Sunday Gospel Reflection, January 4, 2026: You shall be radiant...

You shall be radiant...
 You are called to be light to the world,
right here, right now.
 Are you ready? 

   In our readings for the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, which we celebrate this Sunday, light is the guiding thread that takes us from one end of the Liturgy of the Word to the other. In the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, darkness covers the earth, a description that will come to mind at the death of Jesus, abandoned on the Cross; it also echoes the beginning of the Book of Genesis. For Israel, exile is a kind of darkness, for they have put their faith in other gods. But Isaiah’s prophecy says they will emerge from this darkness because God has called them to shine forth: Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance. Israel will be a beacon of light to the world, as God infuses God’s people with his light. 

   And if God is going to fill you with his light – grace – then you have a responsibility to let that light shine. Paul tells the Ephesians that they are stewards of God’s grace, and as such, it is their duty to enlighten those around them about grace, the experience of Christ present, living in them and they in him. The light that fills them must shine so that the mystery can unfold before the world, and all will be revealed before the world. All nations are called to unity, recognizing that God is the God of all: Lord, every nation on earth will adore you, Psalm 72 reminds us. Our job is to point to God’s marvelous justice, revealing it so that all might come to Christ. 

   Like the magi from the East in Matthew's Gospel, we are participants in a revelation: that the Gospel is for all, God’s love is for all. Having seen the Christ living among us, we are called to be that light shining for all in the darkness of non-belief, a guide to faith for those who have eradicated God from their lives. Overjoyed at seeing the star, we too are called to recognize that God is active in our midst. It is through those of us who have faith that God will shine; we are his ministers, bringing the grace God has placed in us to others, doing homage to the Christ child as we tell the world of the revelation of our Savior, God-with-us, Emmanuel. 

This “vintage” post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture Class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com

Sunday Gospel Reflection, January 5, 2025: Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you...

Raise your eyes and look about;
they all gather and come to you…
Who can be saved? 

    When Isaiah prophesies about the return of the people of Israel from exile in Babylon, God promises future prosperity, with Jerusalem as the focal point of the known world: Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance… They all gather and come to you… Indeed, Isaiah says, many will come from all the corners of the known world to pay homage to the God of Israel: Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; all from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the Lord. God, whose power is over all peoples, is himself is the light that shines upon Jerusalem. A similar theme echoes in Psalm 72, written to foreground the Israelite king, the representative of God on earth: All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him. All the world is thus called to worship the God of Israel. But can all be saved? 

    Matthew’s Gospel reminds us that Jesus’ coming was for all; salvation is universal. The magi from the east demonstrate that Gentiles are coming to faith without the traditions the Jewish people had. The Jewish people had dealing with God and a history of prophecy predicting the coming of a messiah; the Gentile kings come with pure faith and no doubts in order to offer gifts – treasures, including gold, frankincense and myrrh – to show the depth of their hope. Gentiles are thus to come to understand that there is a place for them in God’s kingdom – salvation is indeed for all – while the Jewish Christians are told that they must make room for all comers, for Jesus died for all humankind. 

    God desires to gather all of his creatures into his kingdom. It is the role of every baptized person, Paul tells the Ephesians, as stewards of God’s grace, to share that grace with all. We too are thus called to be caretakers of the grace we received through baptism, welcoming all into the light that is the Lord! 

This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com

Sunday Gospel Reflection, January 7, 2024: Upon you the Lord shines!

Upon you the Lord shines!

Are you ready to reveal God’s light to our world? 

    As the people of Israel reach the end of their exile in Babylon, the Lord sends the prophet Isaiah to raise their spirits: Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come; the glory of the Lord shines upon you! God is bringing the people back to their home blanketed with his light, with his splendor, with his glory, that they might be beacons of light, a veritable revelation, so that all the world might be drawn to the God of Israel: nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance. They are now a people of light, rather than a people of darkness, and will be radiant, so much so that their heart shall throb and overflow in praise of the Lord. Psalm 72 reminds us that the king himself is called to remain open to revelation, that he might be filled with judgment, that justice and peace might fill the earth. In all of these examples, God is at work, from the greatest kings to the poor and the afflicted. All will bask in his light and, in turn, become a revelation of his goodness to the world. 

    In Matthew’s Gospel, another light reveals what has been hidden in darkness: the star the magi had seen at its rising had preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. Having seen the star, the magi now journey to see the glory of the Lord revealed in the birth of Jesus, and their joy confirms the divine revelation. The gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh offered by the magi recognize the divinity of the child, but also his coming ministry and eventual death. Only the Jewish puppet king Herod rejects the revelation, even as he secretly fears it might be true, and the magi prudently depart for their country by another way. To reveal the child’s whereabouts to Herod would lead directly to disaster; Herod is not yet open to God’s revelation. 

    Paul will recognize, in his Letter to the Ephesians, that a mystery was made known to him by revelation, not, this time, the mystery of the birth of the Messiah, but rather the true extent of his kingdom: it has now been revealed, Paul says, that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus. Thanks to the light that shines through Christ, and, through his Body, unto our world, God is still at work, and the activity of the Holy Spirit is manifest when all can share in the blessings through union with Christ in his Body. The Incarnation – a revelation of the depths of God’s love – is meant to alter our vision, for we too have seen a great light. But has it? The magis’ journey is our journey… our journey to see the Lord, our light, active in our lives, a lifelong voyage to the unknown, but one ever illuminated by his light, the Light of the World, for all. It can only shine brightly if we allow it to do so, through our lives and through our love. 

