EPIPHANY OF THE LORD
If
Jesus truly is who he claims to be, the eternal Son of God and Savior of the
world, then why is he not recognized by everyone who hears his word and sees
his works? John the Evangelist states that when Jesus came into the world the
world knew him not and his own people received him not (John 1:10-11). Jesus
was born in obscurity. Only the lowly shepherds recognized him at his birth.
Some wise men also found their way to Bethlehem to pay homage to the newborn
King of Israel. These men were not Israelites, but foreigners. They likely had
read and discussed the Messianic prophecies and were anxious to see when this
Messianic King would appear. God led them by means of an extraordinary star
across the desert to the little town where Jesus was born. In their thirst for
the knowledge of God, they willingly left everything, their home and country,
in pursuit of that quest. In their diligent search they were led to the source
of true knowledge – to Jesus Christ, the Light and Wisdom of God. When they
found the newborn King they humbly worshiped him and gave him gifts fitting for
a king.
What
fueled their search for the Messianic King? Faith in the promise of God to send
a Redeemer, a King who would establish God's reign of peace and
righteousness. Faith is an entirely free
gift that God makes to us. It is through
the help of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and opens the eyes of the
mind, that we are able to understand, accept, and believe the truth which God
reveals to us. In faith, the human will and intellect cooperate with grace.
"Believing is an act of the intellect assenting to the divine truth by
command of the will moved by God through grace" (Thomas Aquinas).
To
know and to encounter Jesus Christ is to know God personally. In the encounter
of the wise men with Jesus we see the plan of God to give his only Son as King
and Savior, not just for the Jewish people but for all the nations as well. The
Lord Jesus came that both Jew and Gentile might find true and lasting peace
with God. Let us pray today that all
peoples will find the Lord and Savior on their journey of life.
Wishing you all a great
week!
Fr. Phil
