The Epiphany of the Trinity

BAPTISM OF THE LORD C

YEAR OF THE YOUTH

JANUARY 13, 2019

JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU!

So many people went to the Jordan River to listen to John the Baptist and to have themselves baptized and among them was Jesus. This is the implication of what the Gospel said today: “After all the people were baptized and Jesus also had been baptized…” They did not know that among them was the One of whom John referred to as the “One who is mightier than I is coming…” Jesus looked like everybody else. He was not shining with a halo as holy pictures depict him. He was like us in all things except sin, so would St. Paul say. He stood there, all wet as the rest of the people were. He stood there among the multitude of sinners. The sinless One stood among sinners and he did not look differently from them.

John the Baptist himself admitted that he did not know Jesus: “I did not know him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’” And so it happened: while Jesus was praying, the Holy Spirit descended upon him in a bodily form. The Holy Spirit singled Jesus out from the rest of the drenched humanity. And the heavens opened and a voice from heaven was heard: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

The objective was simple: the event took place to reveal Jesus to all. This is why the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River is one of the 3 mysteries of the Epiphany. By descending upon Jesus, the Holy Spirit singled Jesus out. And the voice of God revealed to all who this man is: He is God’s Son, his Beloved on whom God’s pleasure rests. But by revealing Jesus, God also revealed something about himself. God revealed that He is a Trinity of Persons. The baptism at the Jordan was not only Jesus’ first public manifestation. It was also the first public revelation of the Blessed Trinity: the Son emerged from the waters, the Holy Spirit descended upon him and the Father publicly acknowledged him as his only begotten Son.

I want to preach about this because just before Christmas, the President said that the Trinity is silly. “How can one God be divided to 3 persons? That is silly! (kagalgalan; hangal)” But allow me to make clear this point: the Catholic Church did not invent the Trinity. The Trinity was revealed by God himself. The Trinity is God’s revelation of himself. The Church did not invent the Trinity. The Church simply listened to God as he revealed himself. If God did not reveal his inner life, if God did not reveal the Trinity, the Catholic Church would not have known it. And when did God reveal himself as a Trinity of persons? It was at the Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan. For the 1^st time in the history of the world, the Blessed Trinity made himself known. It may be difficult for our human minds to grasp it but still we believe in it because God said it so. I believe in the Blessed Trinity because God said it and he does not lie. When people say that the Trinity is silly, they accuse God of lying because they question the credibility of his revelation. “Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son.” (1 John 5:10) Did the Holy Spirit lie when he descended upon Jesus and single him out? The Holy Spirit does not lie because he is the Spirit of Truth. Did God the Father lie when he publicly claimed Jesus as His Son? The Father does not lie. “He has testified on behalf of his Son.” And if we want to be saved, we must accept in faith this Divine Testimony. “God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life.”

By publicly revealing Jesus as his only begotten Son, God publicly admitted that he is Father. The Holy Spirit constantly gives us the interior witness about Jesus as God’s Son sent by the Father. Let us hold on firmly on this faith of our baptism. Remember that we were baptized in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. This is the faith that saves us. Let us reject any insinuation that this truth is silly. God is not silly. God is not a liar.

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Epiphany: The King who Dies; the God who Sacrifices

EPIPHANY 2019

YEAR OF THE YOUTH

JANUARY 6, 2019

Jesus, I trust in you!

Today is literally the 12^th day of Christmas. This year, January 6 is the 1^st Sunday of the month. We get to celebrate this year Epiphany as the 12^th day of Christmas, as the carol says it should be. The magi who saw the star rising in the east, went to Bethlehem to pay homage to the new-born king of the Jews. They offered him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They offered gold because the child is the King of the Jews. They offered frankincense because he is God. Up until this point, we understand the propriety of the gifts. But one strange thing that they offered is myrrh. Myrrh is oil which Jews use to anoint the dead. In their effort to delay the decomposition of a corpse, they anoint it with myrrh. As a gift to a new born king, myrrh seemed inappropriate because it speaks of death which is way beyond the concern of those who rejoice over the birth of a baby.

And yet, the myrrh speaks of the very mission of God incarnate. It prophesies the death of Jesus which is the very purpose why he came down and appeared to us here on earth. It speaks of the uniqueness of Jesus as both King and God.