Image source: www.wordclouds.com

Sunday Gospel Reflection, January 2, 2022: We saw his star at its rising...

We saw his star at its rising…

What draws you to Christ?

   We are naturally drawn to light. Isaiah encourages the people of Israel to look forward to a time after their return to Jerusalem when that city will serve as a source of light for others: Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance. This light comes from God; its purpose is twofold: first, so that the people of Israel themselves see the glory of God and all that God reveals; and second, so that other nations see the glory of God revealed in the Jerusalem’s prosperity. The people’s hearts shall throb and overflow with the light that is God’s very presence, a light that will draw all, even kings, to God. For the power of God is at work in kings as much as in the people themselves, as Psalm 72 reminds us: kings shall judge your people with justice, thanks to the gift of the light of wisdom, a revelation from God.

   Matthew’s Gospel makes it clear that the light of revelation is not given only to the Jewish people: magi from the east come to Bethlehem to seek the newborn king of the Jews. They are of pagan origin, yet they see the light of the star, and receive and follow the revelation from God, an epiphany that leads them to Jesus. The light affords them clearer vision to see and participate in the good news of Christ. In his Letter to the Ephesians, Paul will echo Matthew’s understanding that the message of salvation is for all humankind: the mystery was made known to me by revelation that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise. Paul sees Gentiles hearing the Word and responding to it; God shows no partiality or exclusivity.

   We don’t fully understand God’s will or God’s kingdom in its complete form; mystery remains attached to God’s plan. Christ himself is that plan, a plan that is still unfolding because we do not yet have the light to see and understand Christ in his fullness. But the light of salvation draws us to Jesus just as surely as it drew the magi. Let us watch for our star and do him homage, recognizing the great gift that is ours, the gift of salvation revealed for all.

This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com

Sunday Gospel Reflection, January 5, 2020: Where is the newborn king of the Jews?

Where is the newborn king of the Jews?

How is God revealed to us?

  When the people at last return from exile, the prophet Isaiah tells them, Jerusalem will be blessed with prosperity:  the glory of the Lord will shine upon her, and she will be radiant at all she sees.  The riches of the sea, the wealth of nations, caravans of camels from around the world:  all will reveal God’s blessing conferred upon the people of Israel.  Here, God is revealed as a light radiating out from God’s people, drawing other nations to Jerusalem, and therefore to God.  This vision is confirmed in Psalm 72:  Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.  God is revealed in the justice of the king God has set to rule over his people Israel.  All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him, thereby serving God.

  A light over Jerusalem will similarly draw magi from the east to that city to witness, yet again, God revealed to God’s people, this time in the person of Jesus.  Matthew's Gospel tells us that gifted with insight into the ways of science and of the stars, the magi hold a special wisdom; not only do they find the star at its rising, they follow it in order to do homage to the newborn king of the Jews.  They are moved by faith, open to God’s revelation, traveling great distances to witness the ruler who is to shepherd Israel.  Like the kings of Tarshish, Arabia and Seba in Psalm 72, the magi offer gifts as homage to God’s justice incarnate upon the earth.

  God’s mysteries, as St. Paul tells the Ephesians, are made known to us by revelation – and not just to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, but to all the world, Gentiles and Jews alike.  All nations, all peoples are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise, if only they, and we, like the magi, move by faith toward the Christ revealed in our midst.

This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.

Image source:  www.wordclouds.com

Sunday Gospel Reflection, January 6, 2019: We saw his star at its rising...

We saw his star at its rising…

What is God trying to reveal to you?

   Have you ever had an epiphany?  In Biblical terms, the word epiphany is synonymous with revelation, a moment when God calls us to a new vision, a new way of seeing what God has revealed. 

   Imagine you are sitting in darkness and a light is suddenly turned on.  What happens?  This is what it is like for the people of Israel in the Book of Isaiah:  your light has come, God tells them.  In the darkness that surrounds them, only upon Jerusalem does God’s light shine.  Their return from exile will cause them to be radiant, emanating light by which kings will flock to the city, bringing tribute, as in Psalm 72. But first, the people of Israel must open their own eyes, so they can see what God is revealing both to them and through them, which is no less than the glory of the Lord itself.

   In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus will be revealed to the magi from the east by means of a star; though the magi are not Jews, they are overjoyed at seeing the star, and their new vision prompts them to journey to Bethlehem by the light of that very star to do homage to the newborn king of the Jews. St. Paul will speak of a similar revelation in his Letter to the Ephesians, calling it the mystery that was made known to me by revelation, namely, that God has brought light to the hearts of all humankind, Gentiles and Jews alike.  All will have the same vision to live from, the same vision in Christ who dwells within them all… so long as all open their hearts to God, so long as all open their eyes to the revelation that is theirs.

   We don’t embrace new visions easily.  Often, our eyes are shut even when a light is on – so we can’t see properly.  Are we aware of what barriers or divisions we hold onto that keep us from embracing the world?   God’s kingdom is built on the connection of all people, not on division.  So long as division exists, so long as we cannot let go of the darkness, how can we proclaim Christ as a light to dispel the darkness within us?  God wants nothing more than that his love be revealed; we need to embrace God’s vision, that we might be that revelation to the world.

This post is based on Fr. Pat’s homily for the Feast of the Epiphany in 2016.

Image source:  www.wordclouds.com