Gospel Reflection 2020/2021

This Sunday is the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. We celebrate the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi. Jesus has come as ‘the light to enlighten the Gentiles and give glory to the people of Israel’ [Luke 2:32] – He has not come only for a particular group of people but He has come for all of us.

In the Gospel reading this Sunday, we hear the Magi professing, “We saw His star rose and have come to do the King homage.”

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI points out that, “The shepherds, the simple souls were the first to come to Jesus in the manger and to encounter the Redeemer of the world [Lk 2: 15-20]. The wise men (Magi) from the East, representing those with social standing and fame, arrived much later. The shepherds lived nearby. They only need to ‘come over’, as we do when we visit our neighbours. The wise men, however lived far away. They had to undertake a long and arduous journey in order to arrive at Bethlehem. And they needed guidance and direction. Today too, there are simple and lowly souls who live very close to the Lord. They are so to speak, his neighbours and they can easily go to see him. But most of us in the world today, live far from Jesus Christ, the incarnate God who came to dwell among us. In all kinds of ways, God has to prod us and reach out to us again and again, so that we can manage to escape from the muddle of our thoughts and activities and discover the way that leads to him. But a path exists for all of us. The Lord provides everyone with tailor-made signals.”

Here are some points for our further reflection:

1) We are nearer to God when we are spiritually free.

We are closer to Him when we are ‘poor in spirit’ – being poor at heart, being indifferent to all created things, and being dependent on God and His Word. When we have less, God can give us more. When we are less occupied, God can occupy us more. When we are less full of ourselves, God can fill us more. The simple shepherds in the field have more spiritual freedom to respond to the angel’s invitation than many of us. Upon hearing the Good News, they hurried away to visit Jesus in the manger.

2) You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. [Jr 29: 13]

Sometimes, we are far away from God through no fault of ours. We are far away from God because of our background, our cultures and values, societal norms and practices, belief systems etc. which are incompatible with the Gospel values. But more often than not, our hearts are far away from God because of our own fault: we build for ourselves ‘Towers of Babel’ – huge and tall castles of knowledge, wealth, power, fame and false sense of self-worth and security. Regardless, God has not given up on us. He continues to poke our conscience and reach out to us again and again – giving us signs and signboards – if only we care to pay attention to Him. Jesus does not play hide-and-seek; He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Like the Magi, all we need to is: in the midst of chaos, messiness and temptations of life, look up to God, look out for the ‘star’. Like the Magi, we need to put in efforts in search for God and His Truth. In our journey of faith, there is simply no place for sloth and laziness. The journey maybe long and arduous, but it is a journey worth taking.

3) If you do not live what you believe. You will end up believing what you live. [Archbishop Fulton Sheen]

At the end of the Gospel reading, the Magi did not return to their country by the same way but instead they returned by a different way. Like the Magi, we are called to constant and continuous conversion of mind and heart. As Christians, we are called not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed to be more and more like Christ [Rm 12:2] - to dare and to choose to be different in the secular world.

Finally, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has this to say, “Men and women of every generation need on their pilgrim journey to be directed: what star can we therefore follow? After coming to rest ‘over the place where the child was’, the purpose of the star that guided the Magi ended, but its spiritual light is always present in the Word of the Gospel, which is still able to guide every person to Jesus. This same Word, which is none other than the reflection of Christ, true man and true God, is authoritatively echoed by the Church for every well-disposed heart. The Church too, therefore, carries out the mission of the star for humanity. But something of the sort could be said of each Christian, called to illuminate the path of the brethren by word and example of life.”

In communion with Jesus Christ and His Holy Church, may the light of Christ always shine in our heart that we may also illuminate the paths of others.

Let our fervent prayer be:

“Lead us, O Lord, from the faith by which we know You now to the vision of Your glory, face to face.”