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Epiphany and Interests in the Foreign Missions Bishop Peter Orlando
Epiphany is a feast whose days for celebration never expire. This feast is something to be lived, day in and day out, 24/7 of each month. What we live is a missionary spirit. Missionary zeal is an indispensable aspect of Christianity that prepares the world for the final coming of Jesus Christ. The main reason why we don’t know neither the day nor the hour for the return of Jesus Christ at the end of the world (Mark 13:32) is because Jesus will not arrive until the Gospel is preached and lived in every corner on earth. For that to happen, we must do our part because, “…the Gospel must first be preached to all nations” (Mark 13:10). Yearning for the face of God implies working to earn the privilege to finally see Him. The splendor of the cosmic Christ will increase the quality of happiness and splendor of our personal eternal rest. There is an individual salvation but there is also a separate life form for the universal human community.
The Magi brought to the home in Bethlehem Isaiah’s prophecy: “Nations shall walk by your light and kings by your shining radiance…they all gather and come to you; your sons come from afar….”(Isaiah 60:1-6). “..it has now been revealed…that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body and co partners in the promise in Christ Jesus….” Ephesians 3:2-6). During the feast of Epiphany, the church universal prays in the liturgy of the hours, “All peoples will be blessed in him, men and women of every race….King of the nations, you called the Magi to adore you as the first representatives of the nations, Save the poor, O Lord.” (Evening Prayer for the Feast of the Epiphany).
These reflections first took form in a cold and dark limestone cave below houses in Bethlehem built on the ridges above it. What was it like to visit that cave? It has been reported that the first pilgrims to visit the cave in which Christ was born had to bend down and crawl on their hands and knees through a narrow door to kiss the spot. The first step toward the ends of the earth still is made upon our hands and knees adoring Christ Jesus, Our Lord. The Magi did just that. They were representatives from areas of where Iraq and Iran are today. Isn’t it ironic that today we still yearn for the peace of Christ to return to those lands? Missionaries travel abroad first through reverence and devotion to Christ done each day of their lives.
We do not know exactly the number of the Magi. Matthew merely states that there were wise men or Magi as opposed to a Magus or wise man. The most popular tradition had it that there were three Magi because there were three different types of gifts. For us, however, the three unique gifts given by the Magi to the Infant Jesus indicate how we are to influence the world.
Gold was given to a person born a King. Luke compares this phenomenon with Octavian who was made Augustus Caesar by men in Rome. Christ was born from God to be King of the world, King of every nation and King of the universe. Christ is in charge and owns it all. We live in troubled times and it seems that we are helpless to face the evil that is promised to us from the hands of those far away. On the other hand, our belief is that as members of the Mystical Body of Christ, we are with Christ in charge of what is happening. The peace and justice, which the world needs to survive, can not come through any other source. Even though we work cooperatively with all civil powers, the energy vitalizing it all is what comes through your love and commitments to Christ Jesus, our Lord and King, as members of the Mystical Body of Christ.
Incense was given to Jesus because He was a priest. Accordingly, Peter reminds us that “…you also, like living stones are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood….” (1 Peter 2:5-6). What do priests do? They are bridge builders making sure that blessings and prayer flow between God and mankind. Priests make it easier for people to approach God by not being obstacles in their paths and by removing obstacles from people’s paths.
Myrrh was a gift given for Jesus’ burial. It is also given to us for the moments of our little daily deaths that take place every day for the prices we pay to live for what we believe and for how we endure the sacrifices we make to serve others. The fact that we follow Jesus, who did not compromise for what had to be done and for how it had to be done, insures us that we will experience many little deaths too to become who we want to be. The scent of Myrrh reminds us that whatever we think, say and do is to be done as if those acts would be the very last ones before we meet our Maker. When our final moment arrives, we will be very familiar with what we find due to the experiences of our tiny daily deaths.
Lofty thoughts. Noble sentiments. How are we to live up to them?
