Homily for the Feast of Ephipahy- January 3, 2010

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY, ACCORDING TO PROFESSIONAL NUTRITION EXPERTS, AND MOTHERS EVERYWHERE? BREAKFAST. WHY? BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT TO GET THE DAY OFF TO A GOOD START.
WHAT IS THE MOST CRUCIAL MOMENT IN A 100-YARD DASH, ACCORDING TO THE RACERS? IT IS THE FIRST STEP AFTER THE STARTING GUN. WHY? BECAUSE THE RACE IS OFTEN WON BY THE RUNNER WHO CAN CORRECTLY ANTICIPATE THE START. BEGIN TOO SOON AND THE RUNNER IS DISQUALIFIFED. BEGIN TOO LATE AND THE RUNNER LOSES THE RACE. IT IS IMPORTANT TO GET OFF TO A GOOD START.
WHAT IS THE MOST DELICATE SENTENCE TO WRITE IN A NOVEL, OR TO SPEAK IN A SALES PRESENTATION? THE OPENING LINE. WHY? BECAUSE THIS SENTENCE WILL BE THE “HOOK” THAT DETERMINES WHETHER YOUR AUDIENCE WILL TAKE THE JOURNEY WITH YOU. IT IS WORTH THE AGONY SPENT BY THOSE WHO CRAFT THEIR WORDS CAREFULLY. IT IS IMPORTANT TO GET OFF TO A GOOD START.
A GOOD START. ISN’T THAT WHAT WE ALL WANT HERE IN THE OPENING DAYS OF THIS YEAR 2006? ‘TIS THE SEASON FOR RESOLUTIONS ON SHAPING UP OUR WAISTLINES AND OUR CALENDARS. WHAT DO WE REALLY WANT WITH THESE RESOLUTIONS? WE WANT TO MAKE A GOOD START.
TODAY THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH CELEBRATES THE FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY. WE TELL THE STORY AGAIN OF GOD’S GREAT LOVE FOR THE ENTIRE WORLD – A LOVE SO GREAT THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON TO SAVE THE WORLD. EPIPHANY IS THE SEASON OF TIME WHEN WE READ SCRIPTURE THAT SHOWS HOW GOD REVEALS HIS GLORY AND HIS LOVE TO ALL HUMANKIND. OUR GOSPEL TODAY TELLS OF THE MAGI WHO VISITED JESUS WHEN HE WAS A TINY CHILD. THEY BROUGHT GIFTS TO THE NEWBORN FOR THE SAME REASON WE BRING GIFTS TO BABY SHOWERS. THEY WANTED TO CELEBRATE THE ARRIVAL OF THE BABY, AND THEY WANTED TO HELP THE CHILD GET OFF TO A GOOD START. SINCE ST. MATTHEW CHOSE TO BEGIN HIS GOSPEL WITH THE STORY OF THESE WISE MEN, HE MUST HAVE CONSIDERED THEIR EXAMPLE A FITTING SIGN OF A GOOD START. FOR THOSE OF US WHO WANT TO MAKE A GOOD START IN THIS YEAR, MAYBE THE MAGI CAN GIVE US A FEW POINTERS.
HERE ARE TWO NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS WE MIGHT OVERLOOK IN OUR BATTLE WITH LOSING POUNDS AND BEING LESS HECTIC. CALL THEM THE RESOLUTIONS OF WISE MEN AND WISE WOMEN! THESE WILL HELP ALL OF US GET THE YEAR MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
PAY ATTENTION TO MYSTERY. IF YOU WANT TO START THIS YEAR RIGHT, ASK GOD FOR THE WISDOM TO NOTICE THE MYSTERY OF HOLINESS ALL AROUND YOU. TRY TO SEE THE SMALL MIRACLES IN YOUR LIFE, AND BE GRATEFUL. PRAY FOR OPENNESS TO SEE THE GOODNESS IN UNEXPECTED PLACES, AND UNEXPECTED PEOPLE. LEARN TO LOOK FOR SIGNS OF GOD AT WORK IN THE WORLD. TRAIN YOUR MIND TO BELIEVE THE BEST ABOUT PEOPLE, AND LOOK FOR EVIDENCE THAT CONFIRMS YOUR PREMISE.
TO DO THIS WE MUST SLOW DOWN THE RPM’S OF YOUR LIFE MOTOR. IF WE DON’T HAVE ONE, TRY TO DEVELOP A SENSE OF HUMOR, A SENSE OF TRUST, AND A SENSE OF WONDER. IT IS SIMPLE REALLY. PRAY. LISTEN. WATCH. AND SOON YOU WILL SEE GOD EVERYWHERE, AND YOU WILL BE OVERWHELMED BY THE ESSENTIAL GOODNESS OF PEOPLE. YOU WILL HAVE HOPE FOR THE FUTURE, BECAUSE YOU HAVE HOPE IN GOD.