The magi disturbed Jerusalem with their question: “Where is the new born King of the Jews? We have seen his star at its rising and have come to pay him homage.” They called Jesus “King of the Jews”. In this same manner, Pontius Pilate prepared a sign to be affixed on the Cross of Jesus. The sign would read: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” Where is the King of the Jews? He is up there hanging on the Cross for us. This makes Jesus unique as King. Subjects usually are prepared to die for their king. But Jesus is the King who dies for us his subjects.

One of the reasons why Jesus was condemned to die was because he called God his Father. In doing so, he made himself equal to God. Jesus claimed that he is divine. He knew that such a claim would lead him to death but he said, “If I do not say this, I will be a liar.” Worshippers kill a victim to offer their gods. But Jesus offered himself upon the wood of the Cross as a sacrifice in atonement for our sins. He who is God, is both priest and victim.

Jesus is King who dies for his subjects. Jesus is God who offers himself as a sacrifice. This fact that our King and God would be crucified and die on the Cross baffles the very logic of the world. It is so absurd that even our president could not understand it: “Paano ka makakaconcentrate kung yung Diyos mo ay nakapako sa krus…P I…ako diyos mo…ipapako mo? Ako…sasabihin ko: lightning, sunugin mo silang lahat!” The myrrh does not seem to blend with the gold and frankincense. But that is the logic of man. It is the logic of the world which to God is mere foolishness.

To the Jews, the Cross is a stumbling block. To the Gentiles, the Cross is an absurdity. But to those who are being saved, the Cross is the wisdom and the power of God. The myrrh dignifies the gold and glorifies the frankincense. Christ on the Cross is a King like no other. Christ on the Cross is God who has no equal. The reason why all of us belong to him is because he bought us at the price of his blood. We were redeemed by his death and resurrection. Therefore, in the persons of the magi, let us kneel before his cradle bed and pay him homage. Let us offer him the shining gold of our faith and charity. Let us offer him the frankincense of our humble worship. But most of all, let us offer him the myrrh of our self-abnegation. Let us die to ourselves for him who loved us and gave up his life for us.

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to the

Sto. Nino: Let the children come to me

FEAST OF THE SANTO NIÑO B

YEAR OF THE CLERGY AND CONSECRATED PERSONS

JANUARY 21, 2018

Jesus, I trust in you!

People were bringing children to Jesus so that he may bless them. But the disciples rebuked them. After all, Jesus has become a celebrity of sorts. His healing power made him very popular. And so, a celebrity like him should not be bothered by trivial matters like children. Is this not what we do when we receive important visitors at home? Do we not order our children to go and play outside so as not to bother important guests? Do we not dismiss children in the presence of celebrities? Apparently, we are no different from the disciples of the Lord.

However, when the Lord saw this, he became indignant and said to them: “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them.” The Lord challenges the worldly paradigm that great people, celebrities, must be inaccessible and so remain mysterious. He associates greatness to accessibility. A great person must be accessible to others. In other words, “dapat madali siyang lapitan.” And who is the truly accessible/approachable one? He is the one who easily accommodates the little children. If little children can approach that person, anyone can approach him. And this is what the Lord reveals to us today: God is an approachable God. The Lord tells us: “Let the little children come to me. Do not prevent them.” No one is to be prevented from approaching him…not even the little children. In fact, in order to encourage children to approach him, he himself became a little child. Is it not true that children are not intimidated by other children like themselves? While they may shy away from adults, children will never be afraid of approaching other children like themselves. And so God became a little child. And never will he forget that he was once a little child. Adults like us can become very cranky towards little children. And when we do so, others reprimand us by saying: “Have you never been a child before?” Unlike our cranky selves, the Lord Jesus has never forgotten that he was once a child. Thus, he tells us that we should never prevent children from approaching him. He understands children because he was once a child.

And so, we must never prevent children from approaching the Lord. At a very early age, we should accustom them to go to Church so that they may be familiar with the Lord. Sometimes, we encounter priests who get upset with the crying of a baby in Church. They easily dismiss parents by telling them not to bring their noisy children to church. But when will you bring your children to church? When they are teenagers? Do you seriously think that if you do not bring your children to church while they are young and impressionable, you can successfully bring them to church as independent-minded teenagers? I don’t think so. If you are unable to bring them to church while they are young, you may never be able to successfully bring them when they get older. This is why we must start them young. Their relationship with the Lord must begin at an early stage. At a very young age, they must learn to develop a friendship with the Lord because a relationship is not created overnight. By bringing our children to church, we provide for them the opportunity to know and befriend the Lord. This is the kind of friendship that will benefit them for a lifetime.

