If We Lose Sight of Jesus, We are Lost

Years ago, an artist painted a striking picture. It shows a single, solitary figure, rowing a boat at night across an endless sea of water. Off in the distance is a single, solitary star, shining in the night sky. The impression you get as you look at the picture is this: “If that boatman ever loses that star, he’s lost.” What the painting says about the star, we too, could say about Jesus: “If we ever lose sight of Jesus, the star, we are lost.” The star symbolizes hope and light. And the star can be compared to Jesus. Jesus is the  eternal light, hope and joy. We too, must be shining stars in the darkness of our world, pointing the way to Jesus.

Today we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany. The name “Epiphany” comes from the Greek word ‘Epiphania’, which means “to show, make known, or reveal.” The Feast of Epiphany commemorates the visit of the Magi as the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. It began when the wise Men from the East came to Bethlehem to pay their respect and offered their gifts to the newly born King of the Jews. The star revealed Jesus to the Magi and led them to Bethlehem. They found Jesus in the arms of his mother and, with gold, frankincense and myrrh, worshiped him as God and king of the Jews. Gold, frankincense and myrrh may be thought of as prophesying Jesus’ future. Gold was a gift for kings, accepting Jesus as the king of kings;  frankincense was offered to God in Temple worship to show the divinity of Jesus; and myrrh was used by the High Priest, both as anointing oil and to prepare  bodies for burial. That symbolizes humanity and the death of Jesus.

The gospel presents the visit of Magi and the response of Herod, priests and scribes. This encounter demonstrates three reactions to Jesus’ birth: hatred, indifference, and adoration. The first reaction is shown by the group of people, headed by Herod, who plan to destroy Jesus. The second reaction is found in another group, composed of priests and scribes, who ignore Jesus. The third reaction is that of the shepherds and the Magi, who adore Jesus and offer themselves to Him.

Among these three groups, let us ask ourselves who we belong to? I wish that we belong to the third group, composed of the shepherds and magi. This feast invites us to see ourselves as images of the Magi, a people on a journey to Christ. Those who were expecting a political Messiah for earthly profit failed to recognize when He really came, while those who put their eyes on heaven recognized Him even from far away seeing His star. Each day, Jesus, the light of the world, manifests himself to the whole world in the eucharist and in the praying community, because he said “wherever two or three people are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them”. We need to recognize the  presence of Jesus and focus our attention on Him.

Dear friends, God’s manifestations continue in the world today. Like the Magi, we must open our eyes and read the signs of nature. As the star pointed the way to Jesus for the Magi, so, we must point the way for our world. The    meeting with Jesus opened up a new horizon for them. They found a New Way and returned home on another way. Let us become the Stars, leading others to Jesus, as the star led the Magi to Jesus. It is through us, through our words and deeds, faith and devotion, Jesus is  manifesting again and again in this modern world.

May God bless you.

-Fr Johnson