Epiphany of the Lord

01-05-2020Weekly Reflection©2019 Liturgical Publications, Inc.

We may walk many roads when we search for God, and He leads us all the while. The men we honor today were not Jews. The Messiah wasn’t coming for them, not in the minds of Jesus’ contemporaries. These men were astrologers. They were adept at reading portents in the sky, a practice condemned in the Mosaic covenant. Still, to the best of their knowledge and awareness, they were seeking the truth. This truth led them to journey from their own homeland to honor a king they’d never met, one they couldn’t be sure truly existed. “‘We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.’” Who do you know seeks God so tenaciously?

“Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem,” the Gospel tells us. Who are the seekers in your own life? Maybe it’s your cautiously curious coworker, the neighbor who unexpectedly found peace on a yoga retreat, or your desperately angry child who has chosen, for now, to go their own way. Perhaps they’re not overtly headed for Jesus now, not yet. But they may well be seekers of truth in ways we didn’t expect. Our invitation is to listen, inquire, and give directions when appropriate.

The magi and modern-day seekers can inspire us as well. When is the last time you sought God’s truth so tenaciously? As believers, it can perhaps be easy to become desensitized to the Christmas season and to the miraculous reality we recently celebrated. Mass may have been lovely, but so was the succulent roast beef, the crisp smell of evergreen, and the warm glow of family. Consider asking yourself, “God, do I know you as well as I should? Would I journey as far as the magi to meet You, if I could? Do I journey to meet You daily in prayer? What do those answer say about me, and about our relationship?” Perhaps we, like the magi, can once again be “overjoyed” at seeing the Light of the World.

La Epifanía del Señor

La Epifanía del Señor es una de las Solemnidades que más disfrutan los niños en la comunidad hispana (Fiesta de los Reyes Magos), por aquello de que llegan los regalos y las piñatas llenando de alegría este tiempo navideño. Las familias se preparan para la ocasión y disfrutan el reunirse con amigos y familiares cercanos. Sin embargo, aparte de regalos y fiesta, hay muchas cosas que aprender sobre está solemnidad y, una de ellas es lo que significa la palabra Epifanía, Manifestación del Señor. Cristo se revela de muchas maneras como: Señor y Rey. Y algo importante, la forma de como Dios se manifiesta en Jesús con hechos (Milagros). Todas las manifestaciones de Jesús en su tiempo histórico fueron luces de amor para la humanidad. Las lecturas de hoy, de alguna manera, y de formas diferentes, manifiestan quien es Cristo para el que cree en Él.

El profeta Isaías dice: “Levanta los ojos y mira alrededor: todos se reúnen y vienen a ti; tus hijos llegan de lejos, a tus hijas las traen en brazos.” San Pablo aclara que “también los pagano son coherederos de la misma herencia, miembros del mismo cuerpo y participes de la misma promesa en Jesucristo.” El Evangelio de Mateo nos orienta hacia el punto clave de quien se manifiesta: “Y tú, Belén, tierra de Judá, no eres en manera alguna la menor entre las ciudades ilustres de Judá, pues de ti saldrá un jefe, que será el pastor de mi pueblo, Israel”. Estos pasajes de la Sagrada Escritura muestran la universalidad del Mesías, que ha venido a redimir a toda la humanidad. ¡Feliz Epifanía!