Epiphany of our Lord - 06 Jan 2013

Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:2-3a.5-6; Matthew 2:1-12
MAN OF LA MANCHA is a remarkable show and one of the great theatre successes of our time. This is a play-within-a-play, based on Cervantes' "Don Quixote." We have a poignant story of a dying old man whose impossible dream takes over his mind. Aldonza a character in the play, demands to know why he does these things. "I hope to add some measure of grace to the world," replies Quixote. And when pressed further, adds, "It is necessary to follow the quest." Aldonza demands, "What does it mean, quest?" and Quixote replies, "The mission of each true knight. His duty-nay, his privilege." And he sings, THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM.

His dream is Everyman's dream. His tilting at windmills is Everyman's great adventure. Somehow, the footlights disappear, time is telescoped and the "Man of La Mancha" speaks for humankind.

Today we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany of our Lord. This feast recalls the arrival of the magi or the three kings to Bethlehem pursuing their impossible dream, in search of the King of the Jews. It is also called Theophany, meaning the Manifestation especially by the Eastern Church. Epiphany celebrates God’s revealing or manifesting of Jesus’ identity as true God, Messiah, and Saviour of the world. God’s revelation of Jesus of Nazareth to us is a gift. He condescended to us and revealed Jesus to us in ways that we could understand. He sought out the magi and revealed Jesus’ Person and Mission to them through the star and Scripture. They never could have discovered this on their own if He hadn’t revealed it by grace..

Today’s Gospel Reading relates to us the event of the three wise men that followed the star that led them to the Child Jesus. They followed the brilliant star in the sky. To them, the light of the star was a symbol of hope, of joy and of peace. To them, the star was but a small reflection of the fullness of the Light of the world that awaited them at the end of their journey. Who were these “wise men” and where did they come from? In the Greek text they are called magoi which is usually rendered in English as “Magi”. In later Christian tradition they were called kings, perhaps under the influence of Psalm 72:10 which says, “May the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts!”; and Prophet Isaiah says “Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves”. Since the earliest days of the church, these wise men have been considered to be representatives of all the peoples of the earth.

Matthew tells us that the Magi found Jesus by following a star, which thus traditionally known as the Star of Bethlehem and accepted the interpretation of the star and followed it to discover the King. On finding him, they gave him three symbolic gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. All three gifts are ordinary offerings given to a king. Myrrh being commonly used as anointing oil, frankincense as a perfume, and gold as a valuable precious item. The three gifts had a spiritual meaning: gold as a symbol of kingship on earth, frankincense or incense as a symbol of priesthood, and myrrh, the embalming oil as a symbol of death. There is talk of following a star. The star is also a symbolic expression, a light representing Jesus as the Light of the whole world.

The First Reading taken from the Book of Isaiah speaks of a prophecy that was made about seven hundred years prior to the birth of Jesus. Isaiah gave them hope that the promised Messiah would soon rise among the people and that His glory would be seen by all. The prophet emphasises the fact that they would be the light of the world and that the nations of the world would come to their light. Today’s prophecy of Isaiah concluded with the words, “They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.” These words are fulfilled with the gifts that the three wise men from the East brought to Jesus.
The Second Reading Saint Paul tells the Ephesians, of the commission of God’s grace that was given for them, and how the mystery was made known to him by revelation. He tells them that God’s revelation is universal. In former generations this mystery was not made known to humanity as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”
Strange, isn't it, the way people can react so differently to the same news! We have Herod who is afraid and on guard and ready to kill, while the Jewish elders, astonishingly, are not terribly interested in Jesus at all - they have something far more manageable than a Messiah:
the Law and the Prophets.The chief priests and scribes of the people were knowledgeable enough to point out to Herod where the child was to be born. They knew their faith. They knew the Scriptures. These were men who had mastered the Book but who had no intention of letting the Book master them. They believed the Scriptures, they read the Scriptures, but they would not live by the Scriptures. Theirs was a religion of the head, not of the heart. Theirs was a static faith centred on the words of a scroll and not on a living person - even if that person was God.
The wise men on the other hand were pagans, gentiles. They came from far away, from the distant east. They were open-hearted, truth-seeking, and adventurous. They longed to know the true God. St Augustine says in his writings:
You would not be looking for him if you had not already found him. These men had already surrendered to the Lord even before they met him. The wise men are instantly loveable. Their following of an impossible dream, Their trust in the guidance of the star, their humble readiness to ask for directions, their courageous journey and their generous gifts to the one they were seeking. These men were hungry for worship. They longed to see the face of the One who had been foretold and their longing was satisfied.
On this feast of Epiphany let us look into its meaning and application today. God, in the person of Jesus, is reaching out to the whole world. More than that, the religious leaders of his own people – the chief priests and experts in the scriptures, although clearly aware of where the Messiah would be born, made no effort whatever to investigate. For them Bethlehem was not too far away but they were blind to the fact of the arrival of the Messiah. These pagan foreigners, on the other hand, went to great lengths to find the “King of the Jews” and “do him homage”. All in all, today’s feast is telling us that for God there are no foreigners, no outsiders. From his point of view, all are equally his beloved children. We all, whatever external physical or cultural differences there may be between us, belong to one single family which has one Father, “our” Father. It means that every one of us is a brother and sister to everyone else. There is no room for discrimination of any kind based on nationality, race, religion, class or occupation. There cannot be a single exception to this position.

The facts of today’s story may be vague but the message is loud and clear. We thank God today that there is no “Chosen People” whether they are Jews or Christians (or even Catholics). Let us try to understand more deeply God’s closeness to us which is also a reason for us to be close to each other. There are no outsiders. All are called, the rich and the poor, the privileged and the lonely, the healthy and the sick, the saints and the sinners. Yet, we can become outsiders. We do that every time we make someone else an outsider, whether we do that individually, as a family, a community, or an ethnic grouping. To make even a single other person an outsider, that is, to deny them the love and respect which belongs equally to all, is to make an outsider of oneself.

Finally, we have seen the wise men who observed the star and followed it. The people in Jerusalem did not. Isn’t God calling me as well? Where and how does he want me to find him, to serve and follow him? Some have their priorities already fixed and so have stopped or have never even started to look for the real priorities, the God-sent stars in their lives. The wise men did not know where the star would lead them. They had to follow the quest in their lives. They just followed it until it brought them to Bethlehem and to Jesus. The same star will also lead us to Jesus our King and Lord.