The Santo NiÑo invites us all to draw close to him. Do not hesitate. If little children should not be prevented from approaching him, no one should be prevented from drawing close to him. To God who made himself little for us, we should hasten without hesitation. After all, he said, “Let the children come to me. Do not prevent them for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!   

King, God and Victim for all

EPIPHANY 2018

YEAR OF THE CLERGY AND CONSECRATED PERSONS

JANUARY 7, 2018

Jesus, I trust in you.

Wise men coming from the East came searching for the new-born King of the Jews. Finding the Child with Mary his mother, they prostrated before him and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. It is about this day that we sing: May 3 haring nagsidalaw at ang bawa’t isa ay nagsipaghandog ng tanging alay. Today should be the gift giving day. Gift giving, which has become an essential part of the Christmas, derives its meaning from the story of the magi.

The magi offered gifts because they understood that the baby before them was the primary gift of that day. The Child Jesus is the Father’s gift to all humankind. Being gentiles, these wise men were not Jews. They did not belong to the chosen people of God. And yet, they recognized the fact that the Child Jesus was also given by God to them. They offered gold because Jesus is King not only of the Jews but of the whole world. When Jesus was crucified, Pilate had an inscription placed on the Lord’s head which read: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. It was written in 3 languages – Hebrew, Latin, and Greek – not only for purpose of wider intelligibility but also to symbolically point to the universality of Christ’s kingship. He is King of all nations. “All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him.”

They offered frankincense because Jesus is God not only of the Jews but of the whole world. They prostrated before him and worshiped him because every nation on earth will adore him. They offered myrrh because Jesus is the Paschal Victim who will die for all humanity. Myrrh is used to anoint the dead in preparation for their burial.

Jesus is the Father’s gift not only to the Jews, but to all of us. “The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” Because he is given to us, we should offer him the gift of ourselves. “He wanted the pure gold of a heart detached from all earthly goods; the myrrh of a renunciation of all the happiness of this world in exchange for participation in the life and suffering of Jesus; the frankincense of a will that surrenders itself and strains upward to lose itself in the divine will. In return for these gifts, the divine Child gave us himself.” (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross) Such gift can come only from a sincere conversion of heart. The Magi returned to their country by another way. This does not only mean that they did not return to Herod. It also means that their encounter with the Baby Jesus was a life-changing encounter. They were never the same after this encounter. Detachment, renunciation, and surrender were the response they gave to this wondrous gift of God’s only Son. Today, God’s love is revealed…his love for all of us. We can only respond to this by turning away from our worldly lives and by setting our hearts on the true gold which is the treasure of eternal life. We burn our own will and surrender so that it may rise up to God as a pleasing spiritual offering. We anoint ourselves with the myrrh of self-denial. Dying to ourselves, we unite ourselves with the sufferings and death of Jesus. It is only then that we shall be overcome with joy because such a conversion of heart will clarify our vision and lead us like a star to Jesus. There, we shall prostrate before him. We shall open to him our hearts. “For in sacrifices you take no delight, burnt offering from me you would refuse, my sacrifice, a contrite spirit. A humbled and contrite heart you will not spurn.”

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Epiphany: All Nations Belong to Him

Jesus, I trust in you!

Jose Rizal was fascinated by a gamu gamo or winged termite which is attracted by light. The small insect, desiring for light, drew near the flame of the oil lamp even though it was dangerous. And true enough, its wings caught fire.

Light has power to attract. And Epiphany, being the feast of light, shows us this lesson. The Magi coming from the East, went to Bethlehem in search of the King of the Jews. They were led to him by the light of a star which they saw rising in the East. “Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the Lord shines and over you appears his glory.” Indeed, these pagans saw the light of a star which beckoned them to a greater light and that light is Christ, who is Light from Light, true God from true God.

