Solemnity
of the Epiphany of the Lord
Pro Negritis Sunday
Is 60: 1 – 6 / Ps 72 / Eph 3:2. 5 – 6 / Mt. 2: 1
– 12
One of
the things which we considered during the Holiday season was on the gifts which
we will give to our loved ones, inaanak, or to our manito – manita. We must
think and choose very well the gifts that we will be giving so that we can
avoid comments such as, “Ang yaman naman niya, pero ang kuripot naman niya sa
regalo… Hay naku, walang pinagka-iba ang regalo niya at mukha niya, puro
pangit!” Indeed, we must choose well our gifts.
Today,
we are celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany of our Lord Jesus Christ. In this
feast, Jesus is made known this time to all peoples. The glory of Jesus is
revealed to people outside Israel. The visit of the shepherds marked the
revelation of Jesus to Israel. In today’s Gospel, in the visit of the magi,
Jesus is revealed to the whole world.
In our
gospel, we heard of three wise men bringing gifts of gold, incense, and myrrh.
If we try to examine these gifts, we realize that they are not practical at
all. Those gifts were not a necessity to the family. They would rather opt for
food, clothing, or a more decent shelter than gold, incense, and myrrh.
However, my dear friends, if we reflect more deeply into the text, we realize
that such visit of the magi is not a simple “namamasko.” Rather, their gifts
express the purpose of their visit – that they acknowledge the royal dignity
and lordship of Jesus Christ.
In our
first reading, we heard that the Gentiles will bring gold and incense as gifts
of homage before the God of Israel. Myrrh is used for preserving the dead. If
we move forward in the life of Christ, Jesus’ death does not need myrrh because
his resurrection is more powerful than death. Indeed, the gifts of the magi go
beyond practicality. They reveal their inner desire of seeking fulfillment in
their lives.
The
story of the three wise men is also our own story. We too are on a journey in
this world. Along this journey, there are people who are like the star – they bring
us to Christ. Yet there are also people who are like Herod – they deceive us
and lead us away from Christ. Yet what is important in this journey is our
acceptance that in the end, what matters is our humble recognition of the
kingship of Christ in our lives. What matters in this journey is our
acknowledgement that we need God.
My dear
friends, because of this very highly sophisticated world, there is a strong
temptation to resist on the kingship of Christ in our lives. Some of us would
say, “I worked hard for this wealth. I worked hard for this health. I
sacrificed a lot for this money and stable future. And now you are insisting on
God’s presence in our lives?”
Like
the magi who were brilliant men during their time yet paid homage to Christ,
let us also bow in humility and remember the words of St. Francis, “everything
comes from God. What we can claim as our own is our sinfulness.”
Like
the magi who went back home in another way after visiting the Christ, we too will
experience another kind of life if we recognize Jesus as our Lord and King. It
is not a problem free life but a life of being assured of His love for you and
me.
The
song, The Impossible Dream, has this to sing for us, “this is my quest to
follow the star, no matter how hopeless, no matter how far.” My dear friends,
as we begin the new year, let this be our quest, to always follow the Star ng
Pasko, who is Christ, no matter how hopeless and far life seems to be because
only when we follow Christ, when we acknowledge his lordship can our impossible
dreams become a reality. Amen!
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