They searched and found the source of salvation

Homily for Epiphany Year B 2015

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

Introduction

Searching for answers is a natural human tendency.  Young children, especially have this knack for asking interesting and sometimes bizarre questions.  One child recently asked me: “Why do you speak funny?”  I told her that I come from Mississippi.

Even as a teacher, my best students are those who ask questions, because they want to learn more.  If I know the answer, I am always happy to give it.  But even when I don’t know the answer, I will humbly admit as much and steer them in the direction of a better answer.

Certainly as adults, we too have questions, especially the deeper questions about life, death, suffering, justice, peace.  Don’t we occasionally ask ourselves: “What is the purpose of my life?

Scripture and Theology

And so, just like little children, just like students and just like us adults, the three wise men or Magi in today’s gospel were searching for meaning and truth.  We heard that they arrived in Jerusalem and asked: “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?”

This question might seem ordinary for you and me who are Chrsitians, but it was a rather strange question coming from these three men.

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

·        Secondly, for nearly forty years the Jewish Kingdom had been destroyed and taken over a usurper, Herod.  And so by asking about a new king these men were opening themselves to charges of treason.  And that is why Herod was very interested in their story; and why when they don’t return to him, he will kill all the newborn baby-boys.

·        But the most remarkable thing about their question about the new king was that they had been seeking him for a long time.  We heard that they had been following the star that would lead them to where the new-born King was to be found.  The star had led them to Judea and on inquiring from the Jews, they were told that the prophecies had specified Bethlehem as the place where the Christ was to be born.

These men had put their trust in the star, as their guide to find meaning and the star did not let them down.  After leaving Herod’s house they saw the star again and followed it to Bethlehem, where they found the child with Mary his mother.  We heard that they prostrated themselves and did him homage, as one usually does for a king.  And they also gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, again as one usually gives a king.

And so these three seekers, after a long, treacherous and possibly expensive journey, found what they were looking for: Jesus Christ, the King of the Jews and the Saviour of the world.

Christian Life

We today are also looking for meaning like the Magi.  As someone once said, there is no such thing as a stupid question.  It is better to look stupid for five minutes by asking what looks like a stupid question and get an answer to it, rather than remain silent and actually remain stupid for a lifetime.

But are we searching for meaning in the right places?  Are we following the right star?  I am reminded of a story about Boudreaux and Thibodeaux.

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

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

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".

Sometimes we also seek answers to our deepest questions in the wrong places, just because those places are more attractive.  Today there is no shortage of misleading stars that lead us astray: the deceptive assurance of horoscopes, the misleading black and white nature of political ideologies, the fickle pleasure of pop culture – as striking as these stars are, they do not lead us to life and they do not give us true answers to the deepest questions about life and about God.

God in his infinite wisdom has given us many starts to follow.  There is one star that is implanted deep within us – our conscience.  Conscience is the secret chamber of the soul, to which only you and God have access.  That secret chamber of our conscience is the star that can lead us to true meaning and joy.  In that secret chamber of our conscience, God tells us what we need to leave behind in order to become truly free and what we need to embrace to become truly happy.  Conscience is that star that points towards good and away from sin.

But to be an effective star, our conscience must be formed.  Conscience does not mean doing whatever I want; rather it means doing what I have prayerfully and thoughtfully discerned to be God’s will.

·        We form our conscience when we pray regularly and listen to God.

·        We form our conscience when we read and reflect on the Scriptures and on God’s teaching  given us to us through his Church.

·        We form our conscience when we celebrate the sacraments regularly and fruitfully.

And so, when we do all these things, the conscience becomes that star which rightly guides our every thought, word and action.

What has God been telling you through your conscience? What has he been asking of each of us through our conscience?

·        Maybe he has been nudging your conscience, telling you to break off an unhealthy relationship or to take the first step to heal a broken one.

·        Maybe he has been inviting you to get rid of prejudices against people who are different from you, different religion or race.

·        Maybe he has been inviting you to do something positive for family, friends, the Church or society in general.

Whatever your well-formed conscience is telling you to do, like the star that led the Magi to the baby Jesus, let God’s star in your conscience lead you to him.

Conclusion

There is a passage I like in the book of Deuteronomy (30: 11-14).  In that section Moses is giving his final words before he dies.  In this passage Moses reminds the people about God’s commandments, which he has taught them.  He says:

For this command which I am giving you today is not too wondrous or remote for you.

It is not in the heavens, that you should say, “Who will go up to the heavens to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may do it?”

Nor is it across the sea, that you should say, “Who will cross the sea to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may do it?”

No, it is something very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to do it.

May the star of our well-formed conscience that resides in our hearts, guide us to finding true joy and meaning this year and throughout our lives.