?

To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Jn 2:29-3:6; Jn 1:29-34

This text deals with the witness of John on the second day. On this day, he testifies to Jesus who is the light. Though Jesus appears on the scene on the second day, the focus on this day is on the testimony of John. In his testimony, he uses four titles to describe who Jesus is. These are: Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the pre-existent one, the vehicle of the Spirit and Son of God.

Lamb of God is a symbol used to refer to both the suffering servant of God and the Passover lamb, the lamb that is led to the slaughter. By using the singular “sin” John refers to Jesus as the one who will take away the collective sin of the whole world.

The pre-existent one is already mentioned in the prologue as the Word who was with God in the beginning.

Jesus is the vehicle of the Spirit, because he had seen the Spirit descend on Jesus and has been told by God how this event must be interpreted. Finally, Jesus is the Son of God because he shares o a unique relationship with God and reveals him as no one has even done before. Since he is Son, he is competent to reveal God as father.

 

The reason why John uses so many titles for Jesus is because Jesus is a mystery that cannot be captured in this or that title. He means different things to different people. Each comes to him with their expectations and each encounters him uniquely. However, even after all titles are used for Jesus, we must remember that he is one of the titles, he is all of the titles and he remains above all titles. We require openness and receptivity because God keeps revealing himself in ways we can never imagine. Any kind of limitation that we may impose on this revelation, any restriction that we set on it may result in precluding the freshness with which Jesus always comes to us. To insist only on one or other name for Jesus is to mist the fullness of his grace, peace and love, indeed it is to miss the fullness of life.

Thursday, January 2, 2025 - Homily

 

Thursday, January 2, 2025 - Has your preconceived notion prevented you from encountering Jesus? How will you like John reveal Jesus today?

To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Jn 2:22-28; Jn 1:19-28

The Gospel text of today is one which appears immediately after the prologue in the Gospel of John and narrates the witness of John. John is the first witness to Jesus, who is the one who is to come. His preaching attracted such large crowds that the Jewish hierarchy in Jerusalem decided to investigate him. The priests represented the theological authorities of the nation; the Levites were concerned with the ritual and service of the temple. John did not seem to fit into any ecclesiastical category familiar to the Jewish authorities, and his unusual success demanded an explanation. In his response those who enquire of him who he is John clarifies that he is not the light, but the one who points to the light. Though he is not asked whether he is the Christ, John emphatically states that he is not. Neither is John Elijah or the prophet. Both Elijah and the prophet were figures upon whom some of the messianic expectations of Judaism came to rest. While Elijah was expected to return as the herald of the messianic age, the prophet was a figure like Moses who was expected to lead them in a new Exodus and overcome their enemies. John is neither. He is but a voice crying in the wilderness, the voice that witnesses to and prepares the way for the one who is to come. This is the one who will reveal the glory of God in all its fullness.

In order to recognize this God who is to come, it is necessary to get rid of all stereotypes and preconceived notions that we may have of how he is going to come as these might prevent us from recognizing him when he does come. The reason many of the people of Jesus’ time could not recognize him as the Messiah, is that they had definite ideas on how the Messiah was going to come. The Messiah, they thought, would suddenly descend from heaven in his divine power and majesty and establish his reign by destroying the enemies of Israel. No one would know where he came from, humanly speaking, because he would come from God.  So, when Jesus came, born of a woman like every other person, they could not recognize him.  He was too ordinary, too unimpressive. He did not fit into their expected categories. He was not the triumphant, conquering, aggressive Messiah that many would have liked him to be. His presence did not instill fear in people or fill their hearts with guilt and remorse. Rather, he was incarnate love and mercy, and came to transform the world through his message of unconditional and eternal love.