Sunday, January 5, 2025

This weekend we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany, the
manifestation of Jesus as the Messiah to the whole world through the three Magi.  His manifestation to the Jewish people was through the shepherds.
 
In a homily resource I use from a Fr. Tony Kadavil, I found the following:
 
In 1895, Henry van Dyke wrote the story, “The Other Wise Man," telling of a fourth wise man called Artaban. Our hero is not mentioned in the Gospel because he missed the caravan. He got to Bethlehem too late to see the Baby Jesus. But Artaban did make it in time, using one of his gifts for the newborn King, to save one of the Holy Innocents by bribing a soldier. For 33 years Artaban searched for Jesus. He did not find Jesus, but all the while the fourth wise man used the precious gifts he had brought for the King to feed the hungry and help the poor. Then one day in Jerusalem Artaban saw the "King of the Jews" being crucified. He started to offer his last gift for the King, a great pearl, to the soldiers as ransom for Him. But then he saw a girl being sold into slavery to pay family debts. Artaban gave his pearl to buy freedom for the girl. Suddenly the earth quaked as Jesus died on the cross and a stone struck Artaban. Dying, he heard a Voice saying: "When you helped the least of my children, you helped me. Meet me in Heaven!" Artaban, the fourth Wise Man, had been making God present in his community for years by helping others. God asks each of us on the feast of Epiphany to be a fourth Wise Man by becoming God’s epiphanies, making His love present in the world around us by our acts of love and kindness.
 
God has given us many precious gifts of time, treasure, and talent.  We are called to use these to manifest His love and concern to the world around us. How are we doing?  How can we do better?  A good reflection at the beginning of a new year.  May 2025 be a happy and healthy one for you and your family, as you share God’s gifts with those around you. God bless.
 
Church sign of the week: The meaning of life is to find your gifts. The purpose of life is to give them away.