Fr. Chris - The Epiphany of the Lord - Homily

" The Faith Journey"
​

Today, we celebrate the ‘Epiphany of Our Lord’, the word ‘epiphany’ meaning ‘manifestation’ which itself means an event or action which clearly embodies something abstract, a theory or idea or event outside our normal experience, as the ‘manifestation’ of Jesus Christ in the world, as celebrated in the story of the Magi.

At our New Year’s Day mass, honouring our Holy Mother Mary, I suggested a theme for 2021: “Love yourself enough to love God and to love your neighbour.”

This theme is what can and should accompany us, as Christians, on our individual Faith Journeys, preparing us, motivating us, and giving us guidance along the way.


Because today is all about ‘journey’, as illustrated in the journey of the Magi, the three kings, to the humble place of Christ’s birth, to bring him gifts of love, and to offer joy, adoration, and gratitude to him for coming into our troubled, challenging world to free us from sin.


The Kings loved themselves enough to make this long, perilous journey under the eye of Herod, loved God enough to want to experience his Son’s arrival in person, and loved others enough to share the exciting, good news with them of what they found and who they encountered, nothing less than the ‘Saviour of the World’.


The story of the Magi is, in itself, intriguing, because over time it has evolved from what we now understand actually took place, into the tradition we now celebrate. First of all, the word Magi, was used by Matthew to clearly illustrate who the men were – not kings, but ‘astronomers’, as the ancient Persian word really means. Also, it seems certain there were several astronomers seeking Jesus, not just three. The idea of only three seems to have developed out of the wish to symbolize the three major eastern countries at that time: Asia, Europe, and Africa. The astronomers were then re-cast as ‘kings’ of these countries, to emphasize their importance. Their gifts would be symbolic as well: gold, representing the royal kingship of Christ; frankincense, representing the aromatic, divine charism of Christ; and myrrh, used for embalming, representing the coming death and sacrifice of Christ.


There are debates about the ‘Star’ as well. Scientists today are wondering if the recent conjoining of Jupiter with Saturn, which may have occurred at Christ’s birth, may be what the astronomers saw. Yet, the importance is not what the star ‘was’, but more what the star ‘meant’ to the astronomers: it was their guide to Christ.


The Star or Light of Christ shines on us always, often in ways we might fail to see, hovering just above our heads, or hovering in our hearts. Christ is there to guide us. But we need to make a conscious effort to search for his ‘light’ like the Magi did.


Like Jesus is to us, every child is a gift from God, and every child, like Christ, has a unique destiny, hidden from their parents, even from themselves, until their journey reveals what that plan and purpose is which God intended for them. Though our purposes and the meaning of our lives may all be different, the journey is the same: to love ourselves enough to search for Christ, love Him enough to offer him the gifts we have produced in our lives, and love others enough to share with them the joy of having found Christ, and for having adopted his teachings of love.


And we can do this sharing with others in the simplest of ways: lending someone a bible or book of sound, religious advice; giving a rosary as a gift; investing time as a volunteer i.e. with SSVP; being a good listener, offering words of support and encouragement to someone in distress; inviting others to join an online spiritual chat group like our Faith Sharing group or to join in prayer with others on our online Rosary Group. There are so many simple ways to share the good news, to evangelize what it means to be a Christian on our journeys, if only by example.


In the words of Salesian priest, Flor McCarthy, SDB:


“Just as ships at sea need a lighthouse beacon to guide them safely to port,
so, we need a star to guide us on our earthly journey.
In Christ we have a star, a star which will not betray us,
a star of hope, the star of Bethlehem.
Lord, may your gentle light guide us on the unfolding road,
so we may walk with confidence,
towards the light that never fades and the life that never ends.” – Amen.


– Rev Fr Christopher Tracey, Saint Joseph Parish, Saugeen Shores, Ontario