EPIPHANY OF THE LORD 24

EPIPHANY (07 JAN, Sun), BAPTISM (08 JAN, Tues) 2024 EPIPHANY 2024: 07 JANUARY, SUNDAY: ISAIAH 60. 1-6; EPH 3. 2-6; MATTHEW 2. 1-12 Focus: Reveals and Saves! Indicative: God reveals Himself to all beyond the chosen people or confined territory. Thereby, He makes it abundantly clear that His grace is all-embracing   1.      Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany. Epiphany means “manifestation”. The Festivity of Epiphany, also popularly known as the Feast of Three Kings (Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar), celebrates the revelation of God in His Son as human in Jesus Christ. The six Sundays which follow Epiphany are known as the time of manifestation. 2.      God reveals His Son already to Mary and Joseph and the shepherds. But that manifestation is not limited only to them, or only to those moments, or confined only to Bethlehem. Thus God born in a manger manifests Himself to the three kings or wise men from far away. 3.      God who is beyond all space and time, God whom no space or time can confine or contain, Himself traversed from heaven to earth, not for a tiny place or a short moment.  His grace and salvation are universal, for all, for all times. 4.      Salvation embraces all and always. While the Incarnation is the first instance of divine manifestation, the visitation of the three kings becomes the second instance of divine manifestation. 5.      This is the first point to understand and believe on the day of Epiphany: God’s grace is unconditioned. It has no boundaries or discriminations. His grace is open and manifested to all. How unfortunate it is that some try to put blocks or restrictions even to God’s grace and salvation! 6.      What an irony it is, that we who are limited, try to limit the limitless grace of God! How often many try to choke, suffocate and stifle God’s grace, owing to money, power, position, status, and prestige! 7.      As God manifests His plan of salvation, in His Son, He awaits a response from the human part. The three kings by their visit, respond to this manifestation. This visit as a response is marked by some essential features: 1) They earnestly obtain knowledge about him - his birth, his location, his nature, through all available sources, like science and scriptures 2) They yearn profoundly to see him directly 3) They set out on an engaging journey in search of him 4) They trust and rely on help from above, in the form of a star 5) They allow themselves to be guided by the star 6) They travel far and difficult 7) They reach the Saviour 8) They humble themselves before the mighty God, in surrender and adoration 9) They offer gifts, symbolic of his nature – Gold, representing Jesus’ royal standing (royalty), Frankincense, his divine birth (divinity), and Myrrh, his mortality (humanity)   8.      Today, for us, who celebrate this Feast, the message and the invitation are too clear: First of all, be convinced of the all-embrace of God’s grace. Never put boundaries to grace, neither for self nor for others. “The wind blows where it wills”. God wants to grace to all. And everyone needs God’s grace and salvation. 9.      Grace cannot be discriminated against or manipulated, based on human divisions or calculations, or prejudices. We have to go beyond the barriers of space and time, to meet the Lord who is beyond space and time. We have to enlarge our mental horizons to receive the salvation which is for all. 10.  Then, follow the example of the three kings, and travel the same route of responding to God’s epiphany and encountering Him. Some simple reflections and questions: 1) How much do we try to know about Him, gaining more knowledge and familiarity, through science and scripture, through many sources that are readily available at our disposal? How little is the interest and knowledge of God, in contrast to the immense interest and knowledge of the secular world? 2) How shallow and thin-layered is our desire and longing to see Him directly and personally? Often it is due to a lack of motivation that we fail to see and experience Him. As long as we are bound by indifference and tepidity, we cannot go beyond our self-bounds to the unbounded Lord who abounds in love and mercy. 3) Do we set out constantly in search of Him to find Him? Are we consistent and persistent in our efforts to discover His will and His plans, in action for our good? 4) Are we too confident, over-reliant, and complacent, on account of our own human capacities and worldly resources, that we neglect to rely on the help and “signs from above” – the star? 5) Are we humble and docile enough to allow ourselves to be guided by God’s signs and ways? 6) How is our journey of faith and charity? Are we ready, prepared, and persevering to continue our travel, though far and difficult? 7) How many occasions and experiences can we really count, to acclaim sincerely that we reached the Saviour, that we are in his presence, that we encounter him? 8) How often our pride and arrogance makes us “stiff and erect” that we are not able to bend before the Lord in surrender and adoration? True adoration is not so much a bowed head, but a bent heart, not a lowered body, but a humble spirit. 