Edwin Hubbel Chapin

 

Epiphany of the Lord

Today we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord, the manifestation of Jesus as Lord and Savior to the Magi.  St. Matthew's account of the Magi has all the elements of a great story.  There is a heavenly sign, a dangerous quest, priceless gifts, a wrong turn, a nasty villain, intrigue, deceit, and, ultimately, triumph when the Magi reach their goal, the opportunity to pay homage to the child Jesus.  And just to keep the story interesting, St. Matthew ends it with a miraculous escape. 

We know this story so well.  Images of the Magi cover Christmas cards; they have their own Christmas carol, and they have a special place in our Christmas crèches. In many parts of the world, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord is the day people exchange gifts.  For most of us, however, this feast marks the day we take down all our Christmas decorations and put them away until sometime in Advent 2019 even though for us Catholics the Christmas Season does not end until next Sunday when we commemorate the Baptism of the Lord.  We have a good excuse to enjoy our decorations for another week!  

The Solemnity of the Epiphany deserves more of our attention. It is a special day for us.  It is the day when God made clear that salvation was not just for the children of Israel, His chosen people, but for everyone in the world.  This is the day when God revealed Jesus Christ to the Gentiles (us).  This is the day when we became "coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel" (Ephesians 3:6).  .

This great Solemnity of the Epiphany is a good time for us to contemplate our own quest to find Jesus and to consider what gifts we have to offer Him. It is a day to thank God for including us in His plan for salvation. And it is a day to recognize how our lives reflect the radiant light of Christ to the world in which we live. 

God of all nations, peoples and cultures,
this is the day you have made bright
with your light and your love
destined for all.
Guide us in the new ways of your Son.

Open our eyes that we may recognize you
in all the signs that you send us.
Let your kindly light shine everywhere,
that all peoples may praise you
in their own language
and enrich your Church with their own gifts.
We ask this in the name of Jesus,
our Lord and Savior for ever.

Amen

World Peace

 

A Way to a Happy New Year

A Way to a Happy New Year
Robert Brewster Beattie (1875-1946)

To leave the old with a burst of song;
To recall the right and forgive the wrong;

To forget the things that bind you fast
to the vain regrets of the year that’s past;

To have the strength to let go your hold
of the not worthwhile of the days grown old:

To dare go forth with a purpose true,

To the unknown task of the year that’s new;

To help your brother/sister along the road,

to do his work and lift his load;

To add your gift to the world’s good cheer,
is to have and to give a Happy New Year.

Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.  Recently I have done a lot of reflecting on the impact and importance of family on our lives.   Looking at my own family, I realize that my sisters and brothers are far more important to me now than they were twenty years ago.  Now that our parents are gone, my siblings and their families are all the immediate family I have left.  What holds us together are common memories, experiences and our love for each other.

In addition to our biological families, many of us have created other families for ourselves.  Again, looking at my own life, all my siblings live overseas.  What has made my life in the USA easier are the relationships I have developed here.  I have a family of priests, a family of parishioners and a family of friends all who support me in my ministry in various ways.  These people have made my life richer and fulfilling.  Our immediate families (and I am including adopted families in this instance) nurtured us and helped us to grow into the people we are today.  The families we create for ourselves support us now, where we are and continue to nurture our growth. 

In Biblical times, family lineage was a matter of great importance because it was through one’s lineage that a person could demonstrated that they were true Israelites.  This is true of Jesus and is why Matthew began his gospel listing forty-two of Jesus’ human ancestors.  In fact, the whole Christmas story is built around the importance of lineage.  But in today’s gospel, Luke 2:41-52, something extraordinary happened.   This is the story of the twelve-year-old Jesus breaking away from his family and establishing ties with a different family, the family in his “Father’s house.” 

