January 6, 2026

ONE DAY to Bethlehem…

…journeying as magi FOR OUR EPIPHANY.

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house where the star had led them, they saw the child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him.” (Matthew 3.10-11a)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD: Where are the magi? Where are the wise ones who were stirred by the Word of God to search for the fulfillment of the emptiness which existed not in their heart, not in their mind, not in their treasuries, not in their social agendas, but in their world? Here is the connection that has been the truth of all of our journeys to which the journey of the magi bear witness. The connection, as Matthew reveals the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ, is that which must exist between God and God’s people. The emptiness experienced by everyone who has lived, lives now and will live in the future is that which is of the soul. The connection of the soul of each human is in tandem with the soul of all humanity. The soul is the “seat of being” where feelings, emotions, intuitive understanding and the Spirit of God work together to bring true life into reality. Ultimately, this is where “Immanuel,” God with us, has its greatest meaning and impact. We all have felt the nearness of God. Many may not know that what they felt was indeed Immanuel, but that is our purpose as mighty ones of God to disciple them into that knowledge and awareness. We are the pathfinders who will lead others to the only “way, truth and life” which leads us all to the throne room of Almighty God. It is the entryway to the House of the Lord. The magi, like us, had a longing to know the identity to the One who had drawn near them which their soul experienced. Maybe the story of the first meeting of Mary and Elizabeth (Luke 1.39f) can serve as an illustration of what I am saying. Elizabeth was already six months pregnant with the son to be born to her and her husband Zechariah. He was not born of God as Jesus was. He was born for God. He was born out of the emptiness of two people who were beyond the age of bringing a child into the world. Their emptiness was a sign of the emptiness of the world. God heard their cry as servants to one another, to the Temple and thus to their whole world. The time had come for the answer to be revealed. When Mary, who had just conceived the Son of God in her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit, approached Elizabeth, something happened. Elizabeth declared, “When you extended your greeting, I felt the baby in my womb leap for joy. I was filled with the Holy Spirit.” It wasn’t that Elizabeth didn’t have the Holy Spirit. She couldn’t be alive without the ruach of God in her from before she was conceived herself in her mother’s womb. What we can say is that the “nearness” of God which Mary brought, became identified by the Holy Spirit being invoked and released. Without turning the handle on a faucet, the flow of water is held back. We can hold a glass under it all day long and nothing will fill it. We are close to it. We may know it exists. Having the thought of “fill my cup and fill it up” is wonderful but without fully identifying the source of that fulfillment we are only close. And in my world, “close only counts in horseshoes, washers and cornhole.” The same could be said of the magi who were seeking to identify what the nearness of God’s presence actually was. They had the scriptures. They had historical witnesses who shared the intimacies of the prophecies. They had the knowledge of other cultures who spoke of similar longings without hope. And then, they had an awareness of the nearness of God. It may well have been on that day when Elizabeth was greeted by Mary and John leapt in Elizabeth’s womb. John, after all, was to be a witness to all the world of the coming of Christ. Did those magi hear his “leap of joy”? Now back to that singular connection of which I spoke earlier. Our familiarity with the story of the Magi causes us to focus on the three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. While those gifts are significant and truth-telling for a future day, we dare not overlook the most significant gift of all which they offered: worship. The magi did not leave that day in Bethlehem having concluded their visit with a “Hello, here are some parting gifts. Sorry to interrupt your busy day. We will be going now.” This meeting was far more important than that. They came to worship the King of kings and present Him gifts from their own countries as expressions of recognition and servitude. They were blessed to see this thing which God had done for them. The stirring inside was now clearly known as none other than Almighty God. There were other wise persons who had come to see Jesus for the same purpose. The shepherds in the fields on the day when Jesus was born. They did not come with expensive gifts. They came with the greatest story ever told of a great joy which had come to them for all people. Mary treasured each story in her heart. She was filled with the Holy Spirit again and again as each story was told and relived. As those early disciples and apostles did the same with the gospel of Jesus who was born, who lived, who died and who was resurrected, the “nearness of God” was more and more identified and became known in others who then had their own stories to tell as they worshipped God in spirit and in truth. Within the catechism of the Catholic Church, the “twelfth day of Christmas” caused the ones singing the song and those hearing it to be reminded of the twelve points of the Apostles’ Creed. That creed put into order the very identity of the Christ whom they adored, believed in, committed their lives to and worshipped in spirit and in truth. For me, that twelfth day is the Epiphany when are invited to put all the pieces together and see the circle of life come to itself. Those twelve became focused on the One. The One is the reason why we can be alive from the center of our being, our soul being filled with the nearness of God. His name is Immanuel. He is the One our true love, Almighty God, has given us. Let us be wise enough to know our best response to this gift is to worship. We can bring gifts, tokens and good intentions. We can offer confessions, professions and sincere determinations. And we should. But, we dare not leave His presence until we truly stop and worship Him who has given us life. The wise men and the shepherds did not worship Jesus. They worshipped the God who had given the greatest reminder of the greatest connection of all for humanity: His love. Thus the greatest command says: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, strength and soul; and then love your neighbor as you yourself are loved.” May this be your epiphany today!

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness but as righteous works of faith, hope and love in Jesus’ name. AMEN.