Sunday Reflection with Canon Robin Gibbons: The Epiphany of the Lord

Jan 5th, 2025

January 5th 2025
A little More Light!

The unsettled state of affairs across the globe shows us how much more enlightened we as human persons have yet to become. Little did I think that in my latter years I would see, as others have done before, the ideals of democracy and an insistence of human rights challenged by despotic regimes and corrupt practice. In our present world some of the ideals of our own faith are challenged by political groups and unelected oligarchs, where morality seems subservient to the influence of big money.

There are other things too, our continual procrastination about climate change and environmental disaster, the ever-present spectre of war, but also the growing gap between rich and poor. Pope Francis in his New Year Angelus address, reminds us all about the meaning of the Jubilee Holy Year of Mercy in 2025. Declaring his firm 'no' to war, he called for the elimination of debt for poorer countries: "God is the first to forgive debts, as we always ask in the 'Our Father. The Jubilee calls us to translate this forgiveness into social terms so that no individual, family, or people is crushed by debt. I encourage leaders of nations with Christian traditions to set an example by cancelling or significantly reducing the debts of the poorest countries."

Is the Pope's voice the only one recalling us back to the way that Christ has lit up for us? I'm sure it is not, for still in our world there are seekers like the Magi we celebrate in this feast of the epiphany, who bring, like Pope Francis, a bit of that light and glory of the Word-made-flesh amongst-us!

An Epiphany of Light

In our second reading, from the letter to the Ephesians, Paul makes this incredible claim; "…it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.'' (Eph 3: 5,6.) Those two nouns, "coheirs and co-partners form the inspiration for our seeking and for our ministry as Christians . They are, if you like, part of our individual and collective mission statement, because they lay out the equality and worth of each person as coheirs , related to Christ our God through our adoption in baptism as members of his body, and then as the Lord's workers in the vineyard, bearers of the light by being copartners in the promise of Christ.

As we celebrate the Epiphany, we are called into Isaiah's visual hymn of light in our first reading. If we pick out the allusions to light in his Oracle, what does Isaiah give us? A call to rise up from darkness into splendour, to let the light and glory of the Lord shine on us, this so, that the community of the Church, like the heavenly Jerusalem, shines out radiantly on all peoples, helping them find their way in the darkness. This light is alive, enfolding all in its brightness, that they may find love as Isaiah says, in our heart that throbs and overflows with joy.

This is no idle boast, for the light of Christ can shine on others through ourselves, it is a radiance we do not necessarily see visually, but it is a dynamic inner light that illuminates the darkest heart, the areas of life caught up in sin. We are not to be afraid, but become ourselves an Epiphany of light, that is a manifestation of the presence of Christ, become those who help others realise just who Christ is! We too become and are the magi of our time and place.

To follow Christ our Morning Star

Whoever the Magi were, and however many they might have been, there are several values that they hand to us as our gifts. Luke in our gospel reading reminds us of that divine sign of the God, the star, which the magi saw as 'his' star in its rising, and understood by faith that it was a greater sign than simply a great luminary in the sky. They connect it with a king, a great ruler, even a divine one, to whom they come to make homage. So one value they hand over is an openness to the signs of the times, a reminder that God operates in all kinds of ways and one of these is the natural world.

Their second gift is of the virtue of truth, for they have an implicit honesty about their search. In front of `Herod they do not dissemble but explain things simply and clearly. It is Herod himself who then seeks religious advice about the prophecies of old and then seeks to dispose of threats to his authority. He is not an honest person, so orders the magi to search seek, find and then tell him so that he may make sure there are no other rivals to his power. This is an object lesson in general behaviour. Reminding us that we need discernment and care in dealing with others.

The third gift they hand over, is steadfastness, for they do not deviate from their purpose, they follow their star and when they find the place where it stays, they discover there the Christ Child is! Can we see ourselves in this pilgrimage of faith, open to the hints and guesses of God, calling to see Christ and meet him wherever we may be, trying like the magi to remain faithful to the proclamation of the `Good News and all that it involves.

But the magi have a fourth gift for us. It is two fold, it is the call for us to offer our gifts for the service and work of the Lord, but amongst those gifts may we become attentive to wasting our time with God, offering the frankincense of our own lives in the praise and thanksgiving of the Liturgy as well as in our alone times of prayer. The magi were attentive to the voice of God, in this case in their dream, and went back home by another way, helping the Christ child. May we too be like them and follow Christ our bright morning star!

Lectio Divina

Words of Pope Francis on opened the Holy Door of St Peter's Basilica before Mass on Christmas Eve, officially launching the Jubilee Year 2025.

"O Christ, bright star of the morning, incarnation of infinite love, long-awaited salvation, sole hope of the world, illumine our hearts with your radiant splendour,".

"In this season of grace and reconciliation grant that we may put our trust in your mercy alone and discover once more the way that leads to the Father," Fr "Open our souls to the working of the Holy Spirit, that he may soften the hardness of our hearts, that enemies may speak to each other again, adversaries may join hands, and peoples seek to meet together."

Jesus says: "I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."

Epiphany

Rejoicing,

Let us go

towards the New Jerusalem.

Not only following Christ our star

But navigating

By the radiant light

Of the Holy Ones

The magi and others

All the friends of God.

May we like the magi

Bring the only gift we have,