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January 3, 2021There is nothing like the sight of a Christmas tree dumped by the curb, to dull the joy of this season. All too quickly, valentine cards are now on full display in every local drug and grocery store. It is tempting even as Christians, to wrap up our sentiments of good cheer and peace on earth with the decorations. But with the feast of Epiphany, we welcome the magi, those mysterious figures from the East who pose their question to each of us: “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?”
The newborn king was not where the magi expected him to be, neither did Herod or the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The child was not to be found in a palace or among royalty. They had to go outside the city and travel further, to an out-of-the-way place, guided by the light of a star. And there they found him, in a humble setting with only his mother Mary and Joseph her husband.
Scripture tells us that the “newborn king of the Jews,” came into a world that had no room for him, who did not recognize him as such when he began his public ministry and would reject him by hanging him on a cross. But for those of us who have humbly welcomed him into our lives as king and good shepherd, his light continues to shine through us into a world darkened by ignorance, sin and now, pestilence.
In his recent book entitled: “Let us dream: The Path to a Better Future,” Pope Francis comments on the health care workers who have responded so heroically to the sick and dying during the pandemic. These men and women, he writes, are “antibodies to the virus of indifference. They remind us that our lives are a gift, and we grow by giving of ourselves, not preserving ourselves but losing ourselves in service.”
How are we to continue to celebrate the Christmas season on this feast of Epiphany? What gift do we bring to the Christ child? We celebrate this day by offering our faith and good works so as to become “antibodies to the virus of indifference.” Through the brightness of holy loves, the “newborn king of the Jews” is among us now, like a star shining brightly in the darkness guiding those who still seek him.