Sunday, January 2, 2022

THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD

(Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:2-3.5-6; Matthew 2:1-12)

There are traditional Christmas carols and new Christmas carols. In recent times many people have taken to "The Little Drummer Boy". We all know the story. A poor boy has nothing to give homage to the Christ child. Then it occurs to him that he can play his drum for the newborn king. When he does, the child smiles appreciatively. The drummer boy joins the shepherds and magicians of the Gospels in worship of the Son of God.

The shepherds are found only in the Gospel according to St. Luke. When they learn that the Messiah has been born in Bethlehem, they waste no time going to honor him. We see the Magi only in today's passage from the Gospel according to St. Matthew. After an encounter with Herod and the Jews, they proceed to Bethlehem. As they enter Joseph's house, they see Maria with her baby. They immediately prostrate themselves to show their submission to the “King of the Jews.”

The evangelists tell these stories to explain the mission of the Son of God. The shepherds represent the common people. They are not educated and work for the minimum wage. The Messiah will defeat the corrupt rulers who oppress them.  He will bring them a closeness to God that makes their hard life tolerable, even good.

The Magi form a contrast to the shepherds. But they are not kings. (This idea comes from the first reading. Isaiah tells of kings bringing gifts to Jerusalem. The tradition of magicians riding camels also has its origin in the first reading.) Magi are cultured people who search the heavens for truth. They find in the child Jesus the source of wisdom that will bring peace to the world.

Just as Jesus embodies grace in both stories, Herod personifies sin. He becomes jealous when he hears of a child who is to become the Messiah of Israel. He asks the Magi to inform him of the child’s whereabouts in order to kill Jesus. The high priests and scribes unite with Herod to form a conspiracy against Jesus. In time these religious leaders will oppose Jesus for interpreting the law in a fresh way. They are satisfied with things as they are because they can take advantage of them. They do not want to leave their authority to another, even if he is the Messiah.

But Jesus does not come to seize the political power of Herod. Nor does he intend to change the law. His mission is to show the world the ways of God. He wants everyone to have "the good life" that leads to justice. Often "the good life" is depicted as a series of luxury cruises to different of the world. But this is not the case in Christian history. "The good life" means to recognize yourself as a child of God. It is experiencing the call of Jesus to be his disciple. It is putting yourself in the company of other honorable people.

You can live "the good life" in a number of ways. One way that is worth mentioning is the Christian movement called "People of Praise." This group is dedicated to renewing the world with the power of the Holy Spirit. The members belong to different Christian churches. They dedicate themselves to living their baptismal promises to the full. They meet on Sunday afternoon after services in their respective churches. They study the Bible together and plan their social projects. An impressive project has been to inhabit decaying neighborhoods to revive the spirit of the poor people. Members of "People of Praise" show the world the true "good life."

We have launched 2022. Everyone hopes that it will be much better than last year. May it be God’s will! However, it is more important that we live the true "good life" in the new year.  Whether we are as poor as the shepherds of Bethlehem or as educated as the Magi from the East, let us live our baptismal promises. This would be an appropriate gift for the Christ child next Christmas.