The Magi followed a star that they decided was their very own. It seems absurd to think that this star was constantly above them, guiding their every step of the way, making their search for Christ as easy as cutting cake. It does not happen this way in our lives and it probably was not that way for the Magi either. The fact that the start of their journey was energized by a ‘star,’ and the fact that they experienced great joy when they rediscovered the star over the house in Bethlehem, implied that the star appeared anew after being hidden from view for long periods of time. After all, they felt a need for consultation regarding where Christ was to be born: “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?”(Matthew 2:2) The star had disappeared and they needed help. They followed advice and the star that they HAD seen in the past reappeared: “…they went on their way, and the star that they had seen in the East went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star they were overjoyed.” (Matthew 2: 9-10)
There are times in our lives too when we are enflamed with love for God and neighbor. There are times when our dreams and insights are alive within us and guide all our steps. On the other hand, there are also times when the light of those dreams and stars fade and even evaporate. When they do, we are to be like those Magi who followed the traces of the memories of their star and dreams. They had developed consciences regarding their reasons to exist and what was expected of them. When the light from their ‘star’ grew dim, they kept the heat and energy from it burning brightly. St. Matthew writes in such a manner that we can feel the force of their convictions and commitments. Our memories too are the voices of our future. Let’s us also keep vibrant our insights into a meaningful future – the goals we have for the people of God.
There are many more lessons the Magi teach us. Matthew weaves into the fabric of the story the fulfillment of many of Isaiah’s prophecies regarding how all creation and all nations will arrive and adore the King of Israel. The Magi knelt and adored Christ, the King. Each time we do the same, we become tabernacles embodying those same prophecies. So many times,we are busy asking God to assist us, our relatives, and friends and suffering world. Yet, we are not to forget putting all concerns aside from time to time and just praying, “We adore you, Christ Jesus our Lord.” Adoring Christ is the first and indispensable step to transform the world. Isaiah talks about the nations streaming into Jerusalem. He used many metaphors about the people of the world cascading into the paths toward Israel. Here let’s renew our interest in current events around the world. When we learn about different cultures, we can appreciate them more and even come to love many aspects of their way of life. Moreover, this makes it easier for the international community to feel at home with us when we finally meet personally. In this way we foster a missionary consciousness that is at the heart of Epiphany. A final note. We have seen how Matthew opens his Gospel with an international focus. He ends it in a similar manner: “Go into the whole world…” (Matthew 28:28) There was no talk about, ‘We have enough problems of our own in our own back yard.’ There is no backyard. There are no fences. The Independent Catholic Church of the West has a mission site in Peru. We have a corner of the world in which we can invest some money, study and prayer as practical applications of the lessons learned during this time of year. The singular lesson to learn about having a dream is do something practical with it as soon as we awake to the light of day – no matter how small or symbolic. Dreaming of a better world and finding Christ somewhere in it is the heartbeat of Christianity. |
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Man in the Mirror Lenten Message from Bishop Terry, OSB
As they were growing up, my children were huge Michael Jackson fans. Consequently, I came to know his music rather well. There is one song in particular of his entitled “Man in the Mirror” that struck me as the lyrics are very piercing. In this song he describes how he has to look in the mirror and make the change to become a better person, to look within and change his heart to reach out to others and effect change in our society. Regardless of what you may think of Michael Jackson, and the tragedies in his life, the words of this song describe how we should approach the season of Lent; look at ourselves in the mirror to “make the change.” Jesus is the perfect example for accomplishing personal change.
In the gospel story from the First Sunday of Lent, Jesus spends 40 days in the desert and was “tempted by the devil.” He was promised the bodily pleasure of food, power to rule earthly kingdoms and a stab at tempting God. However, this story reveals that Jesus saw these temptations for what they were; false promises of happiness and peace. It was after facing these demons that Jesus found the strength and power for his ministry to preach a new philosophy of being. The key to this message is that he faced his demons; he did not run from them. A message we often miss.
There is a prevalent philosophy that we should avoid temptation and run from it. If we do that, we are always running. Is facing our demons easy? Of course not, it is painful and requires discipline. Never think for a minute that the desert experience of Jesus was easy! Confronting such demons as pride, greed, envy, anger, etc. is difficult but unless we see these as Jesus did, false promises, we will never know true happiness and peace in our life. So, how do we do this? Lent provides us the opportunity to enter into the desert experience, and it transcends giving up chocolate, movies and the like. We begin by looking at the person in the mirror and identifying our demons. (If you are like me, bring a sheet of paper as a list is required.) Spend time examining these weaknesses. Identify how they provide nothing of value in our lives and let them go. (Don’t cast them out, just let them go.) Then begin reaching out to others.
Reaching out to others is the ultimate format for effecting change in our lives and our society. When we touch a person who is hurting or in need, we bring the love of God. When we support the rights of the marginalized members of our community, we bring the hope of God. When we accept all of humanity regardless of religion, ethnicity, creed or color, we bring the peace of God. It is the Jesus Philosophy in action!
So, during these 40 days of Lent, let us spend time in front of the mirror looking inward. Let go of the things that are false, and “make the change.”
Peace and Blessings, Bishop Terry, OSB
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