All of us have been on a long journey these past two years. Asking what is really true, seeking remedies, seeking peace and normalcy to our lives. To say that it has been an easy trek through all the ups and downs of this pandemic is, …well it has not.
Some have lost friends, some family. Maybe, some of us have lost faith…in our institutions, our media, our leaders, our friends - our own personal faith life. The question for all of us today is what keeps you going? Where is your life’s journey heading? What have you discovered about your life and it’s meaning/purpose?
This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany. This is one of the oldest feasts in our Catholic tradition. Our focus today is on the Magi and their journey as they followed the North Star. Who were these men, sometimes called kings? We don’t know a whole lot about them. The main thing we know is that they were not Jewish. They were gentiles. And this is significant.
Back then, to even think the gentiles could be part of God’s plan for His people was beyond the consideration of the Jews.”They aren’t like us. They don’t belong.” And I think the same could be said of society today... People say how can you believe in God if you have this way of thought or the other way….or this set of beliefs. But, friends, that mystery, hidden for generations, was now revealed: the gentiles were to be co-heirs with the Jews, members of the same body, co-partners in the promise of Jesus Christ, as Paul proclaims in today’s second reading from Ephesians.
Jesus Christ came for all people. None were to be excluded from the Grace of God that God would bring.
The same is true for us. Jesus came for everyone. But it has been tough for the past two years. Many have divided towns, faith communities, even families, because of what they believe is the solution to the pandemic or economic problems. Rhetoric is at a high pitch, fostered with anger, and distrust - people taking sides and actually fighting. I think we have all questioned “When will this be over?” Is there hope?
I believe that all of the angst, distress and mistrust, divisiveness and polemic rhetoric is because we have lost sight of our Star. The same star that those men were searching for. The star of hope and redemption leading us all to Christ.
We, Catholics, people whose very name means universal, must be careful to recognize that all people are called to the Grace of God given by Jesus Christ. It is so easy for us to exclude people. In fact, we have been trained by our society to compartmentalize people into various groups. We are told that Jews behave this way, Italians that way, the Irish another way. We are told the gays are this and the trans are this, those of certain skin colors are this, those who are poor are lazy.That immigrants, simply seeking a better life, are a threat to our nation. We think we can easily decide who belongs worshiping the Lord and who really shouldn’t be there. However, We don’t have the right to exclude people from worshiping the One who is the Gift of Bethlehem.
Jesus did not come for a select group of people. He came for all people. This is a truth of the Church and a great mystery. It may be time to point ourselves — toward a new “North Star.” Let the Light of Christ be the light that we follow.
Over the past 24 months, this pandemic should compel all of us to recognize our interdependence, the inescapable fact that we are all bound by the same faith in God and the call to love. Like the magi’s journey for the newborn king of the Jews, our lives are a constant search for meaning, for purpose, for hope in the things of God.
We come to Church on Sunday to celebrate Mass. That word Mass means Sending. We come to Church to receive the gifts of God and are sent to bring these gifts to all of the people of the world. We are sent to bring the good news of the joy of the Gospel to those who have been marginalized and outcast by society. We are sent to heal those who are hurting, whether they believe in Christ or not.
Pope Francis reaffirmed that no one has ever been converted by an argument. People are converted by the presence of Christ they experience in sincere Christians.
What are those magi doing bringing gifts to the King of the Jews? They are all doing exactly what they should be doing: worshiping the One who came for all people.
And we should be doing the same, rather than yelling, arguing, offering insane rhetoric about our fellow human beings; we should be humbling even groveling, ourselves to the God manifested before our eyes
We often begin our Masses by singing, “All are welcome.” Do we mean this? Or are there some who are not as welcome as others, be that here at Mass or outside our doors?
This Sunday, on the Solemnity of the Epiphany, we ask the Lord to free us from our prejudices. We ask Jesus to allow us to be what we call ourselves, Catholics, people of a universal Church where all are welcome.