Reflection/Homily: Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord (January 5 2014).

Reflection/Homily: Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord

Theme: The Visit of the Magi

Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany of our Lord. Epiphany is a kind of theophany which is God’s revelation and manifestation of Himself. In the bible, we see several instances of this divine manifestation. In the Old Testament, we recall the incidence of the burning bush where God revealed Himself as I AM. In the New Testament, the baptism of Jesus is another example of theophany. There God revealed Himself in the Voice of the Father who spoke about the Son, in the Son who was being baptized and in the Holy Spirit who descended on the Son in the form of a dove.  In today’s theophany, God is revealing and manifesting Himself this time not to the Jews but to Gentiles whom He guided to the birthplace of Christ through a star. We shall therefore reflect on some interesting aspects of the readings that will help us appreciate the epiphany better.

In the first reading (Is. 60:1-6), the Prophet Isaiah invites us to rise and shine out for our Light has come. He calls us to witness to the Light. This light is Christ who we celebrate His birth this season. Are we ready to leave our works of darkness and follow the light of Christ which illumines our paths to heaven? Without Christ, our vision is blurred and our journey is hopeless because we cannot see our way since Christ is the Way. If Christ is living in and among us, we must therefore allow others to experience this light in us which is supposed to guide them through our actions.

Reflection/Homily: Feast of the Baptism of our Lord Year C (January 13 2013)

Reflection/Homily: Feast of the Baptism of our Lord Year C (January 13 2013)

Theme: The Significance of Christ’s Baptism

Today’s feast, the Baptism of our Lord was originally one of the three Gospel events marked by the feast of Epiphany. In the Western Church, it was later overshadowed by the visit of the Magi before Pope Pius XII in 1955 instituted it as a separate liturgical commemoration of Christ’s baptism. The Baptism of Christ is a great point of Theophany because in it the mystery of the Blessed Trinity which is the highest mystery of the Church is made manifest.

The Gospel reading (Luke 3:15-16.21-22) confirms the manifestation of the Blessed Trinity at the Baptism of Jesus. God the Father is revealed in the Voice which confirmed the Sonship of Jesus, God the Son is revealed in Jesus who was baptized and God the Holy Spirit is revealed in the Dove which descended on the Son. This manifestation of the Trinity thus becomes the origin and destination of our Christian worship because all our prayers begin and end in the name of the Blessed Trinity.

Jesus received John’s baptism and in the process instituted a higher form of baptism which according to John is with “fire and the Holy Spirit”. John’s baptism is the foundation of Christ’s baptism and in the later, Christ instituted a baptism which is not just a mere religious practice but also a sacrament. He brought the Trinitarian dimension to baptism and thus made baptism a communion with God and the Church. John’s baptism is for repentance but Christ’s baptism is more than that. It is a source of cleansing and incorporation into the family of God.

Reflection/Homily/Sermon: Solemnity of The Epiphany of Our Lord (January 6 2013)

Reflection/Homily/Sermon: Solemnity of The Epiphany of Our Lord (January 6 2013)

Theme: The Visit of the Magi

Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany of our Lord. Epiphany is a kind of theophany which is God’s revelation and manifestation of Himself. In the bible, we see several instances of this divine manifestation. In the Old Testament, we recall the incidence of the burning bush where God revealed Himself as I AM. In the New Testament, the baptism of Jesus is another example of theophany. There God revealed Himself in the Voice of the Father who spoke about the Son, in the Son who was being baptized and in the Holy Spirit who descended on the Son in the form of a dove.  In today’s theophany, God is revealing and manifesting Himself this time not to the Jews but to Gentiles whom He guided to the birthplace of Christ through a star. We shall therefore reflect on some interesting aspects of the readings that will help us appreciate the epiphany better.

In the first reading (Is. 60:1-6), the Prophet Isaiah invites us to rise and shine out for our Light has come. He calls us to witness to the Light. This light is Christ who we celebrate His birth this season. Are we ready to leave our works of darkness and follow the light of Christ which illumines our paths to heaven? Without Christ, our vision is blurred and our journey is hopeless because we cannot see our way since Christ is the Way. If Christ is living in and among us, we must therefore allow others to experience this light in us which is supposed to guide them through our actions.

In the second reading (Eph. 3:2-3,5-6), St Paul talks of God’s revelation and manifestation of Himself to the Gentiles. In the Jewish tradition, the Gentiles were regarded as an inferior race who were unworthy of God’s salvation. The scripture records several instances of humiliating racial discrimination against the Gentiles by the Jews. But at Christ’s birth, the Good News was no longer for the Jews alone but also for the Gentiles. What this means for us is that now, we all have a chance to make heaven. God’s graces for repentance and salvation are available for all. There is no barrier between us and God except the sins we commit. When we claim to be righteous Christians and look down on sinners instead of helping them repent, we might be surprised to see them in heaven even before us.