What is interesting about this story is that it is the last we hear of Jesus until he begins his public ministry approximately eighteen years later.  During those eighteen years all we know is that he was obedient to Mary and Joseph and “he advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man.”  But in many ways, this story sets the stage for Jesus’ public ministry because once he sets out, he never returns to his family.  His new relationships were built around the people who followed him and included the twelve apostles, all the disciples, special friends like Martha, Mary and Lazarus, Mary Magdalene and many others.   

No matter what our familial relationships are, St Paul instructed the people of Colossae and he instructs us on how to practice the virtues of a new life in Jesus Christ: “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.  And over all these put-on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body.  And be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:12-17).  This is what Jesus did and what He expects us to do. 

God our Father,
we give you all thanks and praise
that you chose for your Son a human family.
Through the prayers and example
of Mary and Joseph,
may we too learn
to make room for Jesus in our lives,
that he may grow up in us day after day
and make us more like him.

Teach us to rely on your word,
that in our trials as in our joys
we may be clothed in gentleness and patience
and united in love.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

Amen

Be Still

I have noticed that the best way for me to get a few minutes of solitude at the end of the day is to start washing the dishes. And a few minutes of solitude is something I need frequently. A time to be alone. A time to reflect.

There is a difference between alone-ness and loneliness. Aloneness is necessary for the soul to thrive -- even to come alive!

German theologian and pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer was arrested and eventually hanged for opposing Hitler. While in prison, he wrote letters to his fiancée. The last letter she received was dated Christmas 1944.

Speaking of the war that separated them, Bonhoeffer wrote this:

"These will be quiet days in our homes, but I have had the experience over and over again that the quieter it is around me, the clearer do I feel a connection to you. It is as though in solitude the soul develops senses which we hardly know in everyday life. Therefore I have not felt lonely or abandoned for one moment."

We can be alone without being lonely. In fact, those times of solitude are necessary respite for our beleaguered souls, set upon by the pressures of life. We need to take those moments to "get away" and just be still. "Only in quiet waters things mirror themselves undistorted," says Hans Margolius. "Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world."

Be still....

Soldier's Poem

Twas the night before Christmas,

He lived all alone,
In a one bedroom house made of
Plaster and stone.

I had come down the chimney
With presents to give,
And to see just who
In this home did live.

I looked all about,
A strange sight I did see,
No tinsel, no presents,
Not even a tree.

No stocking by mantle,
Just boots filled with sand,
On the wall hung pictures
Of far distant lands.

With medals and badges,
Awards of all kinds,
A sober thought
Came through my mind.

For this house was different,
It was dark and dreary,
I found the home of a soldier,
Once I could see clearly.

The soldier lay sleeping,
Silent, alone,
Curled up on the floor
In this one bedroom home.

The face was so gentle,
The room in such disorder,
Not how I pictured
A United States soldier.

Was this the hero
Of whom I'd just read?
Curled up on a poncho,
The floor for a bed?

I realized the families
That I saw this night,
Owed their lives to these soldiers
Who were willing to fight.

Soon round the world,
The children would play,
And grownups would celebrate
A bright Christmas day.

They all enjoyed freedom
Each month of the year,
Because of the soldiers,
Like the one lying here.

I couldn't help wonder
How many lay alone,
On a cold Christmas eve
In a land far from home.

The very thought
Brought a tear to my eye,
I dropped to my knees
And started to cry.

The soldier awakened
and I heard a rough voice,
"Santa don't cry,
This life is my choice;

I fight for freedom,
I don't ask for more,
My life is my god,
My country, my corps."

The soldier rolled over
And drifted to sleep,
I couldn't control it,
I continued to weep.

I kept watch for hours,
So silent and still
And we both shivered
From the cold night's chill.

I didn't want to leave
On that cold, dark, night,
This guardian of honor
So willing to fight.

Then the soldier rolled over,
With a voice soft and pure,
Whispered, "carry on Santa,
It's Christmas day, all is secure."

One look at my watch,
And I knew he was right.
"Merry Christmas my friend,
And to all a good night."