"We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage" (Mt 2:2). This Sunday, the Church celebrates the Epiphany- the revelation of Jesus to the whole world. God has now extended The Light of Faith to the Gentiles. God has lifted restrictions on who is considered a chosen child of God; He has opened the boundaries and let others partake in the salvific blessings. After their audience with the king, the magi set out. "And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star (Mt 2: 9-10).
The star led them on their journey of faith. They needed help with their search. They lost the subject of their search and faced deception from King Herod. But the grace of God led them to baby Jesus when the star stopped at his location and saw him lying in a manger. They found the one they sought, and his grace moved them to worship. They offered the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The whole event indicates the hunger for the truth, redemption, and aspiration for life in the heart of the wise men who represent all non-Jewish people, the Gentiles.
They found faith in a little child lying in a manger in the little town of Bethlehem. God reveals himself and humbly in a vulnerable little child. His grace of enlightenment must have filled the magi because they saw beyond the fragile, infant Jesus, the savior of the world. They offer gifts representing their total self-giving to the King, who will save the universe by his suffering and death.
We, too, are on a journey of faith. We will meet with obstacles and lose our focus from time to time. We will face falsehood and deception originating from the devil and its agents. We must, however, preserve our initial vision and drive. We will find direction through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We must approach the Sacraments frequently to see Jesus, to encounter and embrace him. Like the wise men, we have the light of faith to guide us on our journey. And God's grace will guide us to Jesus in the simple Sacred Host, His actual body. Like the wise men, we will find Jesus in the Eucharist and be overjoyed at seeing him.
This Sunday evening, we have an excellent opportunity to encounter Jesus joyfully and worship him as the Magi did. Beginning at 7 pm, we will have "an epiphany of blessings," the manifestation and outpouring of God's gracious blessings upon us and our families. With this parish Eucharistic Adoration on the evening of the Epiphany, we anticipate the end of the Christmas season, which kicks in tomorrow with the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, and we will walk as blessed people into the Ordinary Time of the Liturgical Year!
Come to Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration tonight and "do him homage." Jesus awaits to bless you.
In Christ,
Fr. Alayode Bernard Oniwe, OP
The star led them on their journey of faith. They needed help with their search. They lost the subject of their search and faced deception from King Herod. But the grace of God led them to baby Jesus when the star stopped at his location and saw him lying in a manger. They found the one they sought, and his grace moved them to worship. They offered the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The whole event indicates the hunger for the truth, redemption, and aspiration for life in the heart of the wise men who represent all non-Jewish people, the Gentiles.
They found faith in a little child lying in a manger in the little town of Bethlehem. God reveals himself and humbly in a vulnerable little child. His grace of enlightenment must have filled the magi because they saw beyond the fragile, infant Jesus, the savior of the world. They offer gifts representing their total self-giving to the King, who will save the universe by his suffering and death.
We, too, are on a journey of faith. We will meet with obstacles and lose our focus from time to time. We will face falsehood and deception originating from the devil and its agents. We must, however, preserve our initial vision and drive. We will find direction through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We must approach the Sacraments frequently to see Jesus, to encounter and embrace him. Like the wise men, we have the light of faith to guide us on our journey. And God's grace will guide us to Jesus in the simple Sacred Host, His actual body. Like the wise men, we will find Jesus in the Eucharist and be overjoyed at seeing him.
This Sunday evening, we have an excellent opportunity to encounter Jesus joyfully and worship him as the Magi did. Beginning at 7 pm, we will have "an epiphany of blessings," the manifestation and outpouring of God's gracious blessings upon us and our families. With this parish Eucharistic Adoration on the evening of the Epiphany, we anticipate the end of the Christmas season, which kicks in tomorrow with the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, and we will walk as blessed people into the Ordinary Time of the Liturgical Year!
Come to Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration tonight and "do him homage." Jesus awaits to bless you.
In Christ,
Fr. Alayode Bernard Oniwe, OP
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