Solemnity of the Epiphany
Isaiah 60, 1-6; Psalm 72; Ephesians 3, 2-3.5-6; Matthew 2, 1-12
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
MERRY CHRISTMASTIDE. By longstanding sacred tradition
Christians celebrate Christmas as a season, with the twelve days
between Christmas and the Epiphany as one long "Christmas day."
The season ends with the Baptism of the Lord. Christmas
celebrations with friends and family, decorations, and all of the other
means of rejoicing, should continue throughout the season. We can
never rejoice in the Lord's birth too much. As Christians, we will very
often find ourselves living in contradiction to the styles and
preferences of the present age. We should get very much used to the
fact that we will face conflict among friends, and even at times within
families, as we seek, more generously and more regularly, to live out
and celebrate the mysteries of our redemption in Christ Jesus.
Jesus is conceived by the Holy Spirit in the Virgin
Mary's womb because he is the New Adam, who
inaugurates the new creation: 'The first man was
from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is
from heaven.' (1 Cor 15:45, 47) From his conception,
Christ's humanity is filled with the Holy Spirit, for God
'gives him the Spirit without measure.' (Jn 3:34)
From 'his fullness' as the head of redeemed humanity
'we have all received, grace upon grace.' (Jn 1:16)
(CCC 504)
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"Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the
Lord has risen upon you."(Is 60:1) Isaiah the prophet describes the
glory of Jesus Christ, who is "full of grace and truth; we have
beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father"(Jn
1:14), our Messiah. The prophet also foretells the reality of those first
three wise men, who represent the kings and the peoples of the
whole earth, all of whom are called to realize their full dignity as sons
and daughters of God in worship and praise of him for his glory and
goodness. "Above you the Lord now rises and above you his
glory appears. The nations come to your light and kings to
your dawning brightness." (Is 60:2-3)
The Father's only Son, conceived as man in the womb
of the Virgin Mary, is 'Christ,' that is to say, anointed
by the Holy Spirit, from the beginning of his human
existence, though the manifestation of this fact takes
place only progressively: to the shepherds, to the
magi, to John the Baptist, to the disciples. Thus the
whole life of Jesus Christ will make manifest 'how
God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy
Spirit and with power.' (Acts 10:38) (CCC 486)
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You and I, and all of mankind must, like the shepherds, the magi, St.
John and the disciples, come before the Lord in his humble birth at
Christmas, and worship him with all of our hearts, minds, souls and
strength.
You and I will be seen as acceptable and pleasing to God to the
extent that, in Christ, we grow in our praise and worship of him,
generously, with our whole being. How do we praise and worship
God? Christ is our model and our means. Christ has set down
through example and precept the ways in which we live the Christian
life.
The ancient "way" of Christian life is repentance and belief in the
Gospel, practically and profoundly realized in the sacramental life.
The sacraments are the "Epiphany" or manifestation of the Lord for
every human being. In the sacraments the whole "glory" of Christ
"shines out" so that all nations may fall down in praise before the
Lord. Christians, from the first foundation of the Church, have met
and known Christ through the words of forgiveness in Confession:
"Go, your sins are forgiven you." And from the beginning, as we do
today, Christians have met Christ in the gift of His body and blood in
the Eucharist, and have fallen down in worship of Him, our God.
"This is my body...this is my blood." This is the greatest of all the
sacraments, the Most Blessed Sacrament.
Let us be ever more generous in our expressions of reverential
worship of the Lord. Do we approach Christ at communion with all
the reverence, love and worship due to God? Do we observe
appropriate silence in Church so that a spirit of prayer may be
fostered? Are we distracted, or a source of distraction for others,
during Mass? Do we observe the proper postures and practices of
the liturgy? Do we chew gum in Church? Do we observe the
hour-long fast prior to receiving Communion?
We prepare for the joy of heaven, where will live as the praise of
God's glory forever and ever, by the way we approach the Lord as
he manifests himself in the "Epiphany" which is every Mass.
I look forward to meeting you here again next week as,
together, we "meet Christ in the liturgy", Father Cusick
(Publish with permission.)
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