January 6, 2015
They came from the East. Who they were we do not know. History has assigned them names, but we do not know that Melchior, Balthasar and Gaspar were the three Magi.
What we do know is assigned to us by the Gospel writer Matthew. He tells us the story of people from the East – in other words Gentiles coming in search of the light which was for them shown by a star. We know from history that Herod was so worried by the birth of Jesus that he ordered the execution of every male in and near Jerusalem under the age of two. The historian Josephus tells us that. But what the Epiphany tells us is that Jesus was made known to the Gentiles. Clearly the Lord sent Jesus to what we know as the people of God. But the Epiphany takes it to the next step – Jesus came to save all of us.
I have always loved the feast of the Epiphany because I believe that it shows us as Paulist priests that we are called to help people find the light of Christ in the United States. That, I believe, is what makes us different from every other community of religious men in the Church. When Paulists gather together our major chat about what we do as we minister is to determine how we can continue to evangelize the American people in a way that will bring more of them to Christ in the Catholic Church.
At one time Paulists were very proud of the title that was given to us by others – ‘convert-makers.’ But the Second Vatican Council changed our willingness to claim that title when we realized the importance of ecumenical work in our day to day ministry. So we chose to reach out to those who were unchurched and alienated. Now that pattern is to reach out to those who are seekers and those who say when asked what is your religion answer: none. As a community the Paulists are aware that the religious needs of people do not remain static, in fact they often change dramatically from generation to generation.
Epiphany is a sign to us as Paulists that the mission of revealing Jesus to all the people in the world continues even today. Evangelization has always been a part of the Church’s mission and Pope Francis reminds us again and again of its importance today. Evangelization continues to be central to the mission of the Paulists, and Epiphany reminds us of how important evangelization is.
Join us in celebrating the great feast of evangelizers and have a happy Epiphany.