Homily for the Solemnity of the Epiphany: January 7, 2007

Given by the Most Reverend Stephen E. Blaire at the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Stockton.

There seems to be a very wide spread hunger among people for spirituality. Many people seem to have an innate sense that the ultimate meaning of life is not found in an ever more advanced technology, no matter how creative the games are; that filling our garages with more stuff just does not quite do it; and that the multi-tasking, over busy schedules just leave us exhausted and not necessarily more enriched as human beings.

Some folks are reading self empowerment books for the answers; some are venturing in to strange and exotic so-called spiritualities; some have begun to profess an avowed atheism, seeing little or no value in any kind of religious practice. A large number of the younger generation describe themselves as spiritual but not religious. I find the separation of spirituality from religion to be most troubling. Religious practice is certainly not authentic unless it is profoundly spiritual.

The Solemnity of the Epiphany speaks to us about our spirituality in Christ. The celebration of the Epiphany brings the Christmas season to a close, and manifests to the world Jesus as the Lord and Savior for all people. The word “epiphany” means manifestation or revelation .The magi stand for all the nations of the earth. The star symbolizes Christ as the light of the world. The First Letter of John describes this revelation as the testimony of God. “God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever possesses the Son has life.” Our spirituality is not in what we produce but in the fact that we possess eternal life. St. Augustine put it this way: “Of his own will he was born for us today, in time, so that he could lead us to the Father’s eternity. God became man so that we could become God.” That is a very powerful statement and needs much thought and prayerful reflection. But what is for sure is that if we believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God we become in our humanity what we are called to be. By the power of the Holy Spirit we become fully human. Religious practice as a Catholic is not a matter of adhering to doctrine as some kind of ideology, but rather receiving the revelation of God in Christ as our belief and our way to live. The way we know that we belong to the truth is by loving one another as Christ has loved us. If we live righteous lives and love our neighbor, then we belong to God. This is our spirituality.

I do understand why many people are distrustful of organized religion, especially when you study the history of religious institutions. But there is no other way to know Christ than through the Church. The Church must continually reform herself so as to be ever more faithful to Christ as His Body. The history of the Church even in her worst moments has given us great saints. In fact, it is not unusual that in the most difficult of times, that God raises up saints who live the spirituality of the gospel in testimony of religious faith.

Today on this Solemnity of the Epiphany the Church proclaims Christ to the world as the Son of God. Through Him we have eternal life in God. This is what we believe. This is what we live. Our spirituality is life lived in Christ for God by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Last Update January 8, 2007