“Maintaining the desire of God in our hearts, and allowing the Lord to outline His Plan to us, through the little things of life, so that we can have an Epiphany Experience!”

(Based on the Epiphany of the Lord)

A Parish priest was taking a group of his catechism children to a church, which was known to be a pilgrimage centre.

The children were very much excited seeing the new church…
… which was particularly famous for its glass paintings.

As they kids moved around the church, little Peter – all of 6 years and the smallest one of the group – suddenly gazed at a large glass painting and shouted:
“Wow! There is the Cross of Christ!

Do you see what I see?”

Seeing his excitement, the others also gathered to see the Glass Painting.
But they could see nothing of the Cross!

To them, the glass painting resembled only a jumbled mass of confusion

It was a modernistic glass picture composed of a maze of colours and shapes – sophisticated and abstract

But little Peter kept shouting: “Do you see what I see?”

The others kept nodding their heads in negation.

But Peter went on: “Can’t you see him? It’s Jesus hanging on the cross.”

The priest finally said: “Little Peter… maybe we are all blind.

Could you please… help us to see what you see?”

With all excitement, with his little finger, through the maze of shapes and colours…
… Peter outlined the Cross as he kept saying: “Do you see what I see?”

And then… like an Epiphany, they all saw JESUS…
… His Face
… His Arms outstretched on the Cross

As the image began to appear more clear!

And then with astonishment, the priest looking at little Peter and then the Cross of Christ, exclaimed: “This… is… Epiphany!”

When one longs with a great desire and looks with a clear intent, then we have the Epiphany of God!

Yes, the Lord makes Himself known to the one who desires and longs – sincerely, honestly and faithfully!

It is this deep desire and the wonderful manifestation of the Lord that we celebrate today, in the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord.

The word “Epiphany,” means…
… appearance or manifestation or showing forth.

It is from the Greek word “Epiphaneia”

It refers to the first appearance of Jesus to the Gentiles.

This Feast of the Epiphany drives home a powerful message…
… and gives pointers to experience true joy and happiness in life.

The Magi teach us some vital clues towards finding the “Joy in Life”…

1. WHAT do we seek?

The Magi from the East had just one purpose in their long journey: to meet the New Born King and pay Him homage and worship. (Mt 2:2)

(This was also in fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah: “And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising!” – Isa 60:3)

This single focus and dedication…
… Impelled them to move forward with determination
… Inspired them to overcome all hurdles
… Infused them with a hope that would taken them through their deep desire.

What about us?

What do we seek in life?

Is it for the Lord and His glory…?
… Or do we engage ourselves in activities for our own glory and pride?

Is the Lord the end and purpose of all our actions…?
… Or do worldly desires dilute our works and actions?

2. WHERE do we seek?

The purposeful determination of the Magi made them to be focused on the Star – a sign to lead them to their destination ( Mt 2:2b)

As long as they followed the Star, they remained on the right track.

Of course, for a moment, seeing King Herod’s palace, they got a bit deviated as they reasoned out that the New Born King would be born in a palace!

But Divine Providence soon brought them back on track.

The star once again led them and they reached the Great King enthroned on the Wooden Throne of the Manger!
(pre-figuring the enthronement of the Lord, later, on the Wooden Throne of the Cross!)

What about us?

Where do we seek the Lord?

Do we faithfully follow the Star of inspiration, that the Lord constantly sends…
… Through His Commandments, Teachings of the Church, many people in our life and the situations of life

Do we seek His Love in the wonderful sacraments that the Church offers, encounter Him in the poor and the needy and experience His Providence in the situations of our life?
… Or do we get lost, in our search for the Divine, in the pleasures of this world, engage too much only in our works and material engagements or dip ourselves into the murky waters of sinful addictions, sly attachments and silly attractions.

3. WHAT GIFTS do we offer Him?
   The Gospel says that the Magi offered Baby Jesus, their precious gifts – fit and appropriate… (Mt 2:11b)

Gold for Jesus, the King
Frankincense for Jesus, the Priest
Myrrh for Jesus, the Prophet.

These gifts would have cost them a fortune…
… They also bore the marks of their sacrifice and pain

But they were gifts that were worthy and befitting the King!

What about us?

What gifts do we offer to the Lord?

