Sunday, January 5, 2003

Epiphany

Readings:

Isaiah 60: 1-6: Rise up, O Jerusalem

Responsorial Psalm: 71

Ephesians 3: 2-3; 5-6: All people share the same inheritance in Jesus Christ

Matthew 2: 1-12: Wise men from the East knelt before him and worshipped him.

The feast of the Epiphany is the great celebration of the universal reach of salvation. God has indeed called all peoples to participate in Christ’s new messiahship. The Biblical texts of today’s celebration facilitate a mature reflection on the nature of the mystery that we celebrate today.

The first reading (Isaiah 60: 1-6) presents Jerusalem, symbol of the presence of God, dressed in light. The text describes a new dawning, a bright morning shining out over the holy city. God himself is the source of this light, “For the glory of God will break out over you” (verse 1). And while “night still covers the earth and gloomy clouds veil the peoples, God now rises and over Jerusalem his glory appears.” Although the earth is covered with shadow and the people live in darkness, they shall walk toward Jerusalem, the city of light, Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance: Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you: Your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses. Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, For the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.” The prophet senses something new and something of fundamental theological importance: the God of Israel is the God of all the peoples of the earth. Thus the God who revealed himself as the God of Israel now reveals himself as the one who will rain down salvation upon all of the earth.

The text clearly emphasizes the importance of Jerusalem and even reveals a bit of Israeli nationalism (the city, once before humiliated now becomes the object of international glory). The important point of the poetry lies not in the glorification of Jerusalem, but rather in the fact that her glory extends forth to all the earth—is shared out to all peoples. Children of the diaspora, those exiled ones, those people of nations once despised, are now brought within the saving circle of the light of God’s salvation, a light that knows no darkness. The light that breaks forth from this city is the life and salvation of God, a salvation that knows no limits—neither in terms of time or space or history. Its only limitation—it must reach out, without exception, to all human beings.

The second reading from Ephesians expounds upon what Paul calls “the mystery”—that is, the saving plan of God now revealed by the preaching of the Gospel to all peoples. The long-awaited Messiah was not meant only for the people of Israel, but has been sent to all peoples of the earth. For Paul, this is the great “mystery” “which was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit”. The centerpiece of this plan is Jesus, the Messiah.

The apostles and prophets of the church endlessly proclaim this good news for all human beings. Thanks to the Gospel, we all share the same inheritance; we are all called to form the same Body of Christ—to be Universal Church, to participate in the same promise that God made to the patriarchs of old.

The Gospel for this Sunday is a magnificent theological work, filled with rich symbols. First, Matthew intends to offer a comprehensive spiritual and theological explanation of the birth Jesus, and his starting point is the place where this birth occurred: “In Bethlehem of Judea”. The text from Micah, cited in verse 6, is the key to understanding the Christology of the passage—Bethlehem is the city where, according to the prophets, the Messiah was to be born.

Jesus is presented, then, with all of the dignity that is accorded the Messiah, the long-awaited descendent of David, a native of Bethlehem. All the same, the narrative is structured around two very different reactions to this Messiah: the untiring search for him by the wise ones from the East, and the murderous hostility of Herod, as well as that of the inhabitants of Jerusalem itself.

Thus from the very beginning, the Messiah is presented as having a paradoxical destiny: the astrologers, solely on the rather weak basis of the evidence of a star, consult the scriptures and manage to arrive at the birthplace of the Messiah. Herod and the leaders from Jerusalem, despite scriptures testimony, fail to recognize the Messianic significance of Jesus. The Jews’ consternation, the calling together of a special assembly of scriptural experts, the inquisition that the astrologers receive reminds one of the process that Jesus himself will undergo when he comes to Jerusalem just before his crucifixion, when that time the authorities will successfully condemn him (Matt. 26,63) and the civil authorities will try him as “the King of the Jews” (Matt. 27,37).

