Solemnity of the Epiphany

The light of God has come to us
so that we might have salvation
From the darkness of our sins
we walk into glory with Christ Jesus

(The Light of Christ, Donald Fishel)

With the magi from the East, we have seen the star announcing the new King. Jesus said, “I have come into the world as a light so that no one who believes in me will continue to live in darkness” (Jn. 12:46). The guiding star was not merely meant to be gazed at. It was meant to be followed. If the glory of the Lord has been revealed to us, we need to revel in it with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our strength. The world’s light has appeared and we shall never be shrouded in darkness again. The apostle John reminds us, “God is light; in him, there is no darkness at all” (1 JN. 1:5). It is in his light that we see light (CF. Ps. 36:9). Basking in his light, we come to know the joy of being the children of God. We have come to understand how precious God’s loving kindness is and we should prefer to be nowhere else than close to the heart of God. I will share this homily with two interlocutors: Chris Tomlin and John Henry Newman.

Where You go, I’ll go
Where You stay, I’ll stay
When You move, I’ll move
I will follow

(I Will Follow, Chris Tomlin)

 The light of Christ has caught our attention. Like the magi, we must not be passive observers. The appearance of the star can excite our imagination. The fire of divine love can consume our hearts, moving us out of our comfort zones. As we plot our course by the movement of the star, we learn to trust God’s timing and follow his lead one step at a time. Today we celebrate God’s light, which illuminates our darkest paths. Like the magi, we acknowledge our limitations and press on to follow the light. Today we are reminded of our need for divine guidance, faith amid uncertainty, and abandonment to God’s will. The journey of the magi speaks to the deepest longings of our hearts and inspires our spiritual journey.

Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom
Lead thou me on;
The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead thou me on.
Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.

(John Henry Newman)

God leads us by his heavenly light. By that light, he brings us to the fullness of joy and peace. All we have to do is follow. When we follow the light of faith, we discover the way to our heavenly home where every tear will be wiped from our eyes and our joy will be complete. A new day has dawned on us. The darkness is pierced by the light of the Morning Star and the glory of the Lord fills the universe. The feast of the Epiphany reveals how Christ manifested himself to us not only as our God, not only as our Savior but also as our brother and companion. This feast celebrates God’s self-giving love and challenges us to come out of the darkness and reflect the fire of his love to others.

I will follow You

Who You Love, I’ll love
How You Serve I’ll serve
If this life I lose, I will follow You
I will follow You, yeah

In You, there’s life everlasting
In You, there’s freedom for my soul
In You, there’s joy, unending joy
And I will follow

(Chris Tomlin)

Having been grafted to the Morning Star through baptism, we are to manifest the light of Christ by doing the good works that God expects of us. We are to allow the light of Christ to shine, even in the darkest of nights. Having seen his star, the magi set out to find the newborn king. Like them, we are to seek and serve him in each person we meet. We must not forget that the light of Christ is stronger than any darkness. As we embrace his light and walk by it we will draw others to it. “We choose love, and love makes our hearts fervent and hopeful” (Pope Francis). Following the light together, we will enter our heavenly homeland where we shall make our own that for which Christ has made us his own (CF. Phil. 3:12).

So long thy power hath blessed me, sure it still
Will lead me on,
O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone;
And with the morn those angel faces smile,
Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile.

(John Henry Newman)