January 03, 2016
Epiphany
An “epiphany†is a manifestation or revelation. This is apparent in our scripture readings: God’s glory is revealed and our faith is deepened. Isaiah speaks to the Jewish people who are returning from exile in Babylon to Jerusalem. Once again the prophet assures them that God’s light will emanate from the Holy City. “Nations will walk by your light.†St. Paul in his letter to the Ephesians affirms a “mystery†that has been revealed. “Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.†St. Matthew tells the story of Wise Ones from the East, Magi, seeing “his star†and coming to pay homage to the hidden king in Bethlehem. Are there epiphanies in our lives when the invisible God seems more apparent and surprises us? We are inclined to look for the spectacular like the hotel fire and fireworks display in Dubai at the very beginning of the New Year. But Emmanuel (God with us) is more often concealed/revealed in more subtle ways. At Christmas we gave a gift to persons and families who were able to attend Mass. It is a book by Matthew Kelly: “Rediscover Jesus.†The opening prologue is entitled: “Are you Jesus?†The subtitle is “Our God is God of surprises.†Matthew Kelly tells a story:
It was the biggest meeting of Paul’s life, and it had gone well. He couldn’t wait to tell his wife and his boss. As he rushed out of the Brooklyn office building with the rest of the team, they noticed a vacant cab – a rare sight during rush hour. Eager to get to the airport to catch their flight home, they bolted toward the cab, yelling to get the driver’s attention. But as they made their way across the sidewalk, they inadvertently knocked over a small produce stand. The rest of the team seemed oblivious until Paul stopped and turned around to go back. From beside the taxi the others called out to Paul, “Come on. You’ll miss your flight.†“Go ahead without me,†Paul replied as he made his way back across the street toward the sidewalk covered with produce. At that moment, he realized that the woman who had been behind the produce stand was blind. She was standing there crying softly with tears running down her face. “It’s OK, it’s OK,†Paul said to her as he got down on his hands and knees and began picking up the fruit and vegetables. There were a hundred people passing in each direction, but nobody else stopping to help. They just scurried off to wherever they were going. When the fruit was all back up on the stand, Paul began neatly organizing it, setting aside anything that was spoiled. Now he turned to the woman and asked: “Are you OK?†She nodded through her tears. Then, reaching for his wallet, he took out some bills and passed them to the woman, saying, “This money should cover the damages.†With that, Paul turned and began to walk away. “Mister,†the woman called after him. Paul paused and turned around. “Are you Jesus?†“Oh no.†he replied. The woman nodded and continued, “I only ask because I prayed for Jesus to help me as I heard fruit falling all over the sidewalk.†Paul turned to leave again, only now his eyes began to fill with tears. For a long time he wandered around looking for a taxi. After finally finding one, he sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic all the way to the airport. He had missed his flight, and because it was Friday night, all the other flights were full. Paul spent the night in a hotel by the airport. This gave him time to think. He couldn’t get one question out of his head. When was the last time someone confused you for Jesus?
Previous:
Mary, Mother of God
Next:
2nd Sunday Ordinary Time