The pagans were not given the light of revelation. God did not send them prophets. They sought guidance from the stars because it was all they had. Through the Babylonian Captivity of the Jews, they heard of prophecies about the coming of the King of the Jews who would rule the nations. The unfortunate occasion of Jewish slavery in their land became a blessing for the pagans. “Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance…they all gather to come to you…”

Light has power to attract. We are drawn towards the light. Christ’s light draws us to himself. Christ’s light is not dangerous. It does not kill like the flame of a lamp. Rather, his light gives life. “What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race.” The Magi found out that the closer they were to Christ, the greater light they enjoyed. First, it was just a star that they saw. Later on, in Jerusalem, they heard the prophecies of scriptures. Then, finally, they saw Christ himself and they prostrated themselves and worshiped him. They offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Little did they realize that it was not what they brought that were the gifts to the newborn King but they themselves were the gifts. “I shall bequeath you the nations, put the ends of the earth in your possession.” (Ps. 2: 8)

The Jews are not the only ones who belong to the Lord. Even if they were the chosen people of God, they are not the only ones who belong to him. The world and everything in it belongs to him. We are all the inheritance of the Lord. We are his people, the flock he shepherds. Thus, today, the Father reveals to all of us his Son as our Lord and King. He also draws us towards his Son for Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father draws him.”

Let us always be grateful to the Father for having revealed to us his only Son. As the magi experienced, so also do we realize that the closer we are to Jesus, the greater light we enjoy. The closer we are to Jesus, the more life do we possess, the more alive we are. The more light we enjoy, the greater is our capacity to see. The gospel of Jesus renders astrology useless. We no longer need the guidance of the stars. We are guided by a greater light given to us by the teachings of Jesus. When the magi found Christ, they no longer went back to their former ways. “They departed for their country by another way.” The Christian path is no longer a groping in the dark. It is not a guessing game. Rather, it is a confident journey from light to greater light. We do not worship a god we do not know. We know him for he has revealed himself to us. We know he is true and all his ways are sure.

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

The 40 days of Christmas

According to the Calendar of the Ordinary Form of the Roman rite, the Christmas Season ends on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (Sunday after Epiphany / Monday if Epiphany Sunday comes late). In the Extraordinary Form of the Roman rite, Baptism of the Lord always falls on the 13th of January, formerly the octave of Epiphany. However, some years back, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI spoke of the forty days of Christmas: "Easter has its fifty days while Christmas has its forty." It seems that there is a long-standing tradition that looks at the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (February 2) as the end of the Christmas season. The Christmas Tree and Belen of St. Peter's Square continue to stand until February 2. They will be dismantled afterwards. Also, the Marian Antiphon "Alma Redemptoris Mater" is sung at Compline from the first Sunday of Advent until February 2. And so I ask: is it possible to keep the 40 days of Christmas in the liturgy? I think we can.

First of all, we take a look at the lectionary. In the ordinary form of the Roman rite, the Sunday readings are so arranged that the three mysteries of Epiphany are read for three consecutive Sundays. The now-transferable feast of the Epiphany is often celebrated today on the first Sunday of January (unless New Year's day falls on a Sunday). On Epiphany Sunday, the Gospel reading is about the Adoration of the Magi. The 2nd Sunday of January is kept as the Feast of the Baptism. In this Feast, the 2nd mystery of Epiphany is referred to in the readings. On the 3rd Sunday of January, the Gospel reading is always about the Wedding at Cana, which is the 3rd mystery of Epiphany. It is just unfortunate that the Feast of the Santo Nino in the Philippines takes precedence over the reading of the Wedding at Cana. If only the Feast of the Santo Nino were moved to the 4th Sunday of January, we will have the spirit of Christmas and Epiphany felt throughout the entire month of January. Of course, everything ends with the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2.

This is even clearer in the arrangement of both feasts and readings in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. The first Sunday of January is always the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (unless the Octave of Christmas falls on a Sunday...in this case, the Holy Name is celebrated on January 2.) January 6 is always Epiphany in which the Reading would be about the Adoration of the Magi. The second Sunday of January  is always the Feast of the Holy Family which commemorates the finding of the Child Jesus in the temple.
January 13 is always the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which is the 2nd mystery of Epiphany. The reading for the ferial Masses on the first week after Epiphany is always the  same Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple. The third Sunday of January will be the 2nd Sunday after Epiphany in which the reading will be about the Wedding at Cana, which is the 3rd Mystery of Epiphany. Again, if only the Feast of the Santo Nino were moved to the 4th Sunday of January...the Christmas season will obviously be extended throughout the month of January and will be concluded by the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord or the Purification of our Lady.