9) What are our gifts to the Lord? – Is it the Gold of our loyalty to his royalty? Is it the Frankincense of our surrender to his divinity? Is it the Myrrh of our amiability before the ineffable affability of his humanity?   (Reflection 2) Focus: God reveals! Indicative: God revealed Himself in many different ways in the course of history. But when the fullness of time had come, He had revealed Himself in and through His own Son, Jesus Christ   1.      Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. Epiphany comes from the Greek word that means “to reveal”. It is the day of God’s revelation. In fact, on the day of Christmas itself, God reveals Himself in His Incarnate Son as the Saviour. 2.      But Epiphany marks a special and unique day of God’s revelation. It is on that day the three kings or magi or wise men from the East come and pay homage to him. Thus, God reveals and manifests His divine glory to the whole universe symbolised by the three magi. 3.      Epiphany as God’s revelation indicates that God’s salvation through the Incarnation of His Son is open to all. It does not exclude or discriminate against anyone. Though He is born in a particular place and at a particular time, His grace is not limited, conditioned, or restricted. 4.      In this sense, Epiphany is a strong caution against all the exclusive, discriminatory and sectarian tendencies and attempts to promote and perpetuate divisions, discriminations, hatred, and hostility, in the name of God and religion. 5.      God is not a “private property” of anyone. His grace is for all. His revelation and manifestation cannot be “domesticated” or “barricaded”. Religion is not a prohibited territory where God is safely protected or bound! 6.      Thus, Epiphany is a clarion call against all senseless religious fanaticism and communal violence. It is absurd that some frenzy and highly inflated people claim themselves to be “religious” and act irreligiously. 7.      They degenerate into inhuman cruelty inflicting untold violence on others. They install themselves as self-appointed and self-proclaimed ‘saviours’ and ‘protectors’ of God Himself. Who makes them petty “gods” over God Himself? 8.      In fact, God’s revelation has not yet reached and touched these people. In the name of disclosing God to others, they are only closing God’s grace. These are exactly like King Herod in the gospel. When he hears about the birth of the Messiah, he is disturbed and agitated. He regards the newborn king of hearts as a threat to his throne. He plots evil to terminate the incarnate God. 9.      In contrast, today this celebration of Epiphany invites us to think and act like the three magi. They were truly wise. They see in him the Saviour and Liberator of the world. They long to encounter him personally. 10.  They use human resources like intelligence, knowledge, scriptures, astronomy, et cetera to discern and discover his presence. Their spirit of yearning, search, and determination is such that they undertake a challenging journey. 11.  They are also docile to accept God’s “special assistance” in the form of a star. God’s ways are so caring that the star guides them to the incarnate Saviour. Commendable is their humility and surrender that they kneel before the Lord and pay homage to him. 12.  Their human effort was richly rewarded. They could encounter the Saviour of the world. It was a rare grace and privilege that was not granted to many around him itself.   Imperative: Like the three wise men, we are also called to constantly journey toward God in a spirit of search and surrender.  Only such a spirit would lead us to a personal encounter and loyalty to God   BAPTISM OF THE LORD 2024 (08 JANUARY, Tuesday):  ISAIAH 42. 1-4, 6-7; ACTS 10. 34-38; MARK 1.7-11   Focus: Baptised and Commissioned! Indicative: The baptism of Jesus is an indication of the identity and mission of Jesus. Thus, it is also a confirmation of the same The Baptism of the Lord outlines four aspects: 1) Indicates the radical mission of Jesus 2) Such a mission is rooted in his communion with the Father 3) Initiates his mission 4) Reminds our own baptismal consecration and mission   1.      The event of the baptism of Jesus indicates his “radical mission”, which is a mission of salvation or redemption. Originally, in the Biblical context, saviour or redeemer connotes the idea of one who acts on behalf of or in favour of someone in slavery or in debt, or who is a victim of injustice. 2.      Accordingly, a redeemer renders justice by winning over the opponent or relieving or liberating, with a ransom. In fact, the English term “redeem” evidently means to “make one deemed again”, or to restore the lost dignity. Thus, Jesus undertakes this mission of salvation or redemption from a situation of misery and bondage. 3.      So, Jesus’ mission implies an unending story of God’s mercy and compassion toward humanity, which is a victim and slave of sin. It implies his condescending forgiveness of their sins. Further, it also indicates their liberation. This is done through his identification with them, his solidarity with them, and his expiation for them by self-immolation. 4.      