Epiphany, Year C, 05.01.2025

Isaiah 60:1-6 / Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 / Matthew 2:1-12

We believe that everything happens under God's watchful eyes. 

And with that, it means that everything happens for a reason. 

So, when something good happens, we believe that it is a blessing from God. 

But when bad things happen, we may not say that it is from God. 

Nonetheless, we may ask why did God allow that to happen. 

When we look around and think about it, we have our questions about what is happening in life. 

Like the recent airplane tragedy that took a number of lives. 

Or the wars and conflicts and violence in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and all those acts of terrorism, that took away and are still taking away many innocent lives. 

We wonder why such tragedies and disasters are happening. 

If God sees, and God knows, then why does He allow such bad things to happen. 

Or a deeper question to ask is, what is God showing us, what is God telling us, when bad, or even when good things happen. 

In the Christmas story, the wise men saw the Star and they knew it was a sign from God to look for the new-born King of the Jews. 

But what is rather difficult to understand is that God did not tell them everything, and did not guide them all the way. 

Even the Star seemed to have disappeared now and then, and that was why the wise men came to Jerusalem, thinking that the infant King would be born there. 

Well, King Herod came to know about their intentions, and he was perturbed. But that also revealed how evil and wicked King Herod was. 

Finally, when the Star appeared and led the wise men to Bethlehem, they must be surprised. 

It would be indeed surprising for the wise men to see that the infant King of the Jews to be lying in a manger, instead of being in a palace. 

His parents were simple and lowly, instead of being royalties. 

All the assumptions and presumptions of an infant King seem to end up in opposition and contradiction. 

Today's feast is called Epiphany. Epiphany means revelation. 

It means that the birth of Jesus Christ, the King and the Saviour, is revealed to the whole world. 

The wise men symbolize the nations of the world acknowledging the kingship of Jesus Christ, and coming to pay homage to Him. 

But there are also deeper and personal revelations. 

It revealed the true character of king Herod, and the wise men were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod. 

It revealed the faith of the wise men, in that though what they saw was contrary to their expectation, nonetheless they believed. 

And they expressed their belief with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

These gifts also have deeper revelations. They symbolize the Royalty, Divinity and Humanity of Jesus. 

The feast of Epiphany also reveals to us that God has His ways and His plans. 

And God will reveal to us what we need to know, so that we can do what He plans for us. 

And God will also reveal to us what we need to know about ourselves, so that we can understand ourselves deeper. 

And the three symbolic gifts are also revelations for our parish.

The infant King came to the world in humility and simplicity. So too must we. 

This church is the house of God; it is a holy place. We come here to pray and worship. 

Yes, we are reminded of the call to pray and to be holy. 

Myrrh symbolizes humanity and mortality. We are human and we have failings, but God loves us and sends Jesus to save us. 

So, even though we are human and we have our failings, still we must love and forgive, just as God loves and forgives us.

On this feast of Epiphany, we thank God for revealing Himself to us and for revealing His plans and His will to us. 

Like the wise men, let us believe, and let us offer our lives to God in love and in service of our brothers and sisters.

4th January 2025, Saturday, Weekday of Christmas Time

1 John 3:7-10 / John 1:35-42  

The destiny of seeds is to germinate and grow into a plant or a tree.

But a seed can only germinate when the conditions are conducive.

And even when a seed is able to germinate, there are other factors that will affect and determine its growth.

The 1st reading says that no one who has been begotten by God sins because God’s seed remains inside him.

So, as disciples of Jesus, we are begotten by God and we have God’s seed in us.

But when we sin, then that seed can’t germinate.

But a time will come when we will realise that we have sinned and will repent.

Then God’s seed in us will germinate and grow.

In the gospel, the time has come for Andrew and the other disciple, and as well as for Peter, for God’s seed to be sown in them.

We already have God’s seed sown in us. 

With prayer and living a holy life, God’s seed will bear fruit in us and make us true disciples of Jesus.

3rd January 2025, Friday, Weekday of Christmas Time

1 John 2:29-36 / John 1:29-34  

In everyday usage, water is used in washing and cleansing.

Water is also a necessity for sustaining life.

In the Church, water is used in the Rite of Baptism.

It symbolizes the cleaning of sin and the gift of new life.

Water is also used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

In the gospel, John the Baptist said that it was to reveal Jesus Christ to Israel that he came baptizing with water.

When John the Baptist baptized Jesus, he saw the Holy Spirit come down and rest on Jesus.

When we were baptized, we were made pure and the Holy Spirit also rested on us.

When we pray, we are cleansed from sin and faults and made pure again by the Holy Spirit.

But when we don’t pray, then sin and other failings begin to defile us, and we also close the door of our hearts to the Holy Spirit.

Let us pray regularly and constantly, so that we will remain pure and live holy lives as God’s children and become more and more like Jesus Christ.

2nd January 2025, Thursday, Weekday of Christmas Time

1 John 2:22-28 / John 1:19-28  

There are a few descriptions that are associated with John the Baptist.

The most common is that he is the one who is baptizing, with him standing in the water and pouring water over people.

Another would be him as a prophet, dressed in a camel's hair garment and a leather belt around his waist.

But it would be difficult to describe him as a voice that cries in the wilderness to make a straight path for the Lord.

That was how he described himself when he was asked who he was.

It is difficult to have an image for voice. Even symbols may not adequately express it.

The gospel says that John appeared as a witness.

A witness does not speak for himself. Rather he speaks for the one whom he bears witness to.

We too are called to be witnesses for Jesus.

By the witnessing of our voices, others will hear the voice of Jesus the Saviour.

May our voices make a straight way for others to Jesus.