|
Epiphany, 2003: Read Mt 2,1-12
In the next few days, the Holy Father will receive in audience the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See for
the traditional exchange of New Year greetings. Apart from the polite protocol of the occasion, the Pope will most likely
deliver a lengthy speech in which he will give an overview of the situation of the entire world, from the Holy See’s
point of view. Usually it is a speech with various shades of light and darkness, in which the Pope points out in diplomatic
terms what he sees to be lacking in certain situations in the world, but also in which he tries to point out the way forward,
the way out of those situations by words of hope and encouragement. The Church, understood in Her deepest mystery, remains
the “Light of the World”, the sign and instrument of the peace and unity of the human family. Despite the sins
of her children, the Church remains, because She is the Body of Christ and the Temple of the Spirit, the continuation of that Light
which darkness cannot overpower. She sees what is good and what is evil not only in Her own children, but in the whole world.
And the Holy Father as the chief Doctor of the Faith in the Church corrects, admonishes, encourages and gives hope so that
the world may not succumb to despair or self-satisfaction, but that it may be drawn, as the three Magi, to the Light of Bethlehem.
Today’s Gospel gives us a blue-print of the differing reactions of the world to the Church, just as there appeared
differing reactions to the new-born Christ-Child.
First, it shows us that, not only Israel, but the whole world in some profound way was awaiting the coming of the Messiah.
Israel had the law and the prophets; the rest of the
world is led by seeking the signs of God’s presence in the created universe, e.g. the Star. Part of Israel accepted His coming: Mary, Joseph, John, the
shepherds; but part refused and resented Him: Herod, the religious establishment. We know that the three Kings sought Him
out, but how many other kings of that time and of later times would refuse and resent Him?
Second, it shows that God was faithful to His promises to Israel, despite Israel’s long history of alternate fidelity and infidelity. The
prophets had said the Christ would be born in Bethlehem: and so He was - God did not change His mind, or dismiss the Israelites as no use. In the same
way, Jesus, later in His mission, would seek first to save the lost sheep of the House of Israel, and only when it became
clear they would reject Him, did he turn His attention also to the Gentiles. “Also”: for He never abandoned His
fidelity to Israel. He had to die in Jerusalem, not Athens or Rome. In some mysterious way, the very stubbornness of Israel serves to bring about the salvation of the world.
And as God’s promises of fidelity to Israel remain true, so His promises to the new Israel, the Church remain true: He will not abandon
us, no matter what wrong we do, for His fidelity does not depend on our righteousness but on His alone.
Third, the Gospel highlights the contrast between worldly authority which submits to Christ and worldly authority which
does not. The three Magi’s whole intent was to follow the star wherever it went, that is, to seek the Light of Christ’s
saving truth, not by adoring the star, but by adoring the child, by realizing that truth is not ultimately an impressive collection
of formulae, or a cosmic experience, but a person, THE person of Jesus Christ. The Magi did not adore Mary or Joseph, and
were certainly not overwhelmed by Herod: they adored Christ and so prepared the way for the revelation of the great mystery,
that all peoples and all nations would be united as one family in Christ. For his part, Herod with furious panic and diabolical
intrigue seeks to eliminate Christ, the Truth. Blinded by greed, he does not realize the stupidity of his proposal. Power
can corrupt, maim the spirit, blind the mind, wither the heart and nurture all forms of destructive passion: we only need
take a look around the world today to verify just how true this is. Entire peoples suffer and die because of the powerful
lust of their leaders who will themselves perish in their foolishness. The submission of worldly authority to Christ does
not mean the Church must rule the world. Neither Christ nor His Church is Caesar. But nor is Caesar God. Caesar must accept
that he is Caesar by the permissive will of God and seek to rule according to that will.
In each of us there is a Herod, there are three Magi, there is the Star, but above all there is the Savior. In each
of us there is a world, indeed a universe, of spiritual galaxies, some dark, some light, some known, some as yet undiscovered.
Imagine the Pope were to consider each one of us as an entire diplomatic corps to which, in Christ’s name, he would
desire to point out the shades and the light, give words of hope, encouragement, and deliver for the nth time the message
of peace. I say, “imagine”. But, of course, there is no need to “imagine”. For Christ Himself on a
daily basis speaks His Word to that inner universe that is each heart that He loves. He invites us to see and praise His faithfulness
to us, to believe and trust that He will never cut us off, and to do Him homage with the simple wonder of the three Magi.
In recent times we have witnessed terrible deeds, neglect and irresponsibility at higher levels of the Church’s
institution which have caused us outrage, disgust and deep disappointment. We have witnessed the mystery of iniquity where
we least expected to find it. We have also witnessed the opportunism of some in civil society who have taken advantage of
this situation for aims of gain or simply to make the most they could out of these dark days for the Church. Who can believe
in the moral authority of such a Church?, they ask, in any sphere whatsoever? Certainly, heinous acts and crimes remain what
they are. But due proportion has often been lacking in reporting them; and statistics have not always been as accurate as
they might.
In face of all this, it is easy and natural to be carried off in the general surge of disdain against the Church, especially
against its bishops and priests. I, too, I will confess, have allowed myself at times to feel ashamed of the Church to which
I have tried to give my life. Yet, something inside tells me, that such attitudes, however understandable, do not lead anywhere
except to rejection. They do not proceed from the good Spirit. The mystery of iniquity wins every time we let it be stronger
than the mystery of grace. In the darkness iniquity generates, the only real response is to look to the Star of Bethlehem,
to look, in other words, towards Christ. It is He who purifies the sinful children of His Church -and that includes all of
us-, it is He who allows the horror of sin within us to be revealed, so that we might admit it, confess it, be forgiven for
it and move on. And, I repeat, move on. Christ has been pruning His Church not so as to reject Her, but in order to
purify Her that she may bear greater fruit that will last. He removes the shadows so that She can shine more brilliantly as
the Light of the Peoples, to attract them to Himself.
Everyone in different ways, some more intensely than others, has been hurt by this situation. How is that hurt to be
healed? Legal steps, just punishment, just reparation, etc., all have their part to play. But at the end of the day only One
can heal all that hurt and reconcile it and absorb it into Himself. We all need personally and as community to draw closer
to the Light of Christ that he may empower us to lay down our arms of disdain, anger and resentment, and find the way to restore
in forgiveness and reconciliation the Church of Jesus Christ that we love because He loved her first. Justice and different
types of procedures will form part of this, but they will be ineffectual without the spiritual substance, will and grace to
seek courageously the reconciliation of all involved.
This is a complex matter, but my hope is to have shed something of the Light of Christ’s ways on an experience
of sin which we must overcome with determination in order to move on, and to follow the Star of Bethlehem to whatever others
shores it cares to lead us. The mystery of the Epiphany did not end at Bethlehem; it is happening even now. So we need to mount our camels, lift
our eyes and hearts and proceed with confidence until the Morning Star comes again in glory to judge us all on our desires
and deeds of love.
Msgr. Peter Magee
St. Matthew’s
Cathedral, Washington DC
January 5th, 2003
|
