Dear Parishioners of Our Lady of Mercy,
Happy New Year!
Some two weeks ago, we celebrated with great joy the birthday of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It was a festive occasion as we celebrated the coming of the promised Messiah who redeems us from the bondage of sin. We did well in preparing for that celebration by purifying our hearts and our lives through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. That was the best way to ready the way for the coming of the Lord.
Our joyous celebration continues today on this Feast of the Epiphany, the day when the Lord was revealed to the nations, that is, to us. We heard in the gospel that through the guidance of the star, the Magi found and saw the child, our Savior Jesus Christ. They were overjoyed at seeing him and “they prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”
Brothers and sisters, there is a lot to consider in that gospel passage. But I would like to particularly point out one thing, namely, the humility of the Magi. (By the way, the Magi, are also known as the “wise men” or kings. Thus, this feast is also called the Feast of the Three Kings.)
We do well to notice how they humbled themselves in front of the baby Jesus. They really knew (after studying and waiting for Him) that this child was the King of kings, the Messiah, the Son of God. They disregarded their status and prostrated themselves to pay Him due honor and reverence.
We should stop for a moment and examine our lives, our conscience. We should ask ourselves how we are treating Jesus. Do we really pay homage to Him? Do we look for Him in the first place? When we are before Him, do we bring Him our best gift or treasure?
The best New Year’s resolution we might make would be to look at our life’s journey and see where we are in our relationship with God. If we really look at that relationship, we will see that it is connected with our love of neighbor, our love for our brothers and sisters. We cannot love God without loving the people around us.
If we have done well, let us keep doing so. If we have not done so well, it is not too late yet to straighten up our relationship with the Lord. There is always room for change. We need to be humble to admit failures and sins and to ask for God’s forgiveness. He is loving, merciful and forgiving.
My prayer for us all is that we may shine as children of the light. May we be filled with zeal to help one another until we are all in the kingdom of heaven with our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen!
Love,
Father Marty