Aleteia logoAleteia logoAleteia
Thursday 28 March |
Holy Thursday of the Supper of the Lord
Aleteia logo
Spirituality
separateurCreated with Sketch.

Moving Toward the Light: Reflecting on the Sunday Gospel

shutterstock_334827182

Mastapiece | Shutterstock

Brother Silas Henderson, SDS - published on 01/03/16

What “star” in your life is helping you discover Christ anew this Christmas season?

Please consider a gift for Aleteia!
Help us spread the joy of Christ's victory.
Aleteia depends on your support.

Join our Lenten Campaign 2024.

DONATE NOW

Living the Word

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Epiphany

January 3, 2016

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? WE saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.”

—Matthew 2:1–2

To read this Sunday’s Mass readings, clickhere.

In his novel Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh tells the story of Charles Ryder and the Marchmain family. Near the end of the novel, Ryder has an awakening, an epiphany, as he watches the final act of faith of a man he presumed shared his ambivalence toward Catholicism. Despite himself, Ryder “felt the longing for a sign … the hand moved slowly down his breast, then to his shoulder, and Lord Marchmain made the sign of the cross. Then I knew the sign I had asked for was not a little thing, not a passing nod of recognition, and a phrase came back to me from my childhood of the veil of the temple being rent from top to bottom.”

In the ancient world, an epiphaneia was a visible manifestation of a god or the solemn visit of a secular ruler to the cities of his realm. The celebration of the Epiphany of the Lord brings together the quiet realizations of a Charles Ryder with the grandeur of a king’s visit. In this liturgy, we are not passively remembering the journey of the Magi — Epiphany is a dynamic feast celebrating the redemption that has been won for us through the incarnation of Christ.

While the visit of the Magi is an unmistakable sign that the salvation offered by the newborn King is for all times and peoples, monastic writers through the ages came to understand the Magi’s journey as a metaphor for conversion. Listening to the voice of the Lord, we move from the darkness of doubt and sin, entering into the light and freedom of the children of God (cf. Isaiah 60:1–6). As St. Bruno of Segni wrote, “We offer the Lord gold when we shine in his sight with the light of heavenly wisdom. We offer him frankincense when we send up pure prayer before him, and myrrh when, mortifying our flesh with its vices and passions by self-control, we carry the cross behind Jesus” (Sermon 1 on the Epiphany).

The star that guided the Magi still shines in the Gospel, which continues to guide us along our pilgrim way. The Church, and every person of faith, has been entrusted with that same light and we are called to carry that light into the dark places of the world in our prayer, words and acts of charity.

What “star” in your life is helping you discover Christ anew this Christmas season?

What gift do you have to offer to Christ in the poor, the sick, the lonely and those on the margins?

How is the witness of your life helping lead others to Christ?

Words of Wisdom: “How important it is that we Christians are faithful to our vocation! Every authentic believer is always traveling his own personal itinerary of faith, and at the same time, with the little light that he carries within himself, can and must be a help to those alongside him, and even help the one for whom finding the way that leads to Christ is difficult.”—Pope Benedict XVI

Silas S. Hendersoncurrently serves as the managing editor of Abbey Press Publications and Deacon Digest mgazine. He is the author of numerous reflections and books. He can be found atwww.fromseason2season.blogspot.com and www.facebook.com/SilasSHenderson.

Tags:
LiturgySunday Readings
Support Aleteia!

Enjoying your time on Aleteia?

Articles like these are sponsored free for every Catholic through the support of generous readers just like you.

Thanks to their partnership in our mission, we reach more than 20 million unique users per month!

Help us continue to bring the Gospel to people everywhere through uplifting and transformative Catholic news, stories, spirituality, and more.

Support Aleteia with a gift today!

jour1_V2.gif
Daily prayer
And today we celebrate...




Top 10
See More
Newsletter
Get Aleteia delivered to your inbox. Subscribe here.