EPIPHANY OF THE LORD, YR A
Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72;
Ephesians 3:2-3a,5-6; Matthew 2:1-12
MANIFESTATION OF THE GIFT OF UNITY
Today we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. The word “Epiphany” means manifestation or revelation. Today’s feast captures the journey of the wise men who followed the star to discover Jesus, the saviour of the world. This is special because these were people who were not part of the chosen people of God and not part of the promise but God in his mercy has also opened the door of salvation to them. On their journey, they did not only meet the Jewish saviour but God the saviour of the world.
Even though we celebrate different “manifestations or revelations” of the Lord in the season of Christmas, today’s celebration is especially significant because, through the discovery of the wise men, God has revealed or manifested himself as a saviour to all humanity. It is in this context, that Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (second reading) makes a significant impression.
Our second reading is from Ephesians 3:2-3a,5-6, but in chapter 2, Paul speaks about the Gentiles as those who were dead in sin but God made them alive again in Jesus Christ. For him, the division between Jews and Gentiles has been wiped out by God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For this reason, these two groups are no longer strangers but fellow citizens with the saints in the house of God.
He, Paul, was charged with the responsibility to bring this understanding to the Gentile people. He recognised that this mystery was not a result of his research or intelligence but the revelation of God. It was God who revealed the mystery of salvation and adoption even of Gentiles to him and he brought it to the people. The mystery is that they were no longer second-class citizens or members of the church but full members. They are not saved by “leftover grace” but by the fullness of the grace and power of God.
As you read this reflection, you should know that you are not a product of a “leftover grace” but you have been saved by the fullness of God’s power and grace. We must therefore seek God’s revelation and direction to understand the purpose of our lives and vocation. Many times, we seek to do things on our own, find meaning on our own and take the battle of our lives by our strength. If only we can seek the face of God, If only we can call on God to reveal the purpose and meaning of our lives, then can we understand life and live to the fullness of the life he has given us. Only then can we truly become a blessing to the world. Let us seek him like the wise men.
The most important concern for Paul was to point out the fact that Gentiles have also become full members of the church. There is no one or group of people in the church who either by their race, tribe or social status are greater or lesser than others in the church. We are equal because all of us were undeserving of God’s mercy but saved by the passion of his son. All of us are products of the saving action of Jesus. The grace that comes from the cross is powerful to save us through all generations. The love of God is so wide as to embrace each one of us with his warmth.
This common membership is the revelation that Paul receives that all are one in Christ Jesus. He describes this koinonia in three ways:
We are all co-heirs to the grace of salvation and redemption and the kingdom of God. An heir is a person who has the legal right of inheritance. Through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, all of us have a legal right to be called children of God and to the riches of the kingdom of God.
Secondly, we are also fellow members of the same body. All of us belong to the body of Christ with our differences and diversity. The diversity of gifts and experiences are gifts of the Holy Spirit so that “we who are many are one body in Christ, and individual members of one another” (Romans 12:5). We fall into error therefore when any group feel more important than others in the church.
Thirdly, we are all co-partners or fellow partakers of the promise of Christ. All the members of Christ are partakers of the promise of God to the Patriarchs. We have become part of the covenant between God and his people. The relationship is now a covenantal relationship to which the Lord has totally committed himself. This is what Jesus ratified and made permanent.
Through the covenant of the cross we have a permanent relationship with God. With Christ we have become his sons and daughters. For this, we have also received the Spirit of his son. This puts an obligation on all of us to work for the unity of the church and live lives of holiness and purity. This is the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
How many times have we not heard of fights and misunderstandings in the church along the lines of race and tribe? May the Lord who has guided the church all these years continue to do so. One of the greatest miracles of the Christian church is the harmony and unity in the gathering of people.
As we celebrate epiphany, we encounter not only the manifestation of Christ to the world but also the manifestation of the gift of one another and the beauty of diversity.
God bless you.
By Rev. Fr. Delight Arnold Carbonu
