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Dear Parish Family,
The story of the Magi in Matthew’s Gospel –Gentiles coming from the East – to visit the Christ Child teaches many gospel truths, of which one of the most important is that the Christ has come for all the world. The word Epiphany comes from the Greek meaning “to appear” or “to be shown forth.” According to Roman Catholic tradition, Epiphany signifies the first appearance of Christ to the gentiles in the story of the visit of the three wise men to the divine infant Jesus. As the three wise men represent all the known peoples of the world, this signifies an appearance to the entire world, not just a few who call themselves Christians. In the Gospel of John, Jesus proclaims: “Other sheep have I that are not of this flock.” Jesus in Matthew is the new Israel which is to be universal in scope. Jesus is Lord and Savior for all. Therefore Christianity as a way of life is suited to all cultures and is universal or catholic by its very nature. This catholicity can be seen in our Sunday Eucharistic celebration where we have peoples from a wide variety of cultures and ethnic groups who belong to the Church. The Catholic Church is for all: saint and sinner. How does the old saying go? This must be the Catholic Church. Here comes everybody.
What does this story of the magi have to say about our search? Our modern age and time profoundly distrusts any claims for absolute truth, yet there remains in the human heart a deep desire for the truth. Our faith journey concludes that that the child born in Bethlehem is the truth for which human heart hungers. Like the magi, we need to be attentive to the truth wherever it is to be found, for ultimately it is one in him who said, ‘I am the truth’.
On this Feast of the Epiphany Christ is manifested to all the world as Lord and Redeemer. He is proclaimed as the light of the world. But Christ cannot be the Savior and the Light without His Body the Church – without us. We must be His instruments of salvation and convey His light by reflecting in our lives how to live the gospel. To do this we must know Christ. We come to know Him in the Scriptures, in the liturgy, in daily prayer and in what we do for the least of our brothers and sisters. Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ. Absence from the liturgy is isolation from Christ present in the worshipping community. Neglect of prayer, blocks communication with God. Failure to love and serve one another will be judged as what “you neglected to do for the least of my brothers and sisters you neglected to do for me.”
Fr. Tom Kunnel. C.O.