FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD C

-

 


THE GIFT THAT CAN’T BE BOUGHT

MT. 2: 1-12

 

 


 

I admire this lifestyle movement called “minimalism.” Before Christmas, I read one post from a proponent that said: “As you grow older, the Christmas list grows shorter. What you really want cannot be bought.” And that means, real gift is not in material things.

 

As we are in the Christmas season, we think of giving and receiving gifts. Some are happier to give than to receive. While others give in order that they too, might receive. At times, it hurts when after giving a lot, one does not receive anything in return.

 

It is true that, as the Gospel says, the Magi came with gifts, costly and prophetic gifts, for the Christ Child. But I think these were mere symbols of a more important gift each of them offered. The fact that they left behind their homes to follow a strange star, journeyed through vast expanse of land, and got entangled with the lunatic Herod. All these troubles signified that their gift was in fact, their very hearts.

 

However it is not true that the Magi started us on the practice of gift-giving. The word epiphany, manifestation, says it all. God started the process of laying out gifts. His gift was the revelation of his love in this tiny Baby who will be the world’s salvation. His gift was making human history a history of holiness because now his divinity has not only touched, but has started to dwell among men and women.

 

In Jesus, eternal life entered into daily life, and so our daily lives are a key to sharing in the joy and peace of God himself.

 

My cousins planned a different family reunion this year. Instead of the usual get-together over food, stories, and merriment, they envisioned the family as reaching out and touching the lives of the poor neighbors. At Christmas time, they gathered a hundred children from poor families to feed them, serve them, perform for them, and send them off with special gifts they can enjoy and share.

 

When we still view Christmas as a time to pamper ourselves (though this is not wrong in itself) only or to get what we desire or to add to our collection of material things, then our perspective is not yet mature. But when we begin to appreciate this season as an imitation of God’s generosity, of Jesus’ self-giving, then we have received the same gift the Magi received from the Lord. We find true joy and peace in knowing that we are instruments of God in making our small patch of earth a little experience of heaven.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

HOLY MASS IN FILIPINO (TAGALOG)

-
Image
ANG BANAL NA MISA PAMBUNGAD NA AWIT Pari:    Sa ngalan ng Ama, at ng anak, at ng Espiritu Santo. Bayan: Amen P.         Sumainyo ang Panginoon. B.        At sumainyo rin. P.         Mga kapatid, aminin nating ang ating mga kasalanan upang tayo’y maging marapat sa pagdiriwang ng banal na paghahaing ito.             Sinugong Tagapagpagaling sa mga nagsisisi,             Panginoon, kaawaan mo kami. B.        Panginoon, kaawaan mo kami. P.        Dumating na Tagapag-anyayang mga makasalana’y magsisi,             Kristo, kaawaan mo kami. B.         Kristo, kaawaan mo kami. P.         Nakaluklok ka sa kanan ng Diyos Ama para ipamagitan kami             Panginoon, kaawaan mo kami. B.         Panginoon, kaawaan mo kami. P.         Kaawaan tayo ng makapangyarihang Diyos,             Patawarin tayo sa ating mga kasalanan,             At patnubayan tayo sa buhay na walang hanggan. B.        Amen. GLORIA/ LUWALHATI
Read more

SIMBANG GABI DAY 1: READINGS AND REFLECTIONS

-
Image
FIRST DAY: DECEMBER 16   (from the book: Where is the Child?by Fr. R. Marcos (Makati: StPauls);  pls responsibly acknowledge source when using publicly)   fr tam nguyen's photo First Reading: Isaiah 56:1-3, 6-8   Thus says the Lord: Observe what is right, do what is just, for my salvation is about to come, my justice, about to be revealed.   Hay is the one who does this, whoever holds fast to it: Keeping the sabbath without profaning it, keeping one’s hand from doing any evil. The foreigner joined to the Lord should not say, “The Lord will surely exclude me from his people”; Nor should the eunuch say, “See, I am a dry tree.” And foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, to become his servants—All who keep the sabbath without profaning it and hold fast to my covenant, them I will bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will
Read more

SIMBANG GABI DAY 2: READINGS AND REFLECTIONS

-
Image
SECOND DAY: December 17   (from the book: Where is the Child?by Fr. R. Marcos (Makati: StPauls);  pls responsibly acknowledge source when using publicly)   fr tam nguyen's photo   First Reading: Genesis 49:2, 8-10   Jacob called his sons and said [to them]: “Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob, listen to Israel, your father. “You, Judah, shall your brothers praise—your hand on the neck of your enemies;the sons of your father shall bow down to you. Judah is a lion’s cub, you have grown up on prey, my son. He crouches, lies down like a lion, Like a lioness—who would dare rouse him? The scepter shall never depart from Judah, or the mace from between his feet, until tribute comes to him, and he receives the people’s obedience.”     A.             Short Background on the First Reading   1. Who was Judah? Judah was one of the twelve sons of Jacob (or Israel). Jacob was considered the father of the nation of Israel and his twelve sons were cons
Read more