Are you searching and searching in the right place?

Homily for Epiphany Year C 2016

Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:2-3a,5-6; Matthew 2:1-12

Introduction

A popular saying goes: "There is no such thing as a stupid question." For it is only in asking and seeking that we know and learn more.

Scripture and Theology

The three wise men or Magi in today’s gospel are doing exactly that, searching for meaning and truth.  That is why on arriving in Jerusalem they asked: “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?”

Now this at first might appear like a stupid question.

·        First, these men were foreigners, non-Jews.  So what business did they have asking about the birth of the king of the Jews?

·        Secondly, for nearly forty years the Jewish Kingdom had been taken over a usurper, King Herod.  So why risk charges of treason by asking about a newborn King of the Jews?

But these men are not asking as stupid question.  They are searching for meaning and have been doing so for a long time.  These three men were on a quest; and being astrologers, they had put their trust in the star that would lead them to the object of their quest.

The gospel told us that they had to make a stop in Jerusalem, to make some inquiries.  As you can imagine the star was not like our modern GPS, that gives you turn by turn directions.  And so like we used to do in the old days of using maps, they stopped at the gas station to ask for clearer directions: “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?”

When King Herod hears about their quest, he offers to help them.  Herod calls the religious leaders and sends them off the library to do some research.  They search the Bible and in the prophecies of Micah and Samuel, they found that the promised Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

With this information Herod sends the men off to Bethlehem, asking them to return to him after they find the newborn King.  We heard that they followed the star to Bethlehem, and "On entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother.  They prostrated themselves and did him homage.  Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh."

And so, after a long, treacherous and possibly expensive journey, these three seekers found what they were looking for: Jesus Christ, the King of the Jews and the King of the World.  To the shepherds we read about on Christmas Day, Jesus was revealed as King of the Jews; to the three wise men from the East, Jesus is revealed as King of the World.

Christian Life

You and I can surely relate with the quest of the Magi.  Like inquisitive toddlers, we too have many questions, very important questions.  Let me offer three things that we can learn from the Magi in our own quests and search for meaning.

First, the Magi teach us to always keep searching and never be contented with what we know.  There is a saying that we human beings are like fruits.  If you are green, you can grow, but if you are ripe, you can only rot.

At the seminary I live with Archbishop Hughes and Father Kelly, who never cease to inspire me.  These men are in their eighties and have been priests for nearly 60 years each.  But whenever we have a seminar or workshop or retreat or any opportunity to learn more about the priesthood or the Christian life, they are the first ones to sign up.  These priests are not satisfied with what they have learned in the past sixty years; like the Magi, they are seeking more.

Considering that I am only half their age and have been a priest for less than a third of the years of their priesthood, I cannot but be inspired to keep searching, asking questions and learning more, especially about my relationship with God and my ministry as a priest.

I offer you these two priests as models, so that you too can take to heart the example of the Magi, and never give up searching for answers to our questions.

1.    We have the deep philosophical questions about the meaning of life, death, the universe.

2.    We have the deep religious questions about who God is, what he does, and what he wants us to do?

3.    We have the more immediate and practical questions about our welfare and health, about our families and communities, about the economy and government, about terrorism and immigration.

Besides inspiring us to search, the Magi secondly teach us how and where to search, so that we seek answers in the right places, we follow the right star?

Boudreaux was walking home from the bar and he saw Thibodeaux on his knees under the street light, searching for something.  “What are you looking for?” he asked.

“Oh I am looking for my house keys,” said Thibodeaux.

So his buddy got down on all fours under the light and joined in the search.

After looking for almost half an hour, Boudreaux asked his friend if he was sure that he had lost the keys in this very area.

"Oh, no!” said Thibodeaux.  “I lost them way over there by the Bayou."

Shocked and surprised at that answer, Boudreaux asked him why then he was looking for the keys in this spot.

"Oh", Thibodeaux said, "because the light is better here under the street lamp".

Unfortunately, like Thibodeaux sometimes we also seek answers in the wrong places, just because those places are more attractive and convenient.  Today there is no shortage of such misleading stars, in the media, on the internet and in pop culture.  And yet God in his Son Jesus Christ, has given us some stars to guide us as we look for answers.

1.    The Bible should always be our first port of call, when we need divine inspiration to deal with our often difficult questions.  God's revealed Word has something to say to us about life and death, about how to treat our neighbour, even a neighbour who appears to be an enemy or a stranger and so many other issues.

2.    But we need help in interpreting the Bible.  That is why in his infinite wisdom, God has given us the Church, whose 2000-year tradition and teaching of the Pope and Bishops, can also guide our thinking on these questions.  For a Catholic, surely the Pope's teaching on any social issue should trump the opinion of the Drudge Report or the Huffington Post.

3.    There is a third star, implanted deep within us – our conscience.  After we heard the teaching of the Bible and the Church, through that secret chamber of the heart, God gives us exact answers on practical questions of choosing what to do, choosing between good and evil.

Conclusion

The third and final lesson from the Magi is that after we search in the right places find the truth, we have to do something about our findings.  On finding the child Jesus, the Magi worshipped him and offered him the gifts of gold, incense and myrrh, gifts fit for a king.

In the same way, when you and I seek answers, and find them in the horse's mouth of the Bible and Church teaching, we must act on them.  Our response like that of the Magi usually takes two forms: devout worship of God and good works towards our neighbour.  Thus, our search will not be in vain, but will bear fruit and bear fruit abundantly.