The Epiphany of the Lord
Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP
Our Lady of the Rosary, NOLA
Upon
seeing the child with Mary his mother, the three magi prostrated
themselves to pay him homage and – in the words of Matthew –
“Then they opened their treasures.” Then they opened their
treasures. These treasures were gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold
for a king. Incense for a god. And myrrh for a corpse. Without really
knowing what they are doing, the magi give to Jesus gifts that reveal
him to be the Son of God, the Christ. And not only do they reveal his
true nature, they also reveal his mission. Here's the epiphany, the
revelation we celebrate this evening: the newly born Jewish king is
king of the Jews and the Gentiles. He is born to rule both the oldest
nation under God and the newest. He is born to rule in the hearts and
minds of all men and women. Not just those under Abraham's covenant
with God, but all those who would bring him gifts and pay him homage
as Lord and Savior. The magi came from the east in search of a king.
They find a child. They prostrate before him. Then they open their
treasures. What treasures do you offer the new born king? Gold,
frankincense, and myrrh reveal the Son of God and the Son of Man in
one flesh, born to die for us. What do our gifts given to Christ say
about who we believe him to be?
The
magi believe that the star will lead them to the newly born Jewish
king. King Herod believes the magi know their business and ask them
to report back to him when they find this new king. It's difficult to
imagine that the magi would travel hundred of miles to search for an
infant if they did not truly believe that this infant is quite
special. It's also difficult to believe that Herod would order the
deaths of thousands of baby boys if he didn't believe that this
infant posed a threat to his rule. Both Herod and the magi know that
the child born under the Bethlehem star is a king. Yet, the magi
bring him three gifts that reveal his true nature as the Christ,
while Herod would gift him with a sword through his heart. The magi
offer Christ the deference due a master. Herod offers a death due a
thief. In the end, on the cross, both the magi and Herod are
vindicated. Christ dies a king, but he dies like a criminal. The
gifts given to Christ by the magi and Herod tell us who they believe
him to be. What do your gifts given to Christ say about who you
believe him to be?What treasures do we offer the new born king?
Now,
when I say “treasures” I mean more than money. More than what you
might put in the collection plate. Every gift we have to share is
first a gift to us from God. Starting with our very existence and on
to all of our talents and treasure, everything we have and are is a
gift from God. When the magi offer the Christ Child their royal
gifts, they are offering him their material best. Had they stuck
around for thirty years or so they might have offered him their
talents as well – the loyal service of their knowledge and wisdom.
And why wouldn't they? They revealed the King of the Jews as the
Savior of the whole world, including their world. Maybe we should
back up a bit and find out what gifts we have to give. Not everyone
has a nearly bottomless checking account. Nor we do need one to be
generous. Not everyone is happily retired and free most of the day to
volunteer. Not everyone can sing, write, organize. Some of us are
better at comforting the sick and mourning. Some with children and
the elderly. A few of us are good teachers; good with helping those
in serious trouble; good with machines and tools. The gifts we have
are given to us by God to use. For His glory not ours. When we use
our gifts we reveal Christ to one another. The magi reveal him to be
the King of all nations. Who is he?
He
is our king and our savior and our Lord. So, what gifts do we offer
Christ? Well, who do you believe he is? What do you believe he does
for you? Is he a lucky charm or a friendly ghost? A wise teacher or
an enlightened soul? An historical figure who you just like hearing
about? Or is he who he says he is: the Son of God, the Messiah come
to die for our sins and bring us into the holy family of his Father?
Do our gifts to him serve as a confession of faith in him? This is
all much more than just a reminder to do good deeds, or an admonition
to be nice to one another. What we are talking about here is nothing
less than how we decide to reveal Christ to the world. On the
shoulders of the Church as a whole and each of her members is the
burden of being Christ in the world. Not just saying Christ-like
stuff. Not just doing Christian-type stuff at Mass. But actually
going out there and showing the world who and what Christ is. When
the people of the world look at us, at you, at me do they see who and
what Christ is for them? Do they understand that he died for them so
that they might live? Do they watch us and see us living lives of
sacrificial love for one another and for them? If we are not
revealing Christ to the world, then what are we doing?
What
I am doing? I don't know. Maybe I'm revealing that Christ is all
about the show, all about the noise of morality. Maybe I'm revealing
that Christ is all about the technicalities of canon law and
liturgical rubrics. Maybe I'm revealing that Christ died on the cross
so that I might live in a religious ghetto where no one bothers my
delicate sensibilities. I don't think that this is what I am
revealing. I hope not! I hope my gifts to Christ reveal him to be the
source and summit of the Father's mercy and love; the fount from
which all hope and surrender flow. I want my gifts to reveal a Christ
who teaches the way back to God and the truth of our eternal lives.
Like the magi, I want my gifts to be more than just my material best.
I want them to be signs of my homage, my respect, my worship. I want
them to show the world that he is who he says he is. But to do that,
my gift must be my life given over in sacrificial love. That's what
he wants from me, that's what he's ask for. Not gold or incense or
myrrh or a bigger collection check or a week of good deeds or a
wonderfully sung hymn. He wants your life. Given for another. In
sacrificial love. That's the gift to him that reveals him to the
world as the Christ.
The
magi sought and found a king, bringing him three royal gifts. King
Herod sought but never found a threat to his throne. His gift? A
bloodied sword. What gifts do you bring to give to Christ? What you
bring to give him reveals who and what you believe him to be. Do not
for a second believe that Christ needs our money or our time or our
talents. He doesn't. He needs nothing from us. In fact, everything we
have to give him came from him. It's the giving that matters. It's
what the giving reveals about our trust in him, our hope in him, our
love for him that matters. You are the best gift to give him b/c
everything you have and everything you are was given to his Father on
the cross. You already belong to him. So, leave here this evening and
reveal Christ to your world. How? By being Christ for those who seek
him out. Be their epiphany, their revelation of God's mercy and love.
___________________
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