The Pastor’s Thoughts — January 8, 2023, The Epiphany of the Lord

January 3, 2023 | By Bishop Roy E. Campbell, Jr.

“Now it has been revealed that the Gentiles are coheirs of the promise.”

“Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you.” The magi followed a star that led them to Bethlehem, to the splendor of Jerusalem, the Light of the world, the baby Jesus.

Astronomers have presented different theories throughout the centuries as to what type of celestial event “caused” the “star” that the magi followed. Was it an alignment of the planets Jupiter and Venus, or a super nova (exploding star) from a neighboring galaxy?

What happened was that God commanded the universe He created, whether to align planets or stars, to announce to the world that its Savior had been born. The Magi symbolized the coming of God to the Gentiles, God’s Epiphany (Revelation) to the whole world, in all its history.

The Epiphany of Christ to the magi is also about faith. The magi were court astrologers of kings, who studied the stars and knew of the Hebrew prophesy of the birth of a King, from the Old Testament. The light of the “star” led the Magi to the Light that had come into our world. The King that the Magi came to see is the Light that the darkness of the world will not overcome.

The reality of our Christian religion is that God reveals Himself to us. God comes to us; He makes Himself known to us in our humanity, in Jesus Christ. It is fundamental to Christian belief that God entered our human condition to be in close communion with us. From Adam and Eve until now, it is God who comes to search us out.

Epiphany tells us that God has decided to come to us where we are, as we are. We should be concerned with our vision of God. The Church wants us to see the Light of the World, to see things in God’s Light as He presents Himself to us in our lives.

Today, let us become the Magi who followed Bethlehem’s star to the birthplace of the Son of David. Today, let us renew once again our commitment to see God’s Light in our lives. Today, let us see God’s Light together, in His beloved Son, born as one of us to become one with us, so that we can become one in Him.

– Bishop Roy Campbell

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