Epiphany

A customer called the customer service line to complain about a power outage after a big storm, then stopped complaining long enough to ask, “How will I know when my lights are back on?” The customer service agent remained silent for a second, and finally said, “Um, it’ll be brighter than it is now.’

Our First Reading from Isaiah says, Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you.

These words were spoken in 520 BC, during the return of the remnant of Israel from the Babylonian exile after 70 years. They had to rebuild the city, all its businesses and homes, and the old men and women who had seen the former temple wept loudly.

But the Prophet Isaiah said, “Your light HAS come,” in the past perfect tense known as the “Prophetic Perfect”—telling them the completion of the reconstruction will surely come to pass and consider it a done deal. Which is to say, His light is not contingent upon what's going on around you. John 1:5 says” The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Isaiah is saying: Receive this prophetic word and know that the darkness that covers the earth will attract the nations who shall walk by your light.

The Darker It Gets; the Brighter We Shine to influence the culture in our part of the vineyard.

The Magi are the first fruits of this coming to the light of Christ.

One of my friends in North Carolina tells of her brother’s family driving into Thomasville [NC], where their cousins and aunts and uncles were, for a Christmas season get-together. As they passed by the Episcopal church where a manger scene was in the yard, her 5-year-old nephew asked about the meaning. “That is Mary, Joseph, and the Baby Jesus, there in the manger,” the sister-in-law explained.

A few blocks further on they passed the Methodist church, where a scene was depicting the journey of the Wise Men. “Who are they?” the nephew asked.

His mother replied, “Those are the Wise Men, who are looking for the Baby Jesus.”

“Well,” the nephew said, “they won’t find him there. He’s back at the other church.”

They asked some kindergartners in Great Britain about the story of the Magi, and one boy knew about the three Wise Men. “They brought some gold and stuff… but Legos would have been better!”

One example the Magi give us: One-way giving: The Magi didn’t give gifts to each other.

2 Corinthians 8:9: For you know the grace of our LORD Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

A modest proposal for Epiphany—give as much to those outside our circle as we give to those in the inside the circle of family and friends.

2. And we have treasures given to us too---The star lead the Magi to Jerusalem and King Herod, and the chief priests and the scribes told the Magi that the Christ would be born in Bethlehem “for it has been written through the prophet,” which means “it is so written” or “the inspired text says.”

The inspired text is our treasure. E.g. The document, VERBUM DOMINI, from the Pope BENEDICT XVI on THE WORD OF GOD IN THE LIFE AND MISSION OF THE CHURCH says that the Liturgy of the Hours should be promoted among the laity, and that “Lectio Divina... ‘is truly capable of opening up to the faithful the treasures of God’s word, but also of bringing about an encounter with Christ…” (Verbum Domini 87). The ibreviary app is perfect for Lectio on the Liturgy of the Hours.

A second treasure is the Eucharist--for every good and perfect gift is from Above, so if it is not good, it is not from Above. And if it is good, then God is the author of it, because He is the author of everything that is good.

This will be a sign unto you; you shall find a bit of bread in a gold Ciborium. i.e. in the Adoration Chapel!

In conclusion, travel writer Hugh Morris has an interesting story about the Luxor Sky Beam in Las Vegas, which is the strongest man-made light in the world. The beam is rated at 42.3 billion candelas and can be seen 275 miles away at cruising altitude by aircraft on a good clear night.

Jesus said in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

Amen.