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Epiphany of the Lord
6 January 2007
Dear Friends in Christ,
The Wise Men did not bring the Christ Child good wishes, recycled gifts, or that one fruitcake which I am convinced exists in this world. They brought Him gold, frankincense and myrrh. When the beautiful Magdalene emptied her jar of aromatic nard and anointed the feet of the Savior, it was the disciples who complained, “What a waste!” But Jesus said to them, Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven – for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little (Luke 7.44-47).
Jesus allows Himself to be showered with gifts to show us that we should honor Him with the best that we have. But in doing so, He shows us that we honor that Son of Man who has nowhere to lay his head, who came into the world poor and helpless as a child and died as a criminal and an outcast. When we bring the best gifts to the Body of Christ, the Church, we honor Him and we can perform acts of charity for the Poor Christ in our brothers and sisters. Whether we give a donation to the Fund for the Future or we volunteer time at the Saturday Bug Lunch program, when we offer our professional services to those in need or we spend time in prayer, we give to Christ who became poor for love of us the homage that is His due.
The great preacher Fulton Sheen once told of a woman who attacked him, saying that the Catholic Church needed to sell all of her vast riches for the poor. He looked right into her eyes and asked, “How much did you steal?” She balked and screamed as the indomitable archbishop kept asking the question until she knelt in his confessional and, well, you can imagine the rest of the story. Her problem was not the supposed riches of the Church; it was her stinginess and miserliness of heart. Let us ask ourselves if there is any bitterness left in our hearts this Christmas season. If so, then come to the crib with your gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And watch the cold in our souls melt away in the light of Bethlehem.
Happy Epiphany!
Father Smith