One in the Lord

HOMILY: Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

Matthew 2:1-12

8 January 2023

Fr. Ricky Cañet Montañez, AA

Did you enjoy the Christmas Season? We can actually still greet one another Merry Christmas until…. tomorrow. Liturgically, the Christmas season ends on the feast of the Baptism of Our Lord.  Traditionally, other countries end their celebration of Christmas on the Feast of the Epiphany.  For them, the season begins on December 25 and ends on January 6. If you count that, it is exactly 12 days! I believe this is the basis for the famous Christmas Carol, the 12 Days of Christmas. They can be very strict about it.  One time, someone from the United Kingdom actually called my attention as to the date of the Epiphany Homily on my blog. He cheekily advised me to check with Pope Francis! For clarity, the customary feast of the Epiphany is the 6th of January, but for pastoral reasons, the Philippine Church celebrates it on a Sunday to emphasise the honour and just merit that it deserves as more people are able to attend mass on Sundays. 

The main characters in today’s Gospel story are the “wise men”. Who were they and where did they come from?  In the Greek text they are called magoi, which is usually rendered in English as “Magi”.  The Magi belong to a group or caste of scholars who were associated with the interpretation of dreams, Zoroastrianism, astrology and magic (hence the name ‘Magi’). In later Christian tradition they were called kings as evident in another Christmas carol usually sung for this feast. (We three kings of Orient are…) Biblically, this finds its influence in Psalm 72:10 (May the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts!), Isaiah 49:7 (Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves) and Isaiah 60:10 (Their kings shall minister to you).

We cannot know for sure that only three wise men paid homage to baby Jesus. There have been stories like the Fourth Wise man who brought Jewels but never made it to the manger. Who knows how many were actually present during that historic visit to the Christ-child. However, in the third-century, theologian Origen began the tradition of setting their number at three. Most likely because there were three kinds of gifts mentioned in the gospel passage — gold, frankincense and myrrh.  We know that they were from the East so you can imagine what their facial features may look like. It was only in the ninth century, that they were also given names – Caspar, Balthasar, and Melchior. Caspar has been depicted as a black man (a person of colour) and thus the Magi were understood to represent the whole non-Jewish, Gentile world. 

If we may recall, the prophecy of a Messianic Saviour was given to the Jewish people to give them hope of deliverance from oppression. The First Reading from Isaiah, speaks for the first time of the God of Israel being worshipped and acknowledged by even pagan nations like Sheba, Midian and Ephah. This hope for the God-sent saviour is now something everyone, not just Jews, can anticipate and benefit from. It is the Magi’s encounter with the baby Jesus, that clearly shows us that God’s light of salvation is given to all people of goodwill, Jew and non-Jew. The child Jesus belongs to and is given to the whole world as its Saviour.

All in all, today’s feast is telling us that for God there are no foreigners, no outsiders.  Christ’s birth provides us with a light that disperses the darkness and shadows that divide us.  Jesus lay the foundation for our adoption as the beloved children of God.  St. Paul in our Second Reading clearly states that “Gentiles are co-heirs, members of the same body [of Christ] and co-partners in the promise of Jesus”. We belong to one single family with one Father, “our” heavenly Father.  (Ephesians 3:6) We are all brothers and sisters to one another. In Christ, there is no “Chosen People”, whether they be Jews or Christians (or even Catholics). As such, we are also called to strive to recognise our commonalities and become close to each other.  We should not treat one another or make each other feel like an outsider to the family of God. All are called to God’s light of salvation, the rich and the poor, the privileged and the lonely, the healthy and the sick, both saints and sinners alike.

In the same light, we are asked not to alienate ourselves from others. If we are not careful, we, can make ourselves the “outsiders”.  Usually, we speak about the upper crust of society alienating themselves because they feel they are the elite and deserving of special treatment. However, the ordinary people can also be guilty of alienating others, especially when we choose to shy away because we assume no one will listen to us, value us, or pay attention to us. In that instance, we are making the divide greater and making others feel that we are not welcome in our humble circles. When we make someone else feel like an outsider in our families, our communities, by reason of their external difference, we do not embody the characteristics of a follower of Jesus. Following the example of Jesus, we should show love and respect to all. When we deny others of the love and respect they deserve as children of God we reject the traits of Christianity and make of ourselves an outsider to the family of God. 

On this Feast of the Epiphany, we are asked to rejoice in the generosity of God. He gave His Son to all, so that all may be saved.  In spite of all our differences, the love of God binds us together as one in Jesus. Let us strive to live in Christ’s light of inclusivity. Merry Christmas!