Homily for Sunday, January 6

FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY (Matthew 2)

No doubt you know the movie. Few Americans alive today grew up without seeing it. The Wizard of Oz tells the story of a group of seekers on a long journey. They travel on meeting people along the way. But they never become distracted from their goal. They desperately want to meet the wizard so that he might help each to fulfill a particular need. They are not very different from the seekers we meet in the gospel today.

The Magi are looking for Jesus. They ask, “Where is the King of the Jews?” They intend to pay homage to him. We also are looking for Jesus. We need his help. Who are we? We are an elderly woman who has been struggling with cancer for a whole year. That last round of chemotherapy felt worse than death. We need Jesus to help us accept the inevitable. We are also a young woman with an infant daughter and a thirty-eight year old husband who has just suffered a major stroke. We have to encourage him, take care of our child, and generate enough income for the household. We need Jesus to support us in meeting these challenges. We are also a compulsive middle-aged man who has never gotten controlled over sexuality. We find ourselves viewing porn on the Internet which leads to masturbation and then to guilt. We need Jesus to forgive our sin and strengthen our weakness.

There are still others looking for Jesus. But they neither want to worship him nor to ask his assistance. In fact, they, like Herod in the gospel, want to do away with Jesus. Who are these culprits? Some are scientists who dismiss religion as nothing but pious legend. If these people were seeking truth, they would realize that science can neither prove nor disprove the claims of religion because it examines physical reality while religion treats of the spiritual. Other people who want to do away with Christ are secularists. They see the point of human existence as achieving as much satisfaction as possible in this world. They don’t want Jesus to tell them that abortion is wrong and that a person does not have a right to die when she wants. Finally, there are people whose hearts are blackened by evil. They would exploit workers by having them work under dangerous conditions and then abandoning them at pay time.

The Jewish chief priests and scribes consult the Scriptures to learn where the newborn Messiah is born. In His Holy word God has revealed to humans His plan for their salvation – from the Messiah’s birth to his resurrection from the dead. We have access to this Word first in the Bible but more certainly in Jesus himself. Still we have to avail ourselves of it. This means that we have to read it, ponder it, and contemplate how we might put it itno practice.

Once again on the road, the Magi see the star. Now it will lead them to Jesus. Without having learned from the Jews about the King’s birthplace, however, the Magi would still be lost. The star represents nature. It can help us achieve our goal but it cannot deliver it. Our natural abilities have this same limitation. They can make us better men and women but they cannot make us heirs of eternal life. For that we need Christ. He will fill the elderly cancer patient with trust as death closes in. He will raise the young wife and mother to meet her challenges as the stepping stones to heaven. And he will calm the desires of the compulsive man with his love.

Finally, the Magi unpack their gifts for the child-king. They present gold, incense, and myrrh on behalf of all believers. Gold represents virtue, our most noble quality. We strive for excellence not only for ourselves but to assist Christ in the transformation of the world. Frankincense symbolizes our prayers. When burned, it rises to heaven as our prayers must. We need the support of Christ’s mighty arm if we are to be of any help at all in his mission. Finally myrrh, a spice used for burial, stands for our willingness to sacrifice ourselves. Jesus will tell his disciples that they must take up their cross and follow him. Myrrh indicates our readiness to do just that.

We have entered the month of January, named after Janus, the two-faced god. One face looks to the past; the other, to the future. It is time for us to take inventory. We have to recall the best of the past -- how Christ’s mighty arm has supported us and how his love has calmed our desire. We do this to meet the challenges of the future – how to generate income for the household and how to face up to a heart darkened by evil. For this purpose we will find the Scriptures not just interesting but also helpful.