Remember this - The “Light” is not our own - The minute you think it is - It goes out

Today the Universal Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord….Three kings from the east followed a star, which lead them to a new way of life…..History is not clear who these three Kings were but at the root of their being, they were seekers, no different then we are today…They were searching for something deeper, which brought them understanding as to who they really were, where they came from and where they were destined to be for all eternity…Again, no different then we are 2000 years after the fact….The Gospel today at Mass tells us that after these three kings encountered Christ they were for ever changed…..”They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way”………When one has an authentic encounter with the divine as these three did, you are never the same, life changes…….These men began their journey one way and returned home another way…….Have we had such an encounter with the divine?…..Have we been impacted by God in such a way that we can no longer live the same life we had before that encounter?…..This is what our evangelical brothers and sisters would call, “Being born again”…..As Catholics at our Baptism we are transformed into a “new creation”, however as adults we must make a decision to personalize our Catholic faith - To make our Catholic faith our own…..This is the most important decision of ones life and the choice we make will guide every other decision we make going forth from it…..Like the three kings, who encountered Christ and…”departed for their country by another way”….The question becomes for us today - Were you changed?…..Because whatever you don’t change - You choose. What will you choose today?

“We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage”

I know a priest who went to Brown University, an Ivy League School as many know…My friend John was the oldest of seven sons and his father was a lawyer…He was given all the gifts to achieve great things after he graduated from college…..But before John entered the world, he decided to commit one year of service to the people of Appalachia. For those who do not know, Appalachia is one of the poorest regions of the United States. John was a good Catholic and was very smart…He also was a big young man and thought he “knew it all”….When he got to the town in Appalachia, somewhere in Kentucky, his first task was to help this family fix their front porch…John was confident he could do it but as he progressed in his assigned task, he began to encounter some difficulties….As this happened the father of the poor family, who was not Catholic offered to help John…John refused the help and continued to get frustrated - Remember, John “knew it all”……This father just watched John and had a gentle smile on his face the entire time…John continued to curse and grumble as the porch remained a mess…And the man from Appalachia just continued to watch him and smile, he seemed to not have a care in the world…Finally John threw his tools on the ground and shouted at the man…”Why are you smiling?…..This is your porch and its a mess”…….The poor man responded…”I am smiling because I know Jesus”….John said back to him…”I know him too, I was raised Catholic, went to many good schools, I gave a year of my life to serve the poor - I know Jesus too!”……..The poor man said back to John - “You know about Jesus - But you don’t know him”…….John went home that night and thought about what the man said…And began to cry! - This is a true story…..There is a big difference between “knowing about Jesus” - And “knowing Jesus”……This is similar to what happen to these three kings in our gospel story from Mass…They were kings and probably very smart men, like John in my story who had an Ivy League college degree…However, these three kings did not “know” Jesus, until they saw him with Mary and Joseph….This encounter changed everything for them….So back to our story about John, the poor man from Appalachia and the broken porch…John finally was able to fix the porch and completed his year of service in Appalachia….After the year was finished…John was a changed man…So much so, he entered the seminary and became a priest….John with his fancy Ivy League college degree was “blind” and went to Appalachia only to encountered a poor man who “opened” his eyes……Like the three kings, John “went back to his country by another way”

“Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage"

Like the three kings, my friend John encountered something larger than himself and that encountered changed him forever - What about you?…In the first reading from Mass today, the Prophet Isaiah tells us…..”Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance”…The entire world and all of the people in it, whether they realize it or not are searching for this “Light”….And when we make ourself available to it, God will give it to us….So the question is - How do we make ourself available to such a “Light”….The answer - We must empty ourself - God can not fill us with the Holy Spirit if we are “full of ourself”…..Like my friend John - He was so “full of himself”….An Ivy League graduate - He thought he knew it all!….But John figured it out…And so must we!……This “Light” spoken about by the Prophet Isaiah draws people in……It changes people - Its the only thing that changes people!…..People believe what they see and if you acquire this “Light”….You too will be changed and in turn you will “Light” the way for others…..”Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you…….Then you shall be radiant at what you see”…..But remember this - The “Light” is not our own - The minute you think it is - It goes out