Sunday Gospel Comment
Alberic Jacovone OSB
YEAR C EPIPHANY OF THE LORD - 7.1.07 Is 60,1-6; Eph 3,2-3.5-6; Mt 2,1-12 3 Wise Men: in & out of square Christmas
feelings.
Christmas celebrates the coming of God in our life, while Epiphany celebrates our coming to God by the guidance of a star, who is Christ
the Lord. Christmas Cards by the millions have brought together both God’s
coming & ours (represented by the Wise men): We feel truly inspired &
enchanted by the overall experience. We notice however, that all our cards, for
all their artistic & poetic genius, seem to hide away any negative &
gruesome aspects from the Christmas scene: we never receive cards about the
‘slaughter of babies, the flight into Egypt, & the ‘no place in the
inn’... In our songs, we gloat in the glory of Angels, splendid robes, rich
gifts of gold... but we never honour the the horror & hurt of people. Today,
let’s pay a special visit to the crib of our Church -(some of us vividly
recall the huge, centuries-old Cribs, that still exist in Cathedrals &
Churches of Europe)- & quietly reflect on our Lord’s birth, including its
cruel & gruesome parts. Sadly, the people of our generation continue to be
captured by all artistic, poetic, musical aspects of Christmas; & sadly,
historians & scholars, believers & unbelievers, continue to wrestle with the conflicting & vague statements of
Jesus’ Infancy Narratives. Yet, no one seems to care about the tragic side of
Jesus’ birth: cruel slaughter of innocents, exiled & refugee people,
grieving of mums over their massacred children... Today, let’s focus on the 3
Wise Men - in & out of the square: while acknowledging the difference that
Christ -like a Star in our life- continues to make in our families; let’s be
attentive to our feelings, knowing
that each ‘King’ presents his gift to the Lord, & in turn, wishes to be
a model for us to imitate in faith & simplicity, gratitude, determination
& conviction. May we follow our star which is Christ himself; & return
to our daily tasks, by a ‘new’ road: Christ’s. The
tragic side of God’s revelation. Today, we celebrate as “Epiphany” (a Greek word that means
‘Showing’) the revelation of God’s Son to 3 Wise Men from the East. They
came to Bethlehem, led by a star, & teach us to honour Christ -our true
star-, sent to lead all nations & generations to God’s love. Sadly
nowadays, the words “men from the East” are taken to mean ‘men of Middle
Eastern appearance’ & are loaded with suspicion & linked with
terrorism. In the present political climate, when gruesome pictures on TV across
the globe, have shown Saddam Hussein’s execution, thus offending feelings of
millions & building up outrage & revenge for years to come, it feels odd
that we honour 3 Wise Men from the East & pretend to be free of all
anti-Semitic bias. In past centuries, great artists like Michelangelo & Da
Vinci could not escape this bias, when they painted Christ, Mary & the
apostles with western features, & always left to Judas his Middle Eastern
appearance. Deep down, we westerners find it difficult to accept that God chose
to be born among people of middle eastern appearance, like: Mary & Joseph,
shepherds & Wise Men, the slaughtered Babies & Baby Jesus himself. And
there is an even deeper shift: whatever our culture, it will always be hard to
live: -grateful to God & in peace with each other. Christmas will always
include a slaughter of innocents, a lonely flight into exile in Egypt & the
refugee status for the Holy Family. The sad reality is that we will never live
fully the Christmas message of glory to God & peace to all. Sadly, there
will always be discriminations, hurts & misunderstanding: in families &
communities, nationally & internationally. Today,
long for God, for peace, for mercy: with Rachel in the Bible, grieve for
victims, be a slave of no one but God & promote harmony.
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