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08 Jan 2012 - Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Cycle B

Saint Gregory the Great (d. 604), a doctor of the church, preached numerous sermons on the Epiphany. One of the most memorable reminds us that when we chose to follow Christ, we must change our course: Now when the wise men had worshipped the Lord and finished all their devotions, according to the warning of a dream, they return not by the same route by which they had come. For it behooved them, now that they believed in Christ, not to walk in the paths of their old line of life, but having entered on a new way to keep away from the errors they had left. Old habits die hard. Be conscious of where you step--avoid the paths that lead you away from the light of Christ.

Authors Patrice J. Tuohy

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08 Jan 2012 - Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Cycle B

Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem. The magi were "wise men," Gentile seers who combined astronomy and astrology to divine religious insights from the skies. Naturally the star attracts them and leads them to find its meaning. But for them to really find out who Jesus is, they must first learn from the Jewish scripture--the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem. The magi symbolize several things: the need for revelation to inform natural knowledge; the Gentiles' willingness to accept Jesus as the Messiah; and the pilgrimages of religious seekers who set out on long, risky, and uncertain journeys to find the source of their faith. --Joel Schorn Homily points No one likes to see the holidays end. Historically, Christmas is part of a much larger season of manifestation, including what we now call Epiphany, the Baptism of the Lord, and the wedding feast of Cana. The season of God's revelation is a celebration of light, as the images from prophecy and the gospel make clear. We use light in our celebration of this season, and we are called to be light for the world, as Christ is for us.

Authors Joel Schorn

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08 Jan 2017 - Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Cycle A

Jordan has some of the smoothest salesmen in the world—as evidenced by the amount of stuff I bought during a trip there last year. Passing by a roadside store, for example, a handsome shopkeeper might take your wrist and perfume the length of your forearm with frankincense resin, while another hands you sweets, and yet another urges you to sit and have tea, perhaps of myrrh, that appears out of nowhere. Before you know it, a whirlwind of goods are brought out and presented to you. I loved every minute of the whole production. Back in the time of Jesus, Jordan was the kingdom of the Nabataeans, who controlled the Incense Route from the East to the Mediterranean. The three wise men who traveled to Bethlehem to honor the infant Jesus likely passed through the Nabataean capital and got their gifts of frankincense and myrrh there. It’s easy to get caught up in the flurry of gifts—it’s fun!—but now that the paper and ribbons of Christmas have settled and been swept away, don’t forget your Advent journey that led you to your king.

Authors Jennifer Tomshack

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Exploring the word

01 Jan 2017 - Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord; Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, Cycle A

In our traditional way of telling the story, we short-change the shepherds. The typical manger set reveals the imbalance: While Magi arrive at the Nativity bearing magnificent gifts in their arms, impoverished shepherds show up empty-handed. Well, almost. Sometimes a shepherd holds a lamb in his arms, or drapes one across his shoulders. Certainly sheep trail in the shepherds’ footsteps. Nothing suggests these animals are presented as gifts. When you’re a shepherd, sheep come with the territory. Of course, nativity sets are a composite of two gospel accounts. In no biblical infancy story do Magi and shepherds arrive in tandem to pay their respects to the Christ child. Either you get one set of visitors or the other. Matthew prefers the noble visitors with symbolic gifts. They fit into his overall scheme of presenting Jesus as the one sought by outsiders even as he’s rejected heartily by the historical King of the Jews, Herod. Meanwhile, Luke recounts his Nativity story with shepherds. Humble visitors suit Luke’s agenda: that the poor are specially poised to hear the good news this child will announce. Following Luke’s strand today, let’s listen closely to what he’s actually saying. Unlike the popular carol about a drummer boy who comes “with no gift to bring,” the shepherds do bring an astonishing offering to the Holy Family. They proclaim a message delivered to them in angelsong. The heavenly message goes something like this: Good news! Today everyone has something to celebrate. The Messiah of David’s house is here! The faithful on earth will know his peace. Is this message as valuable as those other, more famous presents? While it’s easier, perhaps, to compose three verses about the wise men’s more tangible gifts, good news for everyone on earth is a pretty special declaration. Has there been such an announcement before or since? Usually the daily news is good for some, not so good for others. Most of the time, to be honest, it’s good for the few, and bad for the many. Good news for everyone is surprisingly hard to visualize, like world peace. Can an event that takes place on this planet possibly be good for everybody? Is it a failure of imagination on our part that we can’t seem to see the shepherds’ gift? Or is it that the allure of gold, pleasing perfume, and ominous myrrh are so much more vivid to us? On this World Day of Peace, will any of us commit to “peace on earth, good will toward all” as more desirable goal even than gold? Mary put the shepherd’s words into her heart and treasured them for a lifetime. They’ve outlasted all the other gifts. Related scripture links Infancy narratives in Matthew and Luke: Matt. 1:18-2:23; Luke 1:26-56, 2:1-52 The Woman in John: John 2:1-12, 19:25-27 Mary at Pentecost: Acts 1:13-14, 2:1-4 Catechism links Natures of Jesus: CCC 464-469 Mary, Mother of God: CCC 144; 484-507; 721-726 Mary, Mother of the Church: CCC 773; 829; 963-972

