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The Feast of the EpiphanyDear Parishioners:
We gather on this New Year’s Day evening and January 2nd, to celebrate The Feast of the Epiphany. Our Masses this weekend, point us to the beauty and dignity of the visit of The Three Kings (“The Three Wisemen”). As we contemplate the visit of The Three Wisemen, in actuality, these three kings were really wise, because although they had temporal responsibility in their own lands, they were yearning for something greater; they were yearning for a relationship with God. Their hearts were hungry for the truth that only God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit could bring. They set out from distant lands, to travel to a rural part of Israel to find the baby that is God. They understood that God who would be born on Christmas Day would not necessarily come from an aristocratic line but rather would come from a line of holy men and women who had a deep relationship with God. Can you imagine the excitement as these three wisemen who traveled with the retinue of servants and slaves dressed in rich clothes, peasant men and women, boys and girls standing in awe of such splendor? Imagine the consternation when these three men arrived at a simple stable surrounded by a bunch of itinerant shepherds, went on their knees to adore the baby who is God. Such a sight had never been seen before.
This royal visit to the stable involves not just three aristocratic men but the lowly shepherd and the regular folk who were privileged to be part of such a joyous moment. This incredible scene reminds us that God has no favorites. Humankind is still divided into the educated, the uneducated, the rich, the middle class and the poor. Each have our part to play in salvation history. In salvation history, we all together from all lands, with multiple languages are challenged by God to make known the story of the First Christmas and the story of Jesus, who died and rose for all of humankind. This story is retold and relived every year in multiple languages throughout the world. The Lord our God draws all people to himself, inviting us to use our gifts in the varied ways that we have been gifted with, to reflect the love of God and to help humankind to move more toward perfect love, the love that is seen totally in God.
In the coming days, we will all take down our trees and Christmas decorations, but this Christmas season is part of our story to reflect upon and to draw strength from always. Next week, we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, the day when the adult Christ began his public mission to save the world and all that lived on planet Earth.
When I was a little boy growing up in Ireland, The Feast of the Epiphany was called, “Little Christmas”. Traditionally this was the day when the men and boys of the house gave mom a break. On that day, we had our last festive meal of Christmas, maybe not as fancy as the meal cooked by mom, but nonetheless a meal cooked with great love and togetherness. As we bring this season to a close, remember to always spoil each other with love, acts of kindness and little treats. We are blessed in our faith, our family, and our parish. Let us celebrate this gift in us always.
Happy Little Christmas!
Fr. Owen