Epiphany 2013! - Part II

This moment is an “epiphany moment” – there is a sudden spiritual intuitive awareness, a flash of insight that God has come to more than the people of Israel – God is shining forth to all peoples – a “showing off” of God’s unconditional love of all people through the smile and laughter of a tender new born baby.

Now after they experience looking upon God’s face, there is a newer and deeper awareness of being welcomed, accepted, and loved.  They realize that their encounter with Jesus truly changes them and they now see life differently.  Could it be that their past efforts at searching constellations, charts, maps, wisdom figures, and robed rulers for knowing certainties will no longer give them what they truly desire?

God whispers to them in their dreams and warns them of the danger they will meet if they return to Herod.  Having been in the presence of God, they discover that they need to let go of old routes of travel and return home another way.  They leave with new inner knowing; they are filled with joy and awe and try to hold the meaning and mystery of this personal encounter with one who is beyond all galaxies, the Prince of Peace!

This feast reveals to us that for God there are no foreigners, no strangers, no aliens and no outsiders.  We all belong to our God no matter what external physical or cultural difference there may be between us; we all belong to God no matter what religious convictions or lifestyle differences there may be between us.  Our God is inclusive, unpredictable, imaginative, compassionate, creative, and an “infinitely incomprehensible holy mystery. . . "  This feast means that we are all called to be “epiphany people."  There is no turning back to “old routes” – just an on-going commitment to “shine forth” with courage, compassion, vision, and hope.

For reflection!
• What are the stars in our lives and to what is God calling us at this time?  Is there a star that beckons to lead us where we would choose not to go?
• Where does God want us to search for new Bethlehems and new Nazareths for our world so that we will discover how to live in right relationship with all creation, to dialog toward peacemaking, and to live in harmony with others, no matter under what faith constellation they live?
• Let us be grateful for the wise-women and wise-men in our lives who have been the star-gazers of truth, the whispers of compassion, forgiveness, and hope and who have brought to us their gift of a listening heart.