Today we have a wonderful feast! It is the feast of the manifestation of Jesus as the redeemer and savior of all men and women of every age and time. Though he came to the people of Israel, his mission was to all mankind.
Mankind was stumbling around in a terrible darkness - caused by the Original Sin of Adam and Eve. God turned out the lights for them when they mistrusted him and disobeyed a direct command. And the darkness was severe for eons! The resulting behavior of the children of Adam and Eve demonstrated just how treacherous the world had instantaneously become. No one was really sure of anything - and it was driving every one to distraction. It was driving everyone to all kinds of aberrant and disordered behavior.
The center of life mistakenly was thought to be mankind - with God pushed off to the farthest limits in most cases. Yet God, being God, insisted that he be placed in his proper position of FIRST! And so he devised a plan to reorder the disorder - to reconcile the wrong - to bring about healing and the restoration of light so that men and women could once again see for themselves what life truly is to be all about: giving glory and praise to God the Father - who provides for all of our needs! And so the LIGHT was born into the world - the WORD was the LIGHT - and the Word was made flesh - and they named him Jesus - because he would save his people, and all people from their sins - from the terrible darkness that sin brings!
Today we celebrate the LIGHT that shone over the place where he dwelt with Mary and Joseph - the light of the star which symbolized all of the hope that was now dawning on the earth! This child of Bethlehem would become great and powerful in a spiritual sense - and nothing would be the same! The Light of his Life would overcome all the darkness in the whole world - and we would never have to stumble around again - unless we wanted to!
What connects us to the light which is Christ is one very important and vital piece of spiritual reality: and that is: FAITH! Faith, an absolutely free gift from God, is given so that we can see by the Light of Christ! But we must choose to accept the faith! We must choose to use the faith! We must choose to put the faith into action - the loving action of service - or else it is not really faith at all - and it provides no relief for the darkness! FAITH IS FOR LIGHT! LIGHT IS FOR LIVING IN CHRIST! LIVING IN CHRIST IS TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF OTHERS - until we share an eternal banquet forever in our heavenly homeland!
Isaiah prophesied in the first reading that the LIGHT OF GOD would come to Jerusalem - and that one day the whole world - nation after nation - would walk by its light - the light of God, the light of faith, the light of love! When Christ was born the prophecy was fulfilled, and representatives from the Gentiles came to bring the newborn King their homage and their gifts of honor, respect and adoration!
St. Paul, in the second reading tells how he was called to bring the gospel message - the light of God’s truth - to all people - to Gentiles, everywhere!
Ignorance and darkness are now optional! Where before there was no choice, now there is choice - because Christ the Messiah broke the chains that held us bound in our stupidity and bleakness! And this is true for all people!
Lord, every nation on earth will adore you - and we accept our part to play in bringing your light to others - so that they can understand that they do not have to stumble in the darkness of ignorance! There are plain and simple explanations for everything - if we take to time to use the tools that Jesus gave us, and the information that he preserves for our use and our good in his holy Church!
Christ is the Light of the world! Christ is our Light! Let us bring him far and wide - strengthened and empowered by the Eucharist we partake of in this Mass!
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