January 5, 2014

Epiphany



          The magi are seeking Truth.  Am I seeking the Truth and finding it in Jesus Christ?  Does this Truth lead me to a greater humility?  What road am I on?  How deep have my travels been?  Read on as M. Rebecca opens up these questions further for us to ponder.  
                                                                                                                                                                                                
          At Christmas we had the image of four wise women.  One of them was St Catherine with her hands open and empty - ready to receive the Baby Jesus when he came into the world.  His joy and excitement was uncontainable as he was determined to be held and carried by Catherine.  Today we have the image of 3 wise men coming to the Baby Jesus with their hands full - carrying gifts for their newborn King.  We can continue the image of Jesus trying to wiggle out of Mary’s lap to receive, not just the gifts but more importantly, the magi themselves.  Their joy and excitement must have been uncontainable as they hoped to be received by the Jesus Christ.
            Tradition has it that the names of these 3 magi were Balthasar, Casper, and Melchior, but C K Chesterton said they could have just as easily been Plato, Pythagoras, and Confucius!  The 3 magi represent all those who seek Truth and desire wisdom.  The question is, can we be included as one of these magi?  What do we search for with energy, focus, and zeal?  It is a trickier question than first appears.  Do I really seek the naked Truth and all its challenges and paradoxes?  Or do I seek ‘my truth’ which can be “a cut and paste” version, conveniently tailored to my way of living.  If looking at Truth in the face, if seeing our God as a helpless infant, does not challenge me to better living…I may need to ponder again what it is I truly seek.