Now, how this mission is denoted by his baptism? Baptism was needed for those who are beset by sin, who need conversion, forgiveness, and purification. But, Jesus, the Son of God, did not need to be baptised, because he is sinless. 5.      But still, he allows himself to be baptised because he keeps himself in our place, he carries our burden of sin, he shares our human weakness, and he gets into solidarity with us in our human situation of fragility. 6.      His baptism confirms his communion with the Father, in which his mission is rooted. The obvious signs and testimonies of this communion are: the descent of the Holy Spirit, and the attestation of the Father from heaven, “You are my Son, in whom I am well pleased”. 7.      Jesus’ baptism initiates his “concrete mission”, which manifests itself in preaching and healing. This is a holistic mission, viz. of heart, word, and deed, namely, conversion of heart, announcing the good news in word, and healing in deed. His baptism marks the beginning of his ministry. So, on receiving baptism, Jesus immediately plunges into his relentless Kingdom-mission. 8.      Jesus’ baptism reminds us of our own baptism and challenges us to renew and live our baptismal consecration. Our baptism is not merely a ritual or a tradition. It is an insertion into the very life of Jesus. 9.      It is incorporation into the mystical body of Christ, the community of the Church. It is an imitation and resemblance of Christ. It is consecration to God. This can imply four aspects: We belong to God; we are totally owned/possessed by God; we remain loyal to God and His kingdom; we bear witness to Jesus and his values, through sharing in his own mission. 10.  What does the baptism of Jesus mean for us today? Is it only a commemoration of a past event in the life of Jesus or the history of the church? Is it only an instance that marks the start of Jesus’ mission? How does this feast summon us to “be daily baptised”, i.e. be charged and animated by the Holy Spirit and fire? 11.  How do we constantly strive to grow into the person and life of our Master? How do we grow into spiritual and fraternal communion with the community of the Church? How are we loyal and committed partakers and perpetuators of the same mission of Jesus, which is liberation and integration?   (Reflection 2) Thrust: Chosen and committed! Indicative: The feast of the Baptism of the Lord indicates on one hand his commitment to the mission of our salvation and on the other hand our own commitment to live our baptismal consecration 1.      Today Jesus is baptised. It is not a mere traditional ritual. It is symbolic. It symbolizes three essential aspects: the purification of sins; Insertion into the chosen fold; and initiation into the mission of repentance and conversion. 2.       “You are my beloved Son; with you, I am well pleased”. Firstly, this indicates and confirms Jesus’ identity. Secondly, it indicates the kind of relationship with his Father. He is the beloved Son of the Father. There is an intimate and pleasant relationship between them. 3.       All the above-mentioned 3 aspects are clear in Jesus’ baptism. Though sinless, he allows himself to be baptized. Thereby he symbolises our own purification. In our place, he humbles himself, to be counted one among us, the sinful lot. Thus, his baptism shows the utmost need for our purification, the cleansing from sin. 4.       His baptism shows that he inserts himself in the chosen fold of God’s people. His baptism incorporates him into our human family. He makes himself a willing sharer in our human reality, especially our sin-infection and the struggle for liberation from it. 5.       His baptism is the starting point, the launching pad for his mission. His getting into the water for baptism is getting into the waters of the mission. His being baptized is being sent on the mission of cleansing by repentance and conversion. The voice from heaven affirming Jesus’ belonging to the Father is conferring His Spirit for the God-sent mission. 6.       All that is spoken in the first reading and the second very much applies to him. Jesus Christ is the chosen one, well-pleasing to God. God is with him. He is anointed with the Spirit and power. His mission is a mission of justice. 7.       There is no partiality but fairness and equity. It is a mission of being a Covenant of the Lord, Light, and Restoration of sight to the blind and Freedom to the prisoners and captives. 8.       Baptism of the Lord also reminds us of our own vocation and mission. it makes us aware of what we are and what we are to do. We are chosen. He formed us. He grasped us by the hand. He upholds us. He puts His Spirit upon us. Such is our closeness. 9.       But that does not stop or end there. All this is directed to a mission. We are set as a covenant. We are appointed as a light for the nations. We are sent to liberate the people from their different enslavements. Thus all this is to establish the reign of Justice and Liberation.   Imperative: We need to live our baptism. It is not merely to recollect the ritual. It is to re-live our baptismal consecration, that is to repent, be converted and transform many others