Transformed in Christ's Presence

We are celebrating the Epiphany of the Lord!  The three wise men followed a star, a Light, until they found  the child Jesus, the Word made Flesh, the King of all kings, the Savior of the world. At one point the star seemed to disappear, so they stopped in Jerusalem to inquire about the newborn King of the Jews. When  King Herod  heard of the Magi's visit, he was greatly troubled, as were the people of Jerusalem. King Herod inquired of them "where the Christ was to be  born: "In Bethlehem of Judea," they told him." Herod instructed the Magi to find Him and then let him know so that he, too, could go worship Him.

We know Herod's intentions. God knew Herod's intentions, as He always knows what motivates us in the choices, good or bad, that we make.  The Magi do not return to give Herod any information, as God directs them not to respond to Herod. They return home by another route.  When you and I encounter the Christ, we, too, if open to grace, are transformed, changed, converted.  We are not the same as prior  to the visit, the encounter!

In what way have you been changed by your reception of the Eucharist, by your reading of the Scriptures, by your interaction with a faith-filled individual?

Lord, open my mind, my heart, my will to You in whatever way You choose today!

The Feast of Ephiphany

Lord, like the three kings, I bring to You my gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. My gift of gold is the gift of my self. I am your precious child, a pearl of great price, ransomed from the death of sin by your death on the cross.  I give you my gift of frankincense, that is,  my worshiping You in prayer, in truth, in the Word, in faith and love, in service and in community living. I worship you, O my God and  my King, in all that I do and leave undone or said or left unsaid in order to do what is right. I give you my gift of myrrh, that is,  that in me that is in need of resuscitation by grace, in need  of being made new in the Eucharist and in the sacrament of Reconciliation, in forgiveness and repentance of sin; the pain connected with  my dying  to  sin and selfishness, unkindness and deceitfulness;  the losses in my life, real  or imaginary,  dreams left unrealized or blocked intentionally or unintentionally;  the losses of those who are dear to me--my grandparents, parents, identical twin Doris, my brother Joe, my nephew Punchy, my aunts and uncles and cousins,  community members and friends. 

You say to me, through Isaiah 43: 18-21: “No need to recall the past, no need to think about was done before. See, I am doing a new deed, even now it comes to light; can you not see it? Yes, I am making a road in the wilderness [of your life],  paths in the wild...I am putting water in the wilderness (rivers in the wild) to give my chosen people [to give you to] drink. The people I have formed for myself will sing my praises….”  Your praises, O God, I sing with the angels and archangels, powers and dominions, who, with the Magi, surrounded your stable in Bethlehem and who, each day, surround our altars during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Thank you God, for all of these graces!