GOD’S WORD FOR THE DAY (based on Catholic Liturgical Readings)
DATE: 8TH JANUARY 2017
SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD
FIRST READING: Isaiah 60:1-6
PSALM: Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13
SECOND READING: Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6
GOSPEL: Matthew 2:1-12
THEME: IN SEARCH OF TRUTH
I know of people who had so much faith in God but the moment they “acquired” a PhD in the field of academia, they lost, either partially or fully, their faith in God. These are people who tend to think that acquired human knowledge is at variance with the gift of faith. However, suffice it to quote two great scientists who discovered God in their fields of study:
Edgar Mitchell, an astronaut with Apollo 14 is quoted as saying, “When I went to the moon I was a pragmatist pilot. But when I saw the planet Earth floating in the vastness of space the presence of divinity became almost palpable and I knew that life in the universe was not just an accident”.
Louis Pasteur, an expert in the field of medicine states, “The more I study nature, the more I stand amazed at the work of the creator”.
Creation is an opened Scripture and wise people are able to discover the messiah and saviour of the world by observation and deep reflection.
In our Gospel text for today, we read that wise men from the east went to Jerusalem in search of the new-born king of the Jews. Why? In their field of study, they had discovered something quite unusual. They saw a particular star among the stars in the sky. In their words, “we observed his star at its rising, and have come to worship him” (Mt 2:2).
The pursuit of the wise men fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah who had spoken of a light that would shine upon Jerusalem and “then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD” (Isa 60:5-6).
From a theological perspective, these wise men from the east represent all those who do not belong to the House of Israel. In other words, God has given his Son not only to the House of Israel but to the whole human race. Therefore, you do not have to become a Jew before discovering Christ, you can find him wherever you are.
Inherent in the events and happenings of our lives are the “fingerprints” of God. However, just as it took wise men from the east to interpret the significance of the rising star, it takes wise people to interpret the signs of the times in their lives and subsequently find Jesus.
Look around you; look very deep and you would find the love of God being offered to you in the person of Jesus.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, may the light of your Spirit guide me to discover you in the events of today. Amen
Andrews Obeng, svd
DIVINE WORD MISSIONARIES
BIBLICAL PASTORAL MINISTRY
(Ghana Province)
“May the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief vanish before the light of the Word and the Spirit of grace. And may the heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all people” (St. Arnold Janssen).