The Crib and the Cross

PRAISED BE Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

“Where is the new-born King of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage,” so did the magi ask as they went to Jerusalem in search for the child of promise. This seems to be a strange way of referring to the child: “king of the Jews.” It seems to be a title that only gentiles would address the Son of David. Amongst the Jewish circles, people would normally speak of the “king of Israel.” Only gentiles would call him “King of the Jews.” In fact, Pope Benedict pointed out that the same title will be written by Pontius Pilate on the inscription over the Cross: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. “As the first Gentiles inquire after Jesus – there are already echoes of the mystery of the Cross, a mystery that is inseparably linked with Jesus’ kingship.” [Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth: the Infancy Narratives, 102.]

Not only Herod was troubled by this inquiry, but all Jerusalem as well. “This…could be an anticipation of Jesus’ regal entrance into the Holy City on the eve of His Passion, when Matthew [the same author] says that the whole city was quaking [cf. Mt. 21:10].” [Ibid., 103.] The chief priests and the scribes of the people would meet. On this occasion, they meet to determine where the King of the Jews was to be born according to the prophecies…but later on, they would meet to connive and have Jesus sentenced to death. “What from a lofty perspective of faith is a star of hope, from the perspective of daily life is merely a disturbance. It is true: God disturbs our comfortable day-to-day existence. Jesus’ kingship goes hand in hand with this passion.” [Ibid.]

Not only did they offer gold and frankincense...they also offered myrrh.

We see the shadow of the Cross all over the story of the adoration by the Magi. Not only did they offer the child gifts of gold and incense to honor his royalty and divinity. They offered him myrrh, which is used for the anointing of a corpse. Nicodemus, in the story of the Lord’s Passion, would bring myrrh for the anointing of the body of Jesus. The Magi acknowledged the Child to be King and God but they saw this royalty and divinity revealed in his Death on the Cross. The Cross is the Wisdom of God. The Cross is the Power of God.  The mystery of the Incarnation cannot be separated from the mystery of the Cross. The Cross was the purpose of the Incarnation. He took on human nature so that he can die on the Cross and redeem us from sins. In the humility of the manger, He is king. In the humiliation of the Cross, He is enthroned as King.

“The impact of eternity on the temporal order can be seen in the crib and on the cross. How does the divine enter into the human? This happens in the experience of poverty and annihilation, in the experience of failure…This is the law of the supernatural here on earth: the law of the Cross. The supernatural, the divine, are accompanied by the law of the cross…The divine does not come on earth in order to triumph according to human modes. It does not come to display itself in a glory that would be natural, and in a triumph that would be temporal. God has chosen poverty, apparent failure, a seeming lack of preparation, self-abasement: such is the law imposed by the Holy Trinity on our Lord for his coming on earth and for his departure.” This will be the same law that will preside over the development of grace in our souls. It is the same law of the development of the Church. “The Church, because it is Christ…will reproduce Christ. The Church will live according to the laws of Christ…Christ is the prototype. The Church must pass by the same way and follow the same laws for its birth, its development, and its end. To be born in a manger and to die crucified  - these laws…we have to remember them.” (Fr. Marie Eugene of the Child Jesus, Emmanuel: When God walked on our Land, 76-77.)

Jesus, I trust in you. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. 

Epiphany and Modern Paganism

The Birth of the Lord took place inconspicuously under the shadows of that silent night, holy night. No one knew of His birth except for our Lady, St. Joseph, and some shepherds who were keeping watch of their flock that night.. Today, guided by a star, magi came and prostrated themselves in homage before the new-born King and they offered him gifts of gold in recognition of his royalty, frankinscense in recognition of his Divinity, and myrrh in recognition of the sacrificial character of his mission.. The coming of the magi brings to fulfillment what Isaiah said: “the wealth of nations shall be brought to you. Caravans of camels shall fill you; dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; all from Sheba shall come, bearing gold and frankinscence, and proclaiming the praises of the Lord.”

Today, the Lord appears to all nations and He invites them to His light. The Magi, coming from the superstitions of their pagan faith, have searched for the true God and found Him in the arms of the Virgin Mary. Guided by the elements of nature, they have discovered the Word through whom all things were made and apart from whom nothing came to be. Because they were deprived of Divine Revelation, they groped in the dark but thanks to signs in the sky, the found the true Light that dispels all darkness and all ignorance. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. The Magi began a procession of nations towards the one true Redeemer. And we ourselves are part of that procession for we have accepted the light of the Christian Faith and thus, we emerged from darkness into the Lord’s wonderful light. Thanks to the Cross which the Spanish missionaries planted on Philippine soil, we no longer grope in the dark. Rather, we bask in the light of the Christian Faith. Christianity is the best gift which the Lord has ever bestowed upon our nation for, as the Holy Father said, “Belief in Jesus Christ is the way to arrive definitively at salvation.”

