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Before I Forget&
I understood... that finding one's way in the desert is much easier by night than by day,
that the points of reference are numerous and certain.
In the years which I spent in the open desert
I never once got lost, thanks to the stars.
-- Carlo
Carretto, Letters from the Desert
Today we celebrate the feast of Epiphany. The pagan kings bring their costly gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh for the newborn king. Because there are three gifts, we have come to believe that there were three kings. But there are at least five kings in the gospel story: the three who brought gifts; King Herod; and the newborn king, Jesus. As we read the story in Matthew's gospel, it is a story of ASTONISHMENT . They find the newborn king, not in a palace, but in a simple dwelling in Bethlehem. The story, only recorded in the gospel of Matthew, demonstrates that salvation is for everyone, not only for the Jewish people. These pagan kings are seekers and searchers who come to adore the true king. They are willing to travel from their homes because they believe that this newborn king is someone extremely important. They come to offer praise and homage. They are willing to bow down before an infant.
These kings, these magi, these wise men, whoever they were, bow in adoration before the King of Kings. The other king in the story, Herod, harbors destruction in his heart. This is a fabulous story of true kings and false ones, of people willing to travel and one who was very close to the truth but wouldn't move from his palace. The pilgrim kings are willing to take the journey and be led by a star. But Herod, who is only a short distance from Bethlehem, doesn't take the journey to find his rival. Herod goes on to decree the slaughter of the innocents. Some years later the true King, the sinless One, will also be put to death on a cross.
Today's feast is not about the three kings, but it's about those early Christians who embraced the universal salvation that was offered to everyone. We owe so much to those first generations of Christians, both Jewish and Gentile, who risked their lives for Christ.
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I read a list of resolutions by (Rev.) Walter Schoedel. He calls them the 7-Ups for the New Year. They are about attitudes and actions, not the soft drink!
1) Wake-Up: Begin the day with the Lord. It is always the Lord's Day. Rejoice each day.
2) Dress-Up: Put on a smile. It improves your looks and says a whole lot about your attitude.
3) Shut-Up: Watch your tongue. Don't gossip. Say nice things about people. Learn to listen.
4) Stand-Up: Take a stand for what you believe. Do good and resist evil.
5) Look-Up: Open your eyes to Christ. He is your only Savior.
6) Reach-Up: Spend time in prayer with your adorations, confessions, thanksgivings and petitions to the Lord.
7) Lift-Up: Be available to those in need - serving, supporting and sharing.
How do I want to invest my time, energy, money, and talents in 2003? How will you make the most of the time offered you each day this year? What are your priorities for 2003? What is the most important thing we will do this year? Can we answer that question by saying: It's about pleasing God with my life?
Pleasing God with my life! How do we do each month, each week, each hour, each minute, each second, each millisecond? You don't think a millisecond is important? Ask the person who won the silver instead of the gold in the Olympics.
Life is great. What a gift. Make God the center of each day and it becomes a greater gift.
Happy 2003!
Fr. Bill
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