HOMILY
FEAST OF EPIPHANY
JAN 8, 2017
FR. O’GRADY
A few days before Christmas a five year old boy went shopping with his mother to the mall. Their first stop was the toy department at Macy’s and soon the child was propped up on Santa’s lap. “What do you want for Christmas?”, asked Santa. “Better write it down” said the boy. “Trust me”, said Santa. “ My memory never fails me”. Whereupon the little boy listed all the things he wanted for Christmas.
Later that day the mother and son went to another store and toy department and again the little boy was propped up on Santa’s lap. “What do you want for Christmas?” asked Santa. Hearing this the little boy jumped off of Santa’s lap and said to the mother dejectedly, “see I Told you he would forget!”
So often even though Christmas was a mere two weeks in the past, how easy it is to forget the greatest of miracles and the deep religious meaning of that day…GOD ENTERING INTO OURWORLD AND BRINGING US THE HOPE OF SALVATION AND PEACE AND LIFE ETERNAL.
Once the day after Christmas gets here, the Christmas things are half price and the stores pull out the Valentine cards and in some cases Easter decoration already. So where has the meaning of this day gone?
Yet the Church wants us all to remember and so today we celebrate the Feast of Three Kings or Epiphany and for a moment let’s look at what this can say to you and me so we do remember and not forget the promise of Jesus birth.
First, to get to the Baby they had to look UP IN THE SKY TO THE STAR. If they kept their eyes focused just on the ground or on themselves or on the tracks of the camels, they would have lost their way and guidance.
Can you imagine if they had I-phones then, they would be looking down at the screen and probably fall into the Red Sea. No they had to lift up their heads and look up and see where God was leading them!
Christmas gives us a vison or star in our lives of what can happen when God enters our world and life. We can become better people. We can overcome sin, We can make a difference for peace in world and family. We can see he needs and blessing of those around us as they too show us God’s love.
But we have to look up in prayer, in faith and have Jesus as center of our lives. It has been said that “where there is no vision, the people perish”.
The three kings today remind us all of keeping that vision of faith and hope.
Secondly, note what they did. They brought Jesus the gifts from their own lives. As kings orwealthy men that brought more expensive gifts. They gave what was part of their lives.
Of course the shepherds the first to come to the manger also brought what little they had. Perhaps their own rough blankets to keep baby warm or what little food they had to share.
To keep the memory of Christmas alive, we are asked in the same way to give back to God the gifts,or talents, or time to make our faith active and real and not just a past memory.
And so maybe this year to use more of our time to pray or read the scriptures.
Maybe this new year to reach out to those in need and share the promise and hope of our faith with others
Perhaps for some this means finding new ways to volunteer and become more active in the church or civic and community organizations.
And thirdly, we look at the last sentence of the Gospel. “They returned home by anotherroute”.
In other words, their lives had to be different than when they first came. They had to literally change direction and find another road or trail.
But don’t you think their lives also had to be changed as well. Could they ever be the same?
The three kings and the shepherds gazed at the human face of God.
What in our lives has to be changed having experienced another Christmas.
Will I spend more time with family?
Will I be more compassionate and patient this year?
WillI be better to school friends and co workers?
Will I make every attempt to come to Mass and Communion?
WilII reflect and pray more?
Will I give up those addictions that enslave me?
Will I share my faith with others?
Like the Magi and shepherds, once we have seen the Lord, we have to change direction.
So not quite two weeks after Christmas, may we keep the vision of faith, give what we can ofour lives back to God and change the direction of our lives. So that unlike the Santa who forgot the boy’s list, the Lord does not say to us what that little boy said about Santo to his mother, “I KNEW YOU WOULD FORGET”
LET US NOT FORGET THE CHRISTMAS MESSAGE AND MIRACLE.