Epiphany, being one of the 4 highest feasts of the Church, must be restored to its original place of prominence in the liturgical year. Unfortunately, Epiphany has become an inconspicuous ending to a holiday season that the world has higly commercialized. Epiphany must once again find its rightful place because its message is ever more relevant today because we find ourselves again in a world that is beset with paganism. The people that once sat in darkness and saw a great light are once again returning to the darkness they came from. And worse, the return to darkness is now disguised as intellectual enlightenment. Christianity is now being packaged as superstition and paganism as the new wisdom. “We cannot accept that salt should become tasteless or the light be kept hidden,” said the Holy Father, “the people of today can still experience the need… to hear Jesus, who invites us to believe in him and to draw upon the sources of living water welling up within him.” “The door of faith is always open for us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into his Church. It is possible to cross that threshold when the word of God is proclaimed and the heart allows itself to be shaped by transforming grace. To enter through that door is to set out on a journey that lasts a lifetime. It begins with baptism…and ends with the passage through death to eternal life…To profess faith in the Trinity…is to believe in one God who is Love: the Father, who in the fullness of time, sent his Son for our salvation, Jesus Christ, who in the mystery of his death and resurrection redeemed the world; the Holy Spirit, who leads the Church across the centuries as we await the Lord’s glorious return.”

The Procession of Nations

The feast of the Epiphany brings our meditation to a full circle. Let us first call to mind our meditations during the first 3 days of the Simbang Gabi. We said that in preparing for the Incarnation of his Son, the Father Almighty first created a world. Then he elected a nation. Then he formed a family. The manifestation of our Lord takes the opposite movement. On the midnight when he was born, the first to adore him was the family to whom he came: St. Joseph and our Lady. Then, yesterday, we heard how the shepherds came from the fields to adore him. These shepherds were Jews who watched their flock by night. Through them, the nation of Israel was present at the cradle of the Messiah. Today, magi coming from the East arrived to adore the new-born King. These were not part of the chosen nation of Israel but were from gentile nations. Many agree that these were Persian priests of Zoroaster. So, the adoration by the Magi brings the story to a full circle: World – Nation – Family – Family (Joseph and Mary) – Nation (The Jewish Shepherds) – World (the Gentile Magi).

And this would be a microcosm of the life of Jesus. He first spent years in anonymity in the house of Joseph in Nazareth. Then we preached to the children of Israel. However, as he preached to the Jews, he healed the daughter of the Syro-Phoenician woman. At first, he said that he came for the lost sheep of Israel but later on acceded to the gentile woman’s faith. Then, he cured the sick boy of the Roman Centurion whose faith amazed the Lord. Finally, before he ascended to heaven, he left this mandate to the Apostles: Go out to all the world and proclaim the Gospel. Baptize everyone in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teach them everything I have commanded you.

Indeed, the Incarnation the God the Son was not simply for the benefit of the family of Joseph and Mary. It was not only for the flock of Israel. It was meant for the whole world. This is what St. Paul referred to as the “secret”: the mystery that was not made known to people in other generations but has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This is the mystery: that the Gentiles are co-heirs, members of the same body, and co-partners in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Jesus is the Savior of the family of Joseph and Mary. He is likewise the Savior of Israel. He is likewise the Savior of the World. Indeed, after sitting in the darkness that has long covered the earth, Jerusalem shall rise at the coming of the light. She shall not only see her sons and daughters returning to her. She shall also see the nations walking by her light: “The wealth of nations shall be brought to you. Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah, all from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the Lord.”

Indeed, we find ourselves as part of that long procession of nations that walk towards the cradle of Him who is born as Light from Light, True God from True God. And we have come to adore him. Not only do we come bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. We come with the homage of our Faith, Hope and Love. And as the Magi were overjoyed at seeing the star, we are likewise overjoyed to stand before the altar. For we are no longer dogs that eat the leavings that fall from the Master’s table but rather, we sit at the table together with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of God.

