Magi 2020
By: Father Angelo Arrando
This weekend, with the celebration of Epiphany and Matthew’s story of the Magi, yet another Christmas Season comes to an end. Once again, we liturgically celebrated the coming of Jesus, born of Mary in Bethlehem – The totality of God and the totality of humanity present in Jesus, gifted to us for all time. Jesus is the affirmation of the Father’s love for humanity. It is this Jesus that the Magi sought and adored.
To fully grasp and make relevant the story of the Magi, we need to hear their story with our own story – the story of our own journey to God. Like the Magi, we are called to God from different places; we struggle through deserts and ask the way of others. Like the Magi, we make our way through indifference, hostility and politics until we find the One we are to worship and adore, as did they. Our journey’s path moves us through childhood, through youthful strength and through the maturity of age, through occasional festive days, as well as through many, many mundane and uneventful ones. Our journey takes us through heights and through misery, through virtuous times and through sinful failures, through love and through disillusion. On and on our path stretches out before us, on and on from the morning of life to the evening of death. Although we know that God is the goal of our pilgrimage, the way to God sometimes seems all too far and all too difficult. Nevertheless, and by God’s own promise, seekers are enabled and empowered to find God. As Jesus reveals, our God can really be found, eye to eye, heart to heart, and closer to us then we can ever imagine or hope for.
[button open_new_tab=”true” color=”accent-color” hover_text_color_override=”#fff” image=”default-arrow” size=”large” url=”https://johnxxiii.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Bulletin010520w2.pdf” text=”DOWNLOAD THE BULLETIN” color_override=””]Therefore, with the magi, let us also set forth anew today, on the adventurous journey of the human heart to God. Let us not walk but run! Let us forget and not regret what we must leave behind. Because the journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. Let us set out at once with hearts made bold by prayer, and eyes made sharp and clear with hope. Let us also realize that as each of us makes the journey that moves us nearer and nearer to God, we are, thereby, also drawing nearer and nearer to one another.
In giving Himself in the Eucharist, Jesus continues to empower us on our journey. His Eucharist is a perpetual reminder of the unity of God and humanity. That very same Jesus is present for each of us in St. Luke’s Chapel. As we continue our journey of faith, seeking and striving, let the example of the Magi lead us to pause and adore the One the Magi sought and we have found. Sitting with Jesus continues to empower us and reminds us of God’s infinite love for each and every one of us.
