The Epiphany: The Ultimate Road Trip
GPS (Global Positioning Satellites) and all of the other navigational technology of today would not have helped the magi find Jesus. But three pagan wise men, (Gentiles) Kaspar, Melchior and Balthasar, the three magi, following a great light in the East, the star of David found the true light, our Lord Jesus Christ. King Herod along with his chief priests and scribes never saw the light, so they never saw the true light of Jesus.
It was the ultimate road trip. The destination was unclear. Perhaps the joy would be found in the traveling. They journeyed in the dark, led by a star, a star that led them to the Light.
If we open our hearts grace will overcome us and call us to a great journey, a road trip if you will. We walk in darkness, not sure of where we will end up, but feeling a great deal of fulfillment just in the fact that we are traveling to the light. And this is our goal, to find the Lord…
We are all on the journey, the ultimate road trip. We are all called away from the hollow life, the life of a dead world. We are all called away from darkness. Our journey is not easy. It is there for our losing. We could sacrifice the journey. We could give up seeking the goal, seeking Jesus Christ. A goal so wonderful, so delightful, that nothing can ever replace it. Nothing can ever replace Him.
When we seek him, we are overwhelmed with Joy, the Joy of the Lord. One tradition calls the magi Kings. Another refers to them as wise men. When we join them on the journey of life, we are both. We are wise because we see the reality of Life with Jesus, and we are kings because we reign with Him in the Kingdom of God. His Life becomes our life. And His purpose becomes our purpose. He came to transform the world. We live for no reason other than to join Him in that Quest. We live for Jesus Christ. We live for the Kingdom.
The star that guided the magi to Bethlehem no longer shines in the night sky. Nor does Jesus dwell any longer on earth in human form, as He once did in Bethlehem.
His presence in human form ended with his ascension to heaven in His glorified human body.
Nevertheless, in a mystery of love, He continues to dwell among us and in us in His Mystical Body, the Church.
This means that we, the followers of Jesus must become the new stars, shining in the darkness of our world, pointing the way to Jesus.
And so, we find Saint Paul, writing to the Christians at Philippi:
You must shine…like stars lighting up the sky. Philippians 2:15
And before ascending to His Father, Jesus said to His followers in the Sermon on the Mount:
“You are the light of the world…Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5-14:16
The star that guided the magi to Bethlehem no longer shines in the night sky. Nor does Jesus dwell any longer on earth in human form, as He once did in Bethlehem. In the imagery of the magi story, how can we serve as stars pointing to Jesus?
We might think of it this way. Each time we forgive someone who has wronged us, a star lights up the darkness of our world and points the way to Jesus. For this is what Jesus teaches us to do, and gives us the grace to do it, if we open our hearts to Him.
Each time we take a stand for what we believe is true and good – even if it is unpopular – a star lights up the darkness of our world and points the way to Jesus.
Each time we reach out a hand to someone who needs it to help them or to hold them, a star lights up the darkness and points the way to Jesus.
Each time we choose the vision and values of Jesus over the vision and values of the world, a star lights up the darkness and points the way to Jesus.
The star that guided the magi to Bethlehem no longer shines in the night sky. But the good news of the feast of the Epiphany and the magi is that it reminds us that each one of us is called to serve as stars pointing the way to Jesus.
They call this feast the Epiphany, the showing of the Lord. When we walk away from the darkness, when we walk to the light and embrace Jesus Christ, the Lord is shown to us in every aspect of life. And we can be epiphanies, manifestations of His presence to others.