Homily of the Day

To the Whole World

January 8th, 2012 by Food For Thought

First Reading: Is 60:1-6
Psalm: Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13
Second Reading: Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6
Gospel: Mt 2:1-12

Since the new millennium, the world has been described as a “global
village.” Advances in communications and information technology have
truly made the earth a small place. No country can be considered too
remote, no island can be considered too secluded. The physical
barriers imposed by distance have broken down, and we now find
ourselves in a small world indeed. With these new global links come
wealth and knowledge. Billions of dollars in transactions are carried
out every day in the major markets of the world, linked electronically
with one another. Data on almost any topic can be obtained with ease,
with just the click of a computer mouse.

Unfortunately, bridging the information and communications divide has
not readily translated into a more peaceful existence for the world.
Ethnic strife continues to cause wars and civil disturbance in many
countries. Religious intolerance still flourishes, hand in hand with
militant fundamentalism. Racial prejudice still abounds in even more
malevolent forms. It is ironic indeed that at a time when nations and
peoples can communicate as they have never done before, hate and
misunderstanding continues to hold sway in the hear ts and minds of
many.

Amidst these contradictions of the new millennium, perhaps the journey
of the magi can offer a valuable lesson. Sent by Herod to find a child
whom the king wanted ex terminated, these wise men traveled far and
wide. They were sent to fulfill a tyrant’s mission. They arrived at
the manger and were moved to adore the Christ child. They left
Bethlehem transformed by the wonder they had just beheld, and went on
their way emissaries of the goodwill that had changed them.

Epiphany celebrates the manifestation of Christ to the Gentile
peoples, to the whole world. The magi represent us, we who have been
graced enough to be encompassed by God’s loving plan of salvation. In
the arduous journey of the magi, we are invited to see as well the
journey of faith we are called to under take in accepting the gif t of
our faith. In the offerings of the wise men, we are called to see how
we too should give of ourselves in praising Jesus as our Lord and
Savior. And in the new path taken by the magi from Bethlehem, we
should see the directions we are called to change in our lives as we
allow Jesus’ message to vivify us.

And in this journey, there can be no shortcuts. Quite contrary to the
“instant” and “automatic” mindset that the wonders of technology
inculcate in our consciousness, we are called to dedicate the rest of
our lives to appreciating the great gif t of Jesus, the great gif t of
our faith. This entails patience, generosity, tolerance,
understanding, love, and all those values against which the world of
today seems to militate.

But if we are to persevere, the reward is great. It is the great
realization that we are truly “members of the same body and sharers of
the promise through the preaching of the Gospel.” Adoring Christ and
all that he represents, perhaps it is not hoping in vain that we, the
humanity housed in this “global village” of ours can still be truly
one world, one people.

With Jesus, we the people who have been groping in darkness have been
truly given a great light. In this great enterprise, it is Jesus
himself who shall be our beacon and guide, for as the prophet Isaiah
proclaims, “over us appears His glory.” May we be able to manifest
that glory to others, and to the whole world.

The Original Entourage

January 4th, 2012 by Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D.

Up until now, all has been quite humble. A donkey-ride to a dusty town south of Jerusalem. Hotel rooms all booked up. Giving birth in a stable and laying the baby in an animal’s feed trough instead of a cozy cradle.

Into this scene of obscure poverty suddenly bursts an exotic entourage from a far-off land. Dignitaries in dress uniform lavish the newborn with expensive gifts that seem out of place in the humble surroundings.

This event is so significant that it is accorded its own feast in the Roman liturgy, celebrated traditionally on Jan 6, immediately after the twelve days of Christmas. This solemn feast is called Epiphany, a word that means “manifestation” or “appearance.”

What seems to be no more than another crying baby of an indigent family for a brief moment “appears” as who He really is–the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. The gifts he is given, prophesied in Is 60:6, tell the story: gold fit for a king, incense for the worship of God, and myrrh, bitter yet precious, for the hero who will lay down his life for his people.

There are several important things to note about these prestigious visitors. They are Gentiles, not Jews. From the very beginning of his human existence, then, Jesus is clearly not just the Jewish messiah who has come to deliver the people of Israel from foreign oppression. No, he is the universal king, the ruler of all, who has come to tear down the hostile wall dividing Jew from Gentile, nation from nation.

If you’ve ever wondered what the word “Catholic” means, here we have it. Derived from Greek words meaning “according to the whole,” it means that Christ did not come to establish some local religious sect for a select few, one “cult” among many. No, the Church he founded is “Catholic” or universal, spread over the whole world, welcoming the whole human race into one nation, one family, under one King.

Something else about these illustrious visitors. As Gentiles, they are pagans. In fact the term “Magi” is clearly linked to the word “magic.” It was not in the Bible that they normally looked for wisdom (otherwise they would have known to go straight to Bethlehem). But in reward for their ardent though perhaps misguided search for truth, God led them to Christ anyhow, in His great mercy.

Ever since the days of Balaam, God has shown us that pagans can be mysteriously drawn to him and used by him, at times even through their own imperfect traditions of wisdom. If you go to the Sistine Chapel and study Michelangelo’s work, you can see evidence of this. Lining the top of one wall of the chapel are famous paintings of many of the Old Testament prophets. Opposite them are not New Testament apostles as one may expect. But rather, a row of the Sybils, the prophetesses of the ancient world, in whose oracles there were discovered shadowy allusions to a future savior-king. One of Michelangelo’s Sybils has her mouth agape with astonishment, her eyes fixed on the fresco of the risen Christ at the back of the chapel. Indeed, the deepest desires of all peoples, the elements of truth found in all their religions and philosophies, are fulfilled in Christ.

Does this mean that all religions are equal and that we should not impose our ideas upon others? Not at all. St. Justin said that there are “seeds of the Word” scattered throughout the world. But seeds are meant to sprout, grow, and bear fruit. Hearing the full gospel and partaking in all the means of grace are ordinarily needed to make that happen. All peoples of the world have a right to this “Catholic” fullness. And it is our obligation to share it. Paul VI said it well: “others may be able to be saved without hearing the gospel, but can we be saved if we neglect to preach it?”

This column was originally published in Our Sunday Visitor as a reflection on the scripture readings for the Feast of the Epiphany, cycles ABC (Is 60:1-6; Ps 72; Eph 3:2-3; 5-6; Mt 2:1-12), and is reproduced here by permission of the author.

Dr. D'Ambrosio studied under Avery Cardinal Dulles for his Ph.D. in historical theology and taught for many years at the University of Dallas. He now directs www.crossroadsinitiative.com, which offers Catholic resources for RCIA and adult and teen faith formation, with a special emphasis on the Eucharist, the Theology of the Body, the early Church Fathers, and the Sacrament of Confirmation.

(This article originally appeared in Our Sunday Visitor and is used by permission of the author.)