Paul's Reflections 4th January, 2009 Epiphany - B

4th January, 2009      Epiphany - B

 

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At the turn of the new Millenium…..    Just minutes before midnight on new year's eve, DECEMBER 31^ST 1999, in london's Millennium dome,  2 young people stepped forward and began to sing a beautiful new hymn written by John Tavener, called " A New Beginning "…..

 

They sang…..

Let there be peace among all people, O Lord..

Let there be forgiveness for past wrongs..

And from this time on, a new beginning, O Lord….  "

 

What a wonderful way to see out the old millennium out, and the new one in…….   what a wonderful way to see the new year out…., and pray the new year in….. (That year and EVERY year)… including now…. in fact, now more than ever……..  

 

This is our prayer too…..

 

Homily for the Feast of the Epiphany (4/01/2008)

It is  fitting to think of this feast of the Epiphany … the revelation of Jesus as ruler of all the earth and all nations.

 

We, more than ever, can acknowledge that we belong to a global community.. and that the needs and concerns of our sisters and brothers in all places, especially those poor and struggling nations, those areas crushed under violence, war, and/ or poverty and injustice…….are our concerns too… Today we celebrate that Jesus came for all people; to form us into one family in God.

 

That’s the other wonderful thing about the feast of the Epiphany… its really the celebration of all the gentile nations….   us included… that we too…. although not ones of the chosen people of Israel, to whom God’s covenant was originally sealed…..  but now… that covenant and that invitation is for all people of all nations and cultures… for all times….. we are all invited to be part of one big family of God…….    so in a real sense … this feast is the celebration and thanksgiving for the gift of all converts…..    all people who have accepted the invitation to be part of God’s family from far and wide….

 

we think with grateful hearts of the many converts to our own faith and our own church community…..   so many who have converted later in life to the catholic faith who have been an enormous and priceless gift to our communities……  we give thanks for them and their contribution.. the gift of themselves and their experiences and involvement…….   

 

In the gospel today, the wise men are attracted to Bethlehem by a royal  star…. Matthew's gospel then says…. "When the wise men saw that the star had stopped over the place where the child was, they were overwhelmed with joy.

 

That line strikes me….

On coming upon the place were the "King of all time lay",.,,  they were overtaken by joy and delight… 

 

Jesus is the source of true and lasting joy…. He brings us the message of lasting peace….

 

It made me stop and ask myself…. When was the last time I was overwhelmed with joy?……. 

 

Or as the writer c.s. Lewis called it… "Surprised by Joy.' 

 

… It's important to have a remembering heart…  for all the big and small blessings that come with each day….

 

…..    There are some wonderful psalms in the bible that really capture this idea……  and I like them so much….   like…….   the line   “in the morning Lord, let me know your love……..    or …….like psalm 30 says…. 

"at night there are tears, but joy comes with dawn." That wonderful feeling of waking up and a new day (a new year) has dawned.. and feeling positive, hopeful, peaceful! Perhaps even waking every so often with a momentary sense of God's all-loving (wordless)…….presence and care -- that surrounds us always.

 

I have mentioned this before, but I do feel this is so important……………I wonder if we might consider getting a prayer journal… just a simple blank pad of paper or a booklet… where we can write down our joys and prayers… to remind us of all the daily moments of grace that we might otherwise forget… to sustain us on our journey, and encourage us in the dry times…

 

let’s Forget about the gifts brought by the wise men… lets keep our own gift register…. A prayer journal remembering the many gifts God brings us!

 

 

 

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REFERENCES:

 

<![if !supportLists]>·          <![endif]>FR. PAUL W. KELLY

<![if !supportLists]>·          <![endif]>Monastery of Christ in the Desert. Abbot’s homily.

 

 

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