Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The Deacon's Bench

Home
Catholic
Religion News
Homily for January 2, 2011: Epiphany of the Lord

Homily for January 2, 2011: Epiphany of the Lord

Last updated on: January 1, 2011 at 12:34 pm by Deacon Greg Kandra

Homily for January 2, 2011: Epiphany of the Lord 2011-01-01T12:34:03-05:00 Deacon Greg Kandra

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Several years ago, my wife’s sister came home one day to learn that her husband of 25 years no longer wanted to be married to her. To say it was a shock would be an understatement. It turned her world inside out. She ended up, like so many people today, going through a difficult and painful divorce.

But she told me at the time there was one song she kept playing over and over on her iPod. It helped put everything in perspective and, I think, it gave her hope.

The song was called “Unwritten,” by Natasha Bedingfield. It’s become very popular with gospel and school choirs, and you can understand why. The song really stands as a testament to resilience, and new beginnings – our ability and capability to begin anew every day.

The lyric reminds us:

“Today is where your book begins. The rest is still unwritten…”

Not a bad sentiment, I think, for the start of a new year. And I do think it speaks in a meaningful way to today’s feast, and the gospel we just heard.

For starters, there is much about the magi that is “unwritten.” We don’t know for certain that there were three. There may have been two or 20, for all we know. We don’t know where they came from or when, exactly, they visited the Christ child. It may have been a few days after he was born, or a few months. All we have, really, is the scripture account from Matthew that we just heard.

Any other details, I think, aren’t important.

What is important, and what makes this story matter for us here and now, is that they made the journey.

The magi left the land they knew, following a light, to a place of uncertainty, and discovered the savior of the world.

And it changed, literally, the direction of their lives.

As Matthew puts it: “They returned home by another way.” The old way of traveling would no longer work. They needed to follow a different path.

At a critical moment in their journey, they realized what the lyrics of that song say:

“Today is where your book begins. The rest is still unwritten.”

They needed to alter the story of their lives.

Fundamentally, the story of the Epiphany is about discovery – following a star to the source of salvation. The readings are overflowing with references to the light.

“Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem,” Isaiah cries out. “Your light has come. The glory of the Lord shines upon you.”

There is a sense of redemption and relief, of deliverance and hope.

Indeed, once the magi arrive in Bethlehem, they cannot contain themselves. As the gospel puts it: “They were overjoyed at seeing the star.” They had arrived at the source of all their yearning, and all the searching. They had found what they were looking for.

On one level, this is a story of how God is made manifest to the world.

But on another level, it also a story about making the journey, and changing direction.

It is about what happens to those who are searching, and who encounter Christ.

It is – whether we realize it or not — about a kind of conversion.

It is about finding another way of walking the journey of life.

A way that has been transformed by a star. By a light. By Jesus Christ himself.

During Holy Week, in 1941, Thomas Merton made his first trip to a Trappist monastery in Kentucky. And he wrote in his journal:

“I should tear out all the other pages of this book and all the other pages of everything else I ever wrote and begin here.”

Merton discovered, like so many through history, that he needed to change the story of his life – and take a different route. He ended up joining the Trappists several months later. He became, in time, one of the most widely read and influential voices in American Catholicism. He had a profound influence on my own life, and on my own vocation.

Like the magi, Thomas Merton had an encounter with God’s divine presence. Something spoke to him. And it changed him.

But what about us? Not all of us are called to be monks. But we are all called to conversion.

Are we open to changing the direction of our lives?

Are we willing to find our way by a different route?

Next week, we mark the feast of the baptism of the Lord, and after that we return to Ordinary Time. The season of Christmas will become a memory. We’ll write the thank you notes and take down the tree. We’ll toss the unused gift cards into a drawer and fold up the bright red sweaters until next year.

But the feast of the Epiphany asks us to do something else first.

It asks us to begin the journey.

It asks us to follow the light.

It asks us, like the magi, to bring our gifts to the Lord, to share them with him, to honor him, and to be open to whatever he may do with them.

It may very well mean traveling a different path.

It may mean revising the story of our lives.

“Today is where your book begins. The rest is still unwritten.”

Epiphany is an opportunity for us to ask ourselves how we want the story to go – and what direction we want to take.

epiphany

Homilies

nathasha bedingfield

Previous Post

January 1, 2011

Slaughter in Egypt: bomb kills Coptic Christians at mass

Next Post

January 1, 2011 "Today is where your book begins — the rest is still unwritten…"

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category "Mad Men" 9/11 advent All Things New Amazing video amazing videos amazon america Anglicans Anti-Catholicism art ascension thursday ash wednesday Atheists baltimore Bible Bishops Blogging bonnie engstrom Books bridgeport Brooklyn Chaplains children christian art christmas Church Churches CNEWA Converts criticism Deacons Death Penalty easter eastern christian Eastern Christians Ecumenism Education education Eucharist Europe euthanasia Evangelization Exorcism Family Feasts Gay rights Good Friday Great links Great Moments in Journalism Hanging with the saints heather renshaw Hispanic Catholics Hispanics History homelies Homilies Humor Hymn of the Week Immigration indianapolis Inspiration Interfaith news ireland Jesus Jews Journalism Judaism lent Liturgy logos Marriage Mary Media Medical news Mental health Middle East Monks Movies Music Muslims My world and welcome to it New Evangelization new york News Nuns Parenting Parish life peoria Persecution politics Politics Pope pope francis pope john paul Prayer Preaching Priests Pro-life Quote of the day radio rebecca frech ripp Ripped from the headlines rippred from the headlines Sacraments saints Scripture sex abuse Sex abuse crisis SEX ABUSE CRISIS TAGGED WITH: SEX ABUSE CRISIS The people in the pews the visitation project theatre This & that Thomas Merton Trappists TV Uncategorized uncategorized Vatican VATICAN vocation Vocations Voices & Views Women Worth a thousand words Writing Year of Faith year of mercy young people

Select a Month December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

True or False: Joshua made the sun stand still over Gibeon to give Israel more time to defeat their enemies.

Select your answer to see how you score.

TRUE FALSE

Books by This Author Books by Deacon Greg Kandra

See All Titles »