Matthew, then, projects upon the new born Messiah of Bethlehem the very drama that the Messiah will suffer at the end of his life. The Infancy Narrative offers a brief parable of the paradoxical reaction that Jesus will cause throughout his history, rejected by those who are closest to him, and proclaimed by those who are furthest from him (Matt 8,10-11: “When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, "Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.” Matt 21,42-43: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes'? Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit). At the same time, the text reflects the experience of the Church community within which Matthew’s Gospel was written—a community that was open to a mission to the “pagans” (Matt 28,19: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit”).

Matthew’s Infancy narrative is constructed using the rich symbology of Biblical and Hellenistic stories of the births of great people: a star that suddenly rises, or a bright light, the hostile reaction of some to the birth, etc. The “magi” (from the Greek magoi) in the story are people from a far away place, dedicated to the study of astrology. Matthew was probably thinking of the prophet Balaam from the Book of Numbers, a stranger called from the East by the King Balak so as to curse Israel as it wandered in the desert. Balaam, instead of cursing the people, blessed them, announcing the rising of a new star: (“I see him, but not in the present. I perceive him, but not close at hand: a star is emerging from Jacob, a scepter is rising from Israel” (Numbers 24: 17). This messianic symbol from the Hebrew Testament could explain what the magi mean when they say, “We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage” (Matt. 2: 2).

Along with this messianic image there are two other texts from the Hebrew Testament which form the ambiance for this story—the Messianic King will receive gifts from kings who will come from distant lands (Psalm 72: 10; 15); and Jerusalem will be overwhelmed with camel and dromedaries, loaded down with gold and incense, all for the glory of God (Isaiah 60: 6). The gifts that the Magi offer the child born in the Messianic city of Bethlehem are the gifts intended for the son of David. This homage expresses, in accordance with the prophets of old, the fact that distant lands come to recognize the Messiah in this child. The Magi, the incarnation of the gentile nations as well as those from the world of science and culture who are searching with sincere hearts and who experience a “great joy”. This Messianic joy will go out into the entire world, adding in a profound way to the membership of the Church of Christ.

For Personal Reflection:

This page from the Gospel shows that God reveals himself to all nations, and not only to a select people. Do I have this sense of the universalism of God, or do I fall into the trap of thinking that God is “Catholic” or “mine”? Do I believe that only Christians have received the gift of salvation that has come to us in Jesus Christ? Do I believe in such things as “false” religions? What does that mean—a “false” religion?

For the Group’s Reflection

The manifestation of Jesus to all of humanity, which we celebrate in the Epiphany means that “there are more people of the people of God than there are in the People of God.” The Jewish people of the Hebrew Testament believed that Yahweh was their God and could not even imagine that God would be participating with other peoples in forging out a salvation history all their own. How do I keep myself from collapsing God into “our God” or “my” God? Are we not thrilled that God has chosen to save all peoples?

The Second Vatican Council has helped us to understand that God’s manifestation in Jesus is not the only one. God has revealed himself to other peoples in many other ways. What changes in attitude and even in language does this realization require? What changes are needed in our thinking about the mission to evangelize non Christian peoples?

The Prayer of the Faithful

That the Church always be faithful to her mission of preaching the Good News to all peoples, while being attentive to the Good News that other faiths have to offer us, we pray to the Lord.

That we might be open to receiving gifts from East—as the child Jesus was to the Magi—especially from the Eastern religions that have so much to offer to the West, we pray to the Lord.

That all catechists have the opportunity to prepare themselves well for the task of spreading the Good News, we pray to the Lord.

That all those who live overwhelmed by doubt, dominated by fear and submerged in depression come to know the light and peace of the living God, we pray to the Lord.

For all those who seek a more just and peaceful human community, that they might find a just recompense for their work, we pray to the Lord.

That we might all live in such a way that our sharing become a true testimony of faith to others, we pray to the Lord.

Let Us Pray

Loving God, you who revealed your Son to all the peoples of the earth, help those who search for you find the stars that you have placed in their lives to lead them along the way. Grace those who have discovered you with the hope that one day we might come face to face with your glory. You who live and continue to fill the lives of your sons and daughters with light, forever and ever, Amen.