Father David Jenuwine: Epiphany @ St. Joan of Arc, Yountville

HOMILY - THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD
JANUARY 7, 2017
SUNDAY 10:30 AM ORDINARY FORM MASS

Today we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord – the great feast celebrating the manifestation of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.

In the Epiphany, we close the Christmas Season, and next week will be back in Green Vestments, reflecting what is called Ordinary Time.

It was November when we were last in Ordinary Time – and here, ordinary does not mean ‘routine,’ but perhaps would be better called ‘ordinal’ or ‘numbered’ – we left Ordinary time just before Thanksgiving, and pick it up in a week.

So, what has transpired?

We spent four weeks in Advent, preparing for the Three Comings of Christ: (1) His coming in the flesh at Christmas, (2) His coming to us in Word and Sacrament – most especially in the Eucharist, and (3) His coming at the end of time.

And for the past two weeks, we have celebrated Christmas.

The rest of the world, it would seem, is “out of order.” They began celebrating Christmas sometime around Hallowe’en, and for the past two weeks have been getting ready for various random Federal Holidays and perhaps Valentine’s Day.

The Epiphany elicits images of the Three Wise Men and their three gifts of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. Modern scholars dispute the actual number of wise men, whether they were kings, or wise, or even men; and many other sorts of minutiae … perhaps seeking to introduce some sort of ‘disorder’ into our hearts and minds and souls.

But whoever they were, the three gifts represent the first time that non-Jews recognized the coming of the Christ, as well as who He truly is.

Gold acknowledges that He is a king, even though He is born in a stable and lives a humble life.

Frankincense acknowledges that He is God – the rising of sweet-smelling smoke represents our prayers rising to God.

And Myrrh acknowledges that He has come to die – His sacrifice bringing order back to Creation after the disorder brought by the sin of our First Parents in the Garden of Eden.

Today’s feast has an even greater emphasis in the Eastern Churches.

Not only is Christ’s coming in the Flesh to the Gentiles – that is not only the Three Magi, but also ourselves as well – commemorated, but also His Baptism in the Jordan, and His First Miracle at the Wedding in Cana of Galilee.

Yesterday’s daily Mass reading, the Saturday at the end of Christmas season, was from St. John’s Gospel and reflects this miracle – or what St. John calls “the beginning of His signs” … the first of seven signs enumerated in St. John’s Gospel. In this reading, we hear the words of His Blessed Mother, Mary, who tells the servers, and we do well to heed Her words: “Do whatever He tells you.”

A call to heed the Voice of Christ in the Person of the Word made Flesh, but also in the Word of God – that is, in Sacred Scripture.
Today, we celebrate the feast of the Three Wise Men.

A call to heed Christ manifested in human Flesh – elevating human dignity to a higher place – within ourselves, in the assembled community, in our neighbor, and in a special way in the poor and needy.

And tomorrow, we will celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

A call to heed Christ manifested in the Sacraments. Our access to the Sacraments is only possible through Baptism, and once we are “in the door” so-to-speak, the highest point is our regular and worthy reception of Him in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar – the Holy Eucharist.

And so, with the East, we reflect upon the manifestations of Jesus Christ in the Flesh, in the Word, and in the Sacraments.

As we approach this altar to receive the Most Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ; let us pray for the grace to truly recognize Christ in each other, in the Sacred Word, and in the Church’s Sacramental life.

May we submit our hearts, and our minds, and our souls to Jesus Christ – our King, our God, and our Sacrifice – and call upon Him as our Savior … He Who alone can order our disordered world and bring order ot any disorder in our own lives.

Let us call out to Him to save us – Jesus Christ – Savior of the world!