Wise Guys Spirituality | January 3, 2016

January 3, 2016

Epiphany is one of my favorite days of the year because it is such a vivid story and it is packed full of morsels of spiritual food for us to ponder and live by.  The word epiphany means “a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.” Remember that the Magi were foreigners from the east with no background in the Jewish religion, but they were astronomers in tune with one of God’s most fascinating creations, the stars. I don’t know about you but there are two natural phenomena that immediately tattoo God’s existence onto my soul: the ocean and a starry night. The bigness of these two wonders pours over me like a long hug from someone that you haven’t seen in a while, or your first miraculous sip of hot coffee in the morning, or when you feel a dead loved one’s presence, or when you breathe in the fragrance of plumeria, or when your toes sink into warm sand on the beach, or when you hear your favorite person laugh. These wise guys were in love with the stars and one in particular had their undivided attention, so much so that they had to follow it.

Wise Guys Spirituality Lesson #1:

l    They were looking for the LIGHT. It’s really important that we look for God in all things. Light is everywhere, however, we can choose to focus on the shadows, the darkness, or the lack of light in our lives if we want to. That’s what free will is and God will never force us to see him. He is constantly trying to get our attention, yes, but he waits for us to find him, knowing that when we do find him, we will also find the light that we so desperately need in our lives. I don’t know what tools these wise guys had to scan the universe looking for light, but they obviously were experts and had been practicing for quite some time. God wants us to practice looking for light in everything, even in our darkest times. One small beam in the dark can dispel our fears and doubts and once we adjust our spiritual eyes to focus on that light, soon the room will radiate with a gentle glow that helps us to see that God is indeed working. I am usually very good at finding the light in my darkest times, however, right now I am in need of a refresher course and so it is fitting that the feast of Epiphany came a few days earlier than normal this year. I need to look for the LIGHT.

Wise Guys Spirituality Lesson #2:

l    They were overjoyed when they saw the LIGHT. When we discover God in the places where we look for Him, we should celebrate! Joy is one of the signs that God is working in your life and I’ve heard it said that it is the primordial fruit from which all other fruits of the Spirit flow. If we are in the light we will shine, and when we shine we overflow with joy. One of the things that I am told most often is that I radiate joy, most especially when I am sing, and even though sometimes I don’t “feel” happy, joy is something that resonates much deeper inside. So rejoice when you find the light!

Wise Guys Spirituality Lesson #3:

l    They followed the LIGHT. The star was so amazing that they felt the need to follow it. It’s one thing to gaze at someone from afar and another thing to be in a relationship with them. Once we find God, and rejoice that we have found Him, we need to engage in a relationship. Relationships are exciting and terrifying at the same time. Any deep and lasting relationship is going to go through some intense times of feast or famine, and because God is limitless, being in an intimate relationship may seem overwhelming, too mysterious, and like an imaginary friend at times. He uses our earthly friendships to mirror eternal love sometimes, but our earthly friendships will fall short. It is important to keep our eyes fixed on the light of His love that never fades or goes out, most especially when our worldly friends abandon us. To follow something means to keep walking toward or after it, so in times of abandon, put one foot in front of the other and walk toward the light. Easier said than done.

Wise Guys Spirituality Lesson #4:

l    They gave praise to God while under the LIGHT. Once they reached the star and stood under it’s mantle, they bowed down in adoration at the sight of the light. When we finally reach the light and stand in the presence of God’s workings, we should praise Him with all that we have. I love praying while prostrated in front of the Blessed Sacrament. It is the most humble position and it physically describes the posture of our souls in relation to God. Never have I ever not cried at an ordination when the men prostrate themselves before the altar. The wise guys prostrated themselves at the sight of Jesus and we should as well.

Wise Guys Spirituality Lesson #5:

l    They gave their gifts to God because of the LIGHT. Once we look for God, discover Him, rejoice in our discovery, enter into a relationship with Him, and praise Him with all that we have we will be compelled to give our gifts back to Him. Our gifts become more evident as our intimacy with God grows. Once we embrace our gifts, we will have no choice but to give them away, because the only value of a gift is when it is given away. Living in the light illuminates the things that we are to give. The wise guys were not stingy either. Their gifts were so valuable and Mary and Joseph could have lived on them for 3-4 years, which worked out pretty well when they had to flee to Egypt. We need to give our gifts away lavishly because they have been lavishly given to us.

Wise Guys Spirituality Lesson #6:

l    They went home a different way. Once we look for God, discover Him, rejoice in our discovery, enter into a relationship with Him, praise Him with all that we have, and give away our gifts lavishly, we will be transformed. The narrative says that they went home a different way and yes that means an alternate route literally, but it also means that they were different because of the experience. Light transforms a room depending on its nature, i.e. Candlelight, fluorescent light, daylight, etc. A relationship with Christ will also transform our hearts depending on the depth of it. Let’s be different this year because we have seen His light in our lives.

I know today’s reflection is a longer than usual, but hopefully an epiphany will illuminate something in each one of us so that we can look up and see that we are standing in the LIGHT.

The Epiphany of the Lord
Lectionary: 20

Reading 1 IS 60:1-6

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come,
the glory of the Lord shines upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth,
and thick clouds cover the peoples;
but upon you the LORD shines,
and over you appears his glory.
Nations shall walk by your light,
and kings by your shining radiance.
Raise your eyes and look about;
they all gather and come to you:
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.

Then you shall be radiant at what you see,
your heart shall throb and overflow,
for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,
the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.
Caravans of camels shall fill you,
dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;
all from Sheba shall come
bearing gold and frankincense,
and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm PS 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13

R. (cf. 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
All kings shall pay him homage,
all nations shall serve him.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Reading 2 EPH 3:2-3A, 5-6

Brothers and sisters:
You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace 
that was given to me for your benefit, 
namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.
It was not made known to people in other generations 
as 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.

Alleluia MT 2:2

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 2:1-12

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.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled, 
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, 
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, 
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly 
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word, 
that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, 
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures 
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, 
they departed for their country by another way.