FOLLOW THE STAR.

January 2, 2022
Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.

READINGS: Is 60:1-6; Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13; Eph3:2-3a, 5-6; Mt 2:1-12.

“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” (Mt 2:2)

A Nilotic proverb says: “The voyager's path is marked by the stars and not the sand dunes.” And a Hawaiian proverb adds: “The stars are the eyes of heaven.”

There was a time where there was no GPS, no Waze, no Google Map. To travel, one needed geolocation, a sign, an astral referential. Three men, from remote areas of the world, saw a star, each of them from his location. They followed it, and it led them to a unique destination, Bethlehem, where a mystery was waiting for them. God manifested Himself in our human nature.

The solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord speaks of three realities: the Star, the journey of the Magi, and the Revelation of God. The Star, a sign that calls for the journey. The journey itself, to an unknown destination. And the finality of the journey, the encounter with God, under the humble newborn king.

The word Epiphany itself says everything about what we are celebrating today. More, it says all about what Christmas truly means. Epiphany, also called Feast of the Epiphany, or Theophany, or Three Kings’ Day, (from the Greek Epiphaneia, “manifestation”), is the commemoration of the first manifestation of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, represented by the Magi, and the manifestation of his divinity to our humanity. The Gospel says that, after his birth in the little burg of Bethlehem, a Star appeared and led three wise men to worship and honor the newborn in who they saw a great King, the King of kings.

God uses what we are familiar with to reveal to us his glorious presence. The Magi, the said wise men were familiar with astrological signs. Therefore, God passed through a Star, the most common astral sign to tell them of his presence in their midst. If it was today, he might have used other means of communication. Who knows, either Facebook, or Twitter, or Telegram, or Tik-Tok. The most important, however, is how do we read and interpret the signs of the times, and how do they lead us to see God. Find your Star and follow it.

Celebrating the solemnity of the Epiphany, the readings are all about God's manifestation. The Prophet Isaiah, in the first reading, calls Jerusalem to arise and shine, for above her the glory of God appears. Through the night and the darkness that cover the earth, God's glory, like a light has broken and all the nations are brought into a new light. The Lord shines upon His people, and His glory appears to them.

The manifestation of the Lord, however, is not exclusively for his people, but all the nations all over the earth. On the day of the Nativity, the Lord Jesus was revealed to the Jews represented by the shepherds, the first witnesses of the good news of the Incarnation. Today, this news is broadcasted and brought to universality. All nations, like sing the Psalmist are called to fall prostrate before him. Jesus is going viral.

St. Paul, addressing the faithful in Ephesus emphasizes it. The mystery about Jesus Christ, through the work of the Holy Spirit, is revealed to the Pagans. Salvation is no longer a Jewish property. Pagans are also made sharers of it. In Jesus, they have become sharers of the promises of God, part of Christ's Body, and so co-heirs of the fruits of his redemption.

The Gospel tells us that this was even manifested since the birth of the Lord. Through the revelation of the star to the Magi and their journey to Jerusalem and Bethlehem, salvation was already propagated. Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western, and the Central part of the universe have seen the glory of God. All have seen his star as it rose and have come to do him homage.

Like the Magi, we too, are called to come before the Lord and pay him our homage of love and offer him what we have most dear. For the Magi, the most precious gifts were gold, frankincense, and myrrh, symbols of his kingship, his priestly role, and a prefiguring of his death and embalming. And what better do we have to offer him?

This Epiphany sounds like a challenge for you and me to become the instruments of new propaganda, that is, to become those who will reveal Jesus to others who thirst for him and know him not yet. We are given more possibilities today than the Magi had. We have the internet. We have social media. We have all the forums and platforms. May we see in them a way to make the Lord and his Good News viral today.

A friend, one day asked me, “Will you like me to make you viral?" I answered joking, "I prefer to be unknown and free. Let Jesus instead be viral.” So, brethren, let us make the Lord Jesus our New Born King viral. He is revealed to us in order to be known. So, let Jesus be our Star, and even our Super Star, and may we follow him wherever he leads us. Today, we need no more an astral sign to lead us to the Lord. He calls us and leads us to him. So, as new Magi, may we always follow him and make him known to all as our Lord and Savior. Even though the Herods of this time may ty prevent us from doing so, let us never give up but find always a way to bring Jesus to the people and people back to him.

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