Epiphany

The most famous Christmas décor in the Philippines today would most probably be the parol. This usually star-shaped lantern reminds us of that star in the heavens which led the wise men to the cradle of the newly born Savior. The magi saw this star and understood it to be the sign of the birth of the great King. And so they traveled from afar in search for him and when they saw him, what did they see? They saw that “He was not crowned with a diadem, nor resting on a gilded bed; but scarcely possessed a single tunic, and that served, not for the adorning of His Body, but to clothe his nakedness, and was such as the wife of a poor man, far from her home, could provide.” (St. John Chrysostom, ex Op. Imp.)

And why should he not be ashamed to be found so poorly clad great though he be? It was to reveal to the nations what and who it is that changes the course of the history of the world. “If he had chosen the great city of Rome, men would have said that the transformation of the world had been accomplished by the might of that people. Had he come as the son of the Emperor, they would attribute that gained to military power. But what did He? He chose only what was poor and humble, so that it would be seen that Divinity had changed the world. And so He chose a poor woman as His Mother, a poorer fatherland. He had no money and this crib makes it plain to you.” (Theodoretus, Sermon before the Council of Ephesus)

And true to their reputation of wisdom, the magi recognized what lay hidden beneath such poverty. They were not disheartened by what they saw. After all, they were not seeking for an earthly king. “Because they seek a heavenly king, though they saw in him nothing regal; yet satisfied by the testimony of a single star, their eyes were glad as they looked upon a poor little Child; for the Spirit within them showed that He was a Being of Awe. Hence: falling down they adored Him. They see man, but adore God.” (St. John Chrysostom, ex Op Imp.)

Recognizing the hidden greatness of this little Child, they offer him gifts: gold that symbolizes wisdom (There is desirable treasure in the mouth of the just – Prov. xxi, 20); frankincense which symbolizes the power of prayer (Let my prayer rise as incense in thy sight – Ps. cxl, 2); and myrrh which typifies the mortification of the flesh. These gifts express their homage and we can offer the same gifts as well: To the new born King we offer gold, if in His sight we shine in the light of wisdom; we offer incense when by the fervor of our prayer we offer up that which is agreeable to him; we offer myrrh when by abstinence we mortify the vices of our flesh (Gregory the Great, Homily 10).

When the shepherds saw the infant, they understood how God became so close to them as he shared in their poverty. When the magi saw the infant, they understood how far they have been from the place where God wanted to be found – in a manger. They were so rich but He, so poor. And so they bend low – for this is the only way by which they could recover the poverty that should have been theirs. And they had to recover this poverty if they wanted to be blessed. For Christ would later proclaim, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, the kingdom of heaven is theirs.” Acquiring such poverty of spirit, now they can truly kneel before this infant in whom is found the fullness of the Divinity, whose Kingdom will be without end, and in whose stripes, we will be healed.

Thoughts on Epiphany

Ecclesiae tuae, quaesumus, Domine, dona propitius intuere: quibus non jam aurum, thus, et myrrha profertur: sed quod eisdem muneribus declaratur, immolatur, et sumitur Jesus Christus Filius tuus Dominus noster: Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

Look graciously, we beseech Thee, O Lord, upon the offerings of Thy Church, in which are no longer offered gold, frankincense, and myrrh: but He, Who by these same gifts was signified, is sacrificed and received, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord: Who with Thee liveth and reigneth in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

The Secret for Epiphany ought to remind priests how extremely precious are the offerings placed in their hands. The magi prostrated before the Lord and adored Him. They opened their treasures and offered Him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. However, at the Holy Sacrifice, the priest offers to the Lord a gift greater than what the magi offered in homage. He offers God's only Son upon the altar. He does not offer gold to symbolize the kingship of Christ. Rather, he offers the King of kings, the true Son of David whose reign is without end. He does not offer frankincense to symbolize the divinity of Christ. Rather, he offers the Son of God, consubstantial with the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God. He does not offer myrrh to symbolize the sacrifice of Christ. Rather, he offers in sacrifice the Lamb who was slain and who now lives for ever, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

How blessed are you, O priest of God, for unworthy you may be, you have been chosen to offer to God the very gifts He has bestowed upon us: "a pure Victim, a holy Victim, an immaculate Victim, the holy Bread of eternal life and the Chalice of everlasting salvation"!