In the Holy Mass…
Do we really offer Him our pains, struggles, our little sacrifices, our honest longings?
… or, has the Holy Mass become just a customary ritual, without we offering anything to Him and thus failing to derive any joy or consolation for this Precious Sacrament?

In our life…
Do we try to make some personal sacrifices…?
… take some radical decisions to live worthier Christian lives, and be more dedicated to pursue a life of holiness and sanctity…?

The Lord wishes, desires and deserves the best gifts from us.

He tells us to, above all, “offer our lives as a living sacrifice” (Rom 12: 1) – sinful, broken, wounded; just as we are…
… So that He can transform us, and make us a new creation (“Behold I make all things new – Rev 21:5)

The Feast of the Epiphany is a powerful invitation for us:
To examine, purify and strengthen…
… the focusses and priorities of our life.

Yes, like the Magi…

Let us seek the Lord deeper
Let us long for the Lord intensely in the right place
Let us desire for the Lord passionately, offering Him the best gifts of our life

Our life may sometimes resemble a jumbled mass of confusion

Like the modernistic glass pictures, we may often get lost in the maze of colours of uncertainty and shapes of difficulties – sophisticated and abstract!

But if we maintain the desire of God in our hearts, He will, through the little things of life…
… outline His Plan to us

And then…
… like an Epiphany, we will be able to see the Presence of God in our Lives!

May we all, thus, with astonishment and gratitude exclaim: “This is Epiphany!”

Happy Feast of the Epiphany!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Ten Commandments – The First Commandment

You cannot serve God and mammon.”
Many martyrs died for not adoring “the Beast”…
… refusing even to simulate such worship. Idolatry rejects the unique Lordship of God

It is therefore incompatible with communion with God. (CCC # 2113)

“Entering into a higher level of intimacy and closeness with the Lord, and making our lives with the Lord truly an ‘Executive one!'”

(Based on Sir 24:1-4, 12-16, Eph 1:3-6, 15-18 and Jn 1:1-18 – 2nd Sunday after Christmas)

Those who frequently travel by flight are familiar with certain privileges that come along…
… when travelling by the same airlines.

A person – a Christian – who often travelled by the same airlines, shared this experience:
“I have been travelling with these airlines for the last 27 years.

They have been my airline of choice…
… and I have been awarded a level of familiarity.

That level of familiarity is called as Platinum.

It’s an award for my consistency with them and I am called as their ‘preferred customer.’

The Platinum card allows me to have a lot of privileges.

When I go to a counter, and if people are ahead of me, I am given the privilege to go up higher.

If there are people with gold membership, I pull out my platinum membership – and this
status makes me go higher!

All this was fine…
… till one day, as I was asking for a seat with an extra leg-space, they told me, “Sorry Sir, there is another person who has a higher preference over you.

That person has an Executive Platinum Membership!”

The person went on to share his experience: “This I understood, is a beautiful way of
understanding our level of faith-relationship with the Lord as Christians.

Some are satisfied to have a silver or a gold membership – just do the basic minimum.

Some, like me, go on to have a higher familiarity and consistency – like a platinum
membership.

But there are a few – who enter into a high level of intimacy and closeness with the Lord – like the Executive Platinum Membership!”

What membership are we having with the Lord… silver, gold, platinum…?
… or can we seek to have Executive Platinum and higher!”

The Gospel of the Day – the Prologue of the Gospel of St John – is a beautiful invitation to
deepen our intimacy with the Lord…
… as we are reminded in the prologue: “But to all who received him, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God!” (Jn 1:12)

The Prologue of the Gospel of St John is a mystical reflection…
… on the Divinity and Incarnation of Jesus Christ, the Word made Flesh.

The Gospel begins with the statement: “IN THE BEGINNING was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God!” (Jn 1:1)

This statement takes the reader back to the very first verse of the Bible: “IN THE BEGINNING God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1)

This verse in the Book of Genesis is the starting of the account of the creation of the universe.

When the Fourth Gospel begins the Good News with the same phrase, “In the Beginning’’
… we are given a clear message and alert: “Here is the story of the New Creation!”

And St John presents the central character of this New Creation – “the Word Who became flesh!” (Cf. Jn 1:14)

The Prologue presents the truth that in Jesus, we are a New Creation

As St Paul beautifully writes: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come!” (2 Cor 5:17)

How is our life?

