JESUS IS THE LIGHT THAT ENLIGHTENS THE WHOLE WORLD

Homily for the Solemnity of Epiphany of the Lord, Year A

Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch

Scriptural Texts: Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6, Matthew 2:1-12

 

Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of Epiphany of the Lord. The term epiphany comes from the Greek epiphaneia, meaning “appearance” or “manifestation,” and it refers to the manifestation of Jesus Christ to the whole world (including the Gentiles) as represented by the Magi or the wise men from the East (Matthew 2:1-12). There is a great breadth and openness about this celebration. The Lord is given to all, to all who seek the light and truth in sincerity of heart. Thus, the visit of the wise men became the manifestation and revelation of Jesus as the Messiah of Israel, the Son of God and the Savior of the whole world.

At the center of the celebration of epiphany of the Lord is the story of a journey. In the gospel reading, Matthew tells the story of a journey made by the magi or astrologers from the East towards Judea in search of the new born king of the Jews. Their observation of the rising of a new star led them to believe that a new king of the Jews has been born. This is because there was a widespread belief in that world that the birth of new leaders was marked by unusual events in the heavens. As such, when the wise men saw a new star rising, they concluded that an infant king had been born among the Jews. They set out on a long journey to Jerusalem, the capital city of the Jews, to pay homage to their infant king and to offer him gifts.

On the course of that journey, the wise men were led by the light of a star. However, on their way, they encountered a real force of darkness in the person of King Herod and his advisors. Both the wise men and Herod were seekers but then, the aim was different. While the wise men sought Jesus in order to pay homage to him, Herod sought to see Jesus in order to extinguish the light. In our world today exist these two groups of seekers. Those who seek the good in order to share in its goodness and those who seek the good in order to destroy it. It is left for us to ascertain which group we belong to. Are you Herod or the wise men? In our own journey of faith, we too will encounter hostilities and forces of darkness that want to extinguish the light of our faith, but our consolation lies in the promise of Jesus that no matter how deep the darkness is, it can never overcome the light (John 1:5).

Like the wise men, we too are on a journey in search of love, truth, freedom, knowledge, light and above all, at this point in time in the history of our country Nigeria, we are in search of a good leader. Unlike the wise men who were led by the light of a small star in their own journey, as we embark in our own search, God has sent us a greater light, the light of his Son, Jesus, who said of himself, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’ (John 8:12). Let us therefore allow the guiding light of Jesus to lead us in our journey.

The three wise men were able to be led to their destination by the star simply because they kept their gaze on that particular star. They did not allow the presence of other stars in the sky make them lose sight of their guiding star. Like the wise men, we too should not allow the attractions and distractions of this world make us lose sight of our heavenly journey. At the beginning of this year, it is possible that we have set career, spiritual, and personal goals and made plans and decisions for ourselves. We have to keep our eyes on our goals and targets. Let us continue to follow the star. In other words, let us continue to pursue our goals and may Christ the light guide us.

Lastly, the symbolic gifts that the wise men offered Jesus- gold, frankincense and myrrh also offer us some lessons. Gold is the gift fit for a king; frankincense is for the temple worship fit for a priest; and myrrh is used to embalm the body of the dead. These gifts show that Jesus is the true King, the perfect High Priest, and the Savior of the world. There is this saying that nobody goes to see a new-born child empty-handed. Today, what gifts do you offer the Lord? Remember what David said: I cannot offer the Lord anything that costs me nothing (2 Samuel 24:24). We must offer the Lord an offering of the highest price: a heart that is humble and contrite (Psalm 51:17). An Epiphany, a revelation of God, calls for a humble response, a journeying out of ourselves towards a great light and a fuller truth.