Authors Alice Camille

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Exploring the word

08 Jan 2017 - Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Cycle A

The caravans of camels captivate us in Isaiah’s lovely prophecy. Those wonderful exotic animals take slow majestic steps across the desert, padding softly toward Jerusalem. They bear on their backs kings and valuable gifts. The scene is so remarkable, it winds up in every Christmas pageant, on a good many Christmas cards, and even in Matthew’s narrative about the birth of Jesus. Or does it? If you go back and reread it, Matthew makes no mention of caravans or camels. He doesn’t even use the word kings! But he does borrow the gold and frankincense from Isaiah, embellishing them with myrrh. We’re within our rights, therefore, to return the favor and go back for the delightful caravans ourselves. Movement is the common thread in these readings today. Prophecy kick-starts the motion of whole nations, awakened by the light of the world dawning after so much darkness. Bright enough for all to see, this light makes those who pursue it radiant with hope and possibility. August representatives from every nation are drawn to Jerusalem in awe. The psalm underscores the universality of this vision. Kings and gifts are reprised, and justice and peace are added to the wealth in this exchange. So much is in motion here: camels and kings, tangible gifts and priceless divine promises! Then Paul adds his piece. A mystery now revealed sets tradition itself in motion. Outsiders are now insiders. Gentiles are welcomed into the promises once reserved for Abraham’s children. For many, that’s a bit much. While we’re glad when gifts and promises are moving—especially when they’re headed in our direction—we’re not always happy when traditions start to shift or are transformed in radical ways. Perhaps this divine caravan isn’t such a good idea. Some things should be fixed and immutable. When everything’s in motion, we risk the security of stable truths. Surely, Paul’s fellow Jews felt the same way we do. “Progress” is sometimes a mistake! When Jesus is born, the heavens themselves are in motion in a way that could lead some people to vertigo. But not the Magi of the East. They’re unruffled by the movement of a star across the sky and set their hearts on following it. They take a long mysterious journey (with or without caravans and camels) because truth itself appears to be in motion, and wise folk always want to know where it’s going. In our generation, when Pope Francis is asking all of us to take the journey of faith courageously, to follow the light wherever it leads us, how many will remain behind like Herod in his palace, unwilling to take the short trip outside the walls to see God’s new incarnation? Related scripture links Magi in Daniel: Dan. 1:4, 20, 2:2 (Daniel as magos: 1:17) Magi in the NT: Acts 8:9-25, 13:6-13 More kings in Isaiah: Isa. 49:7b Other Hebrew images used: Num. 24:17 (star), Gen. 49:10 (tribute), Mic. 5:1-3 (Bethlehem) Jesus on palaces fit for royalty: Luke 7:24-25 Catechism links Epiphany: CCC 486; 528; 724

Authors Alice Camille

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08 Jan 2017 - Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Cycle A

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory—this was during Herod’s kingship—a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, “Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We’re on pilgrimage to worship him.” When word of their inquiry got to Herod, he was terrified—and not Herod alone, but most of Jerusalem as well. Herod lost no time. He gathered all the high priests and religion scholars in the city together and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” They told him, “Bethlehem, Judah territory. The prophet Micah wrote it plainly: It’s you, Bethlehem, in Judah’s land, no longer bringing up the rear. From you will come the leader who will shepherd-rule my people, my Israel.” Herod then arranged a secret meeting with the scholars from the East. Pretending to be as devout as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared. Then he told them the prophecy about Bethlehem, and said, “Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned. As soon as you find him, send word and I’ll join you at once in your worship.” Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time! They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh. In a dream, they were warned not to report back to Herod. So they worked out another route, left the territory without being seen, and returned to their own country. From A New Message 4 Next Week (actapublications.com) based on The Message: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition by Eugene Peterson (ACTA Publications, 2013).

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