Are we living “this life of being a New Creation?”
Is my first priority of life set on the Lord and His Kingdom?
Do I seek to grow in my relationship with the Lord, every day?

Maybe some of us, in our Christian following, like to do only the minimum – do the basic
requirements of the religion

Some go on to have a higher familiarity and consistency

Just as a silver or gold or platinum membership…
… we don’t venture to go deeper in our relationship with the Lord.

In this Season of Christmas, the Lord invites – through the Prologue of the Gospel of St
John…
… to enter into a high level of intimacy and closeness with the Lord
… and thus make our membership truly an “Executive one!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Ten Commandments – The First Commandment

You cannot serve God and mammon.”
Many martyrs died for not adoring “the beast”…
… refusing even to simulate such worship. Idolatry rejects the unique Lordship of God

It is therefore incompatible with communion with God. (CCC # 2113)

“Taking conscious and special efforts ‘to step in Christ’s Footprints!'”

(Based on 1 Jn 3:7-10 and Jn 1:35-42 – Christmas Weekday)

There was a field covered with freshly fallen snow.

A father and a son entered that field.

As they walk across the field, the father just went, as normally, walking…
… without paying any particular attention to where he was going.

But his son, on the other hand, followed his father directly behind…
… making a special effort to step in his father’s footprints.

After the two had crossed the field, the son looked behind and tugged his father to look behind.

“Look there Father”, said the boy, “there is only one set of tracks visible in the field, although both of us had walked across it!”

The father – who was known to be a very honest and gentle person – smiled and said:
“That’s so beautiful, my child!
You have taken all the efforts to walk on my footprints!”

I wish and pray, that you also do that same, in life!”

The Father was inviting his son, to Walk his path of Honesty and Gentleness…
… in his footprints!

This is the Christian way, also, isn’t it?

Walking the path of Christ..
… In His Footprints!

The Gospel of the Day presents the familiar yet fascinating incident of the First Disciples of Jesus following Him…

And how this First Following would lead them to “Walk the Path of Christ”…
… in His Footprints!

The passage begins by stating that “John (the Baptist) was standing with two of his disciples.

And as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God.’

The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.” (Jn 1: 35-37)

One of the very beautiful aspects that we find in this “call narrative”…
… is the fact of how the two disciples give heed to the word of John the Baptist.

And to further that call, they would give heed to the invitation of Jesus as well: “Come, and you will see.” (Jn 1: 39)…
… and they went and stayed with Him.

These two acts of obedience to the voice of John the Baptist and Jesus…
… would re-define their lives!
… would transform their future!

This act of obedience was a radical choice they made

Walking the path of Christ..
… In His Footprints!

They were probably not very sure what was coming ahead

They were mostly uncertain, of what would be the implications of “following Christ closely”

But they made a choice

And that choice would change their lives for ever!

As Christians, we are also constantly given this invitation

To walk in the path of Christ..
… In His Footprints!

This requires trust in Him

This demands obedience to His Voice

Very often, the voice of the world makes us to stray our paths

But Jesus says: “Follow my footprints” and remain firm in Him!

Very often, the comforts offered by the world, makes us lose our values

But Jesus says: “Follow my footprints” and be faithful to be my witness!

Very often, the hardships of life, makes us to be discouraged

But Jesus says: “Follow my footprints” and being focused on me, always be encouraged and hopeful!

Life often takes us through the “fields of snow”…
… the snow of sufferings
… the snow of uncertainty
… the snow of discouragement
… the snow of painful experiences

But let’s take conscious and special efforts “to step in Christ’s Footprints”…

So that after crossing “such fields of snow” we can say: “Look Lord, there is only one set of tracks visible in the field, although both of us had walked across it!”

And we hear the Lord, with much love, telling us: “That’s so beautiful, My child!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Ten Commandments – The First Commandment

Idolatry not only refers to false pagan worship.
It remains a constant temptation to faith. Idolatry consists in divinizing what is not God. >> Man commits idolatry whenever he honors and reveres a creature in place of God…

… whether this be gods or demons (for example, satanism), power, pleasure, race, ancestors, the state, money, etc. (CCC # 2113)