WONDER, WALK, & WORSHIP

Reflections on the Epiphany of the Lord: Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6; Matthew 2:1-12

Epiphany is a feast of “manifestation” or “revelation” (literal translation of the Greek term epifaniah έπιφάνεια). At Christmas, the birth of the Saviour was manifested to the shepherds in the outskirts of Bethlehem (Luke 2:17) and now at Epiphany, it is the turn of the ‘foreigners’ (the so-called pagans). Today’s feast has preserved the three wise men’s experience of this manifestation in and through symbols that have stood the test of time: the gifts, the camels, the fine garments, the manger, and the newborn. How do we share this experience today? The magi bring us three gifts too. Only this time it is not gold, frankincense, or myrrh but three special ingredients to help us personalize their epiphany experience and make it our own.

1. It all begins with Wonder:

What inspired the long journey of the learned Magi was a sense of wonder that kept them stargazing. The star of the newborn king that they witnessed rising was probably there for everyone to see. However, not many noticed. Not everyone was curious about it or inspired to pursue it. The magi, however, cared to look up at the sky, pause everything that they were doing, recognise and wonder about the extraordinariness of a sign, and venture to research its significance. Here is the first gift from the three wise men: Faith begins with a spirit of wonder, questioning and curiosity about signs and manifestations that not everyone succeeds in discerning though they are available to all. Do we care to stop, notice, and wonder about the signs that are strewn in our pilgrimage of life? Are we curious to count our blessings or think about the meaning of our life experiences? Do we search for God's manifestations in our skies? The three wise men's curiosity and discernment are complemented by their extensive knowledge of the stars and the scriptures. They decide to follow the star that drew their attention taking risks and searching for something that was beyond their comprehension. It is their spirit of wonder and questions about the star that helped them to understand its significance and initiated them into a process of faith. Without the spirit of wonder or the curiosity to pose questions, our faith becomes sterile, passive, and therefore inefficient. Questions about the signs that God sends our way help us enter the process of faith.

2. It is important to Walk:

The second secret ingredient of the Magi’s experience of God’s manifestation is the translation of their spirit of wonder to the commitment to walk. Pope Benedict XVI writes in Jesus of Nazareth (Infancy Narratives p.95), "The rationality of that message does not remain at the level of intellectual knowledge, but seeks understanding in its fulness, and so raises reason to its loftiest possibilities". The process of faith does not stop with formulating a few ideas about God or offering a few lip-service prayers that are not enough to nourish faith. Faith is a journey that involves a story of new and fascinating beginnings, challenging diversions, and life-changing discoveries. The faith journey of the magi took them beyond Jerusalem to Bethlehem, away from the King's palace into the cowshed of a rural village. They discover a stark contrast that will persist throughout the Gospel and Jesus' life. While God becomes a man in Bethlehem, a man in Jerusalem tries to make himself God. While a star shines brightly in the skies of Bethlehem, it disappears in Jerusalem. In Bethlehem, “great joy” reigns, while all of Jerusalem is greatly troubled along with its King. The process of faith does not advance if we choose to imprison ourselves in our false securities, confine faith to ritual devotions, or limit spirituality to church walls. The magi teach us that God’s manifestations inspire us to move from our Jerusalems to unexplored Bethlehems, from static to dynamic faith. This pilgrimage is not mapped out in advance and the destination does not appear in the ‘top-10 places to visit’ but the journey is as exciting as the destination.

3. Ultimately, it is all about Worship:

The wonder and walk of the magi leads them to their ultimate desire: adoration. “We have come to do him homage” (2:2), they tell Herod and “on entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt and paid him homage” (2:11). Like the shepherds and the magi, our faith journey ultimately leads us to prostrate ourselves before God and surrendering ourselves to His plans. Why do they bow? Because we can only approach God with humility and reverence. Venite Adoremus. Elizabeth of Trinity defines adoration as love that is overwhelmed by the beauty, strength and immense greatness of God. True and right worship is not about choosing the right songs, facing the altar or the people, or about celebrating the Eucharistic in Latin or Tamil. True worship is one that inspires to let oneself be overwhelmed, offer the best of us to God, and return to the tasks of our everyday life but “by another route”. Adoration transforms the magi from seekers to believers. Those who followed the star have now become the shining stars. They have now become God’s constellations that continue to show us the way. On this feast of the Epiphany, let us personalise these three gifts of the three wise men: let us wonder, walk, and worship!