Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

The word Epiphany means manifestation or showing. The celebration of the Epiphany is the celebration that God’s plan for salvation is revealed and offered to all people. We are included. We are part of the wonder of the Incarnation. Christ came for us all today, not just for a small group of people who lived many years ago in a far away land. We are called to participate in the Epiphany. How? Well, the Epiphany, the showing of the Lord, is telling us, that when it comes to our Christianity, to our Catholicism we also show the Lord.

We need to show off our faith. Christianity, Catholicism, was never meant to be hidden. Jesus Christ was displayed before the world at His birth, during His baptism and through His public life, beginning with the wedding feast of Cana. We need to show His Presence to others in the very way we live our lives. There was an old saying that contains quite a bit of truth, “If we were ever brought to trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict us?”

That doesn’t mean that we should be standing on boxes preaching on the corner. No, but we should be living in such a way that our faith burns through every aspect of our lives.

We are called to live in such a way that our Christianity shines through every aspect of our lives. We come before the Lord to worship Him in Word and Eucharist. We continue our prayers life in the little Church that is our homes. We value our union with Christ and avoid anything which would diminish or destroy this union. We serve the Lord’s presence in others, and reach out to those who have needs by working in the various ministries of our parish. We reach out not just to be humanists, but to be Christians. We need to be epiphanies of Jesus Christ for others,

What are the things that I do, that you do, which would cause others to say, “He or she is a Christian. He or she is a Catholic?” What more can we do? These are questions we should be asking ourselves. Our Christianity was not given to us to be kept hidden. Our faith is a gift we are entrusted with for others. Actually, there is no such thing as a secret Christian. Christ was manifested to all people. There is no secret involved. We should be showoffs for the Lord.

He calls us to illuminate the darkness of our world with His Light. We do not have to be part of the darkness of the world. In fact, we are called to be different, to be holy, and to be people of light who celebrate the Light of the World.

Jesus Christ is not our secret.  The message of the Epiphany is that God's plan, Christ's coming, is a public event. We have been formed into a people shaped by the revelation of the Lord to become an epiphany of His Presence in the world. We are the wise men from the East. We are those to whom God has revealed Himself. We are the inheritors of the great promise made to the people of Israel. Now we are called to reveal this promise to the world.  The promise is this: God is with His people.

The optional opening prayer of this Sunday is so beautiful and could be helpful for our personal prayer today: “His light is strong. His love is near. May he draw us beyond the limits that this world imposes to the life where his Spirit makes all life complete.”

May we have the courage, trough de intercession of our blessed Mother and Saint Joseph to be showoffs for Christ ■

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Y entonces uno se queda con la Iglesia, que me ofrece lo único que debe ofrecerme la Iglesia: el conocimiento de que ya estamos salvados –porque esa es la primera misión de la Iglesia, el anunciar la salvación gracias a Jesucristo- y el camino para alcanzar la alegría, pero sin exclusividades de buen pastor, a través de esa maravilla que es la confesión y los sacramentos. La Iglesia, sin partecitas.

laus deo virginique matris


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