Can you hear it: The happy sigh of 2020 being over and the beginning of 2021 just a few days ago? It is the sound of Hope Revealed just like Epiphany is the revelation of the Savior, Jesus, who brings hope to the world.
The
question for us is: Can we recognize this Hope Revealed after being downtrodden
by the Covid-19 pandemic? To date,
millions have been infected, hundreds of thousands have died and millions lost
their jobs and, are unable to pay their bills. A stand for racial equality has caused civil
unrest, political upheaval has brought us confusion and fear and thousands of
children are being challenged to learn remotely, not returning to classrooms as
in the past. Because in truth, even with
the approved vaccines currently being distributed, it will take most of 2021 to
return to what we might deem as close to normal.
Given
this scenario, how does hope become a reality?
Our answer as Baptized Catholic Christians: Trust God in His love for us
so we can love all that He has created.
That’s why we gather to worship God and offer up our lives as disciples
so we can be present to those in need. How else can we get through the tough times
unless we believe that God has a purpose? We need to fulfill that purpose with the gifts
He has given us at our disposal like the Magi gave to Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
Epiphany
is about our journey to find that God is always present and freely given to
all. St. Paul in his Letter to the
Ephesians writes “that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body and
copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.” Isn’t that the crux of the meaning of
Epiphany? God is no longer limiting His relationship to a certain race, but is
giving His promise to all who seek God in Christ and then becoming members of
the same body of Christ.
The
wise men did not know where the star would lead them. They just followed it until it brought them
to Bethlehem and to Jesus. They never, I
am sure, regretted their decision. If we
can only have the courage and the trust to follow their example, I doubt if we
will have regrets either. If we have not
already done so, today is the day to make that start: To accept and believe in
the Epiphany that gives us Hope Revealed.
Reading 1: Isaiah 60: 1-6
Reading 2: Ephesians 3: 2-3a, 5-6
Gospel: Matthew 2: 1-12
Nice reflection on the Epiphany. Like the magi, once we find Jesus, we return to our lives "by another way."
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