TRY THIS. READ THE PAPER TOMORROW MORNING WITH AN EYE FOR GOODNESS. I KNOW THE PAPER SPECIALIZES IN STORIES OF GLOOM, CRIME, AND TRAGEDY. BUT THAT IS ONLY PART OF THE REAL HUMAN STORY GOING ON AROUND US. BUT EVEN IN THE NEWSPAPER, WITH ITS BIAS FOR FEEDING A MORBID CURIOSITY FOR THE TRAGIC, SEE IF YOU CANNOT FIND STORIES THAT TELL OF GOODNESS IN PEOPLE. WHO EMERGED WITH HEROISM IN THE FACE OF THE TRAGEDY? WHO HAD THE COURAGE TO STAND UP FOR JUSTICE IN A RAGGED MOMENT? WHO UPHELD A SACRED VALUE IN THE MIDST OF TURMOIL? THANK GOD FOR THEM!
SOON WE BEGIN TO NOTICE THE PRESENCE OF GOODNESS IN PEOPLE ALL AROUND US. CATCH SOMEONE RED-HANDED IN THE ACT OF DOING RIGHT, AND BLESS THEM FOR IT. LOOK IN THE FACE OF A BABY, AND SEE IF YOU DO NOT NOTICE SOMETHING MYSTERIOUS AND WONDROUS. NOTICE THE OLD COUPLE HOLDING HANDS AT THE MALL. SEE THE TEENAGE BOY HOLDING THE DOOR OPEN FOR A STRANGER.
AND KNOW THIS, IF GOODNESS SURROUNDS US, HOW MUCH MORE DOES GOD SURROUND US? THE RARE AND BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT THE WISE MEN OF ST. MATTHEW’S STORY IS THAT THEY HAD THE SENSE OF WONDER TO LOOK UP IN THE NIGHT SKY AND SEE A SIGN, A NEW STAR, PLACED IN THE SKY FOR THE WHOLE EARTH TO SEE. EITHER THE REST OF HUMANITY FAILED TO SEE THE STAR AT ALL, OR THEY FAILED TO BELIEVE THE POSSIBILITY THAT SUCH A SIGHT MIGHT BE A SIGN FROM GOD. THE BIG QUESTION: DOES GOD COMMUNICATE WITH THE WORLD TODAY? YES. THE PROBLEM IS NOT THAT GOD IS NOT SPEAKING; IT IS THAT WE ARE USUALLY NOT LISTENING. THIS YEAR, LET’S TRY TO LEARN TO LISTEN.
LET’S BE GENEROUS WITH OUR TIME AND TALENTS. ONCE WE BEGIN TO RECOGNIZE GOODNESS IN PEOPLE, AND THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN THE WORLD, WE ARE MOVED TO RESPOND. CHRISTIANS DO NOT HOVER AT A SAFE DISTANCE OVER THE WORLD’S TRAGEDY LIKE A NEWS HELICOPTER. CHRISTIANS RESPOND LIKE THE HOSPITAL HELICOPTER WITH RESCUE AND COURAGE. IN LIKE MANNER, CHRISTIANS DO NOT SENSE THE MYSTERY AND PRESENCE OF GOD IN THE WORLD WITHOUT RESPONDING.
IF WE BELIEVE THAT ALL WE HAVE IS A GIFT FROM GOD, AND THAT IT HAS COME TO US ON ITS WAY TO SOMEONE ELSE, WE WILL BEGIN TO SEE YOUR PURPOSE IN GOD’S GREAT PLAN. SO WHEN YOU SEE HUMAN NEED, OR THE CHANCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD, USING THE RESOURCES GOD HAS GIVEN TO YOU, YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO. IS THERE A GREATER JOY THAN THIS? I DO NOT KNOW OF IT, IF THERE IS.
SO LET US LOOK FOR THE SIGNS OF GOD THIS YEAR. WHERE GOD IS AT WORK, JOIN HIM. AND WHEN YOU ARRIVE AT THE PRESENCE OF GOD, AS THE WISE MEN DID IN BETHLEHEM, OPEN YOUR HEART AND YOUR OWN GOD-GIVEN TALENTS WITH GLADNESS. THEN YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF GIVING AWAY YOUR GOLD, FRANKINCENSE, AND MYRRH.T. IN SHORT, WE WILL HAVE BECOME A MAGI. AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, WE WILL HAVE BECOME A SHINING STAR, A SIGN OF GOD AT WORK IN THE WORLD, FOR SOMEONE ELSE WHO IS LOOKING FOR GOD’S PRESENCE. YOU WILL HAVE BECOME AN EPIPHANY, THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD’S LOVE IN THE WORLD.
SO THAT IS WHAT I WOULD CALL A GREAT START TO THIS NEW YEAR OF GOD’S GRACE.