In my homily for Christmas, I invited the listeners to employ a form of prayer called contemplation. This Ignatian prayer exercise is to use your imagination to deepen your appreciation of a Gospel passage. So, using the nativity scene, in an effort to draw closer to the Christ child, we imagined standing next to Mary and asking her why she placed her son in the animals' manger. Did she think he was some kind of food? In her gentle, way Mary replied "yes." Mary's yes is ever a powerful statement of faith. Her son is indeed food for us who desire to draw closer to God. We are hungry for faith, hope, and love. Hopefully that's why you came to church today ... to become closer to God - to be fed by His body and blood, so as to increase faith, hope and love.
Now on this feast of the Epiphany, the nativity story widens to include foreigners who also hunger. You will notice our newly added figures to the crèche. Three magi, Gentiles, visitors from the east approach the crib. They draw closer to the Holy Family and feed on the Light of life, having been guided by the light of a star.
The wise men also teach us a lesson about our faithful response once we are fed: that is, to feed others. As the magi brought gifts for the child, so too we bring our own unique gifts to those in need. Each gift they bear represents a way that we can put faith, hope, and love into action. For example, to bring "gold" to someone is to affirm her value. To defend the value of human life, or to compliment the value of those you work with. You'll notice the figure of the king nearest the child has removed his own crown, as a sign of respect and reverence to the Other. The closer we come to God, the more we value of human life and more often humble ourselves before the poor and vulnerable.
To bring frankincense is to offer sincere prayers that rise to God. The aroma of prayer is a powerful force among believers. Each time you assure someone that you will pray for them or their intentions, your prayers rise like incense (see Psalm 141). What a great gift to give someone when we add a name to our prayer list.
The food of God also helps us to give away the gift of myrrh, which is a healing ointment. How might you use the "ointment" of a kind word or action so as to heal a relationship? A smile, a hearty laugh, or a healing touch may be a great gift to help ease a tense situation or offer a sincere apology. To offer the words "I'm sorry" is to gift another with the myrrh of forgiveness. What a royal gift to bring to someone in the new year.
The feast of the Epiphany reveals how life changes for the better when we draw closer to the light of Christ. May 2017 be brighter and lighter as we draw closer to Jesus in the Eucharist, Who is true Bread for true Life.
Rev. Patrick Fairbanks, SJ, Pastor