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Friday, 02 January 2009 17:02 |
 The feast of the Epiphany celebrates the revelation of Jesus as the Son of God who came to redeem all of humanity.
The word “epiphany” is from Greek and means a showing, a revelation, a manifestation. In the context of the Bible, the word usually refers to a dramatic communication of God’s power and presence. Examples of such epiphanies would be the rainbow after the flood as a sign to Noah (Genesis 9:13-16) or the burning bush for Moses (Exodus 3:1-6) or the parting of the Red Sea for the Israelites to escape slavery in Egypt (Exodus 14:16). Several epiphanies occur in the presence of Jesus. God’s power is revealed at Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River (Mark 1:9-11) and again at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8). All of these are awe-inspiring events in which God’s special intervention takes place; they are epiphanies.
The feast which we celebrate this weekend is what we normally refer to when we speak of the Epiphany. It is God’s greatest revelation: the sending of the Son as Savior and Redeemer. The story is told in St. Matthew’s account of the Gospel (the other Evangelists do not have this story) as Magi coming from the east bearing gifts for the newborn King. We have long assumed there were three Magi, because of the three gifts mentioned: gold, frankincense and myrrh; the Gospel account, however, gives no number.
The Magi represent “God-seekers” or people who make the search for God their top priority. The Gospel tells us they saw a star and came from the east following its path until the star “stopped over the place where the child was” (Mt. 2:9). As they pay homage, they offer gifts of gold in recognition of the child as King, frankincense to acknowledge him as God, and myrrh for the Anointed One. The fact that the Magi come from afar signifies that Christ offers salvation to all peoples, near and far.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 02 January 2009 17:26 )
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Wednesday, 31 December 2008 08:06 |
  As this year draws to a close and we all prepare to begin 2009, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart would like to wish you and your loved ones a very happy New Year. May God's healing and compassionate love fill your life and may we all continue our journey of molding our lives according to His will. May we each experience His peace and authentic hope in the face of any challenges that may arise, and may we be joyful of heart and gladly share in the joy of others.
New Year's is a time to take stock of our lives, to be thankful for the joys and opportunities we have had and to look for ways we can become more like Christ. Many of us will likely be resolving to lose the extra holiday pounds, but this year, we invite you to make a resolution to have a closer relationship with God and to be an instrument of His compassionate love. In case you're not sure where to start, below are a few ideas to get you thinking.
1. Learn more about your faith
The Catholic faith is rich, but many Catholics do not know what the Church's teaching on several issues is, or the reasons the Church has that teaching. This year, learn more about your faith by reading the Catechism, attending your parish's Scripture study or Why Catholic? classes and/or researching Catholic Social Teaching.
2. Volunteer
We are called to serve others. What we have we are given to share, including our time and talents. This year, resolve to volunteer on a regular basis, whether it is twice a week or once a month.
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