Dear Parish Family,

This Sunday's Feast of the Epiphany celebrates the revelation of God's glory shown in the face of Jesus Christ. The word epiphany simply means appearance or revelation in the sense of an "Aha!" moment where something was made present and apparent that was formerly unknown. All of God's creation is a kind of epiphany of His truth, goodness, beauty, and love. The word glory captures the radiance of God's presence manifested in epiphany moments. The most glorious epiphany of God is shown in Jesus Christ, who is God Incarnate, the fullness of God's revelation for what it means to be a human person sharing the life of God.

God draws us to Himself through epiphany moments. We become captivated by an experience of beauty, goodness, truth, and love. A light goes off, the "Aha!" moment happens where we see the glory of God appearing in our midst. Recall Thomas Merton's mystical experience on the corner of Fourth and Walnut in downtown Louisville where he realized all of a sudden that he loved all the people "walking around unaware that they were shining like the sun." This revelation for Thomas came quite unexpectedly. He wasn't planning on seeing the glory of God alive in the men and women walking around, but he remained open and alert for signs of God's presence as he went about his day. This openness to God's presence gave him the capacity to see these people as God made them to be, and this epiphany changed him, drawing him closer to God and to others around him in the process.

The epiphany for the Magi in today's Gospel was similar. It began by the appearance of a star in the Western skies. Captivated by the star's beauty, the Magi saw it as a sign that a wondrous thing has occurred. They saw the star as God's invitation, a gracious welcome that stirred a deeper desire in their hearts to meet the King of Kings. As they approach the house at Bethlehem, the visible sign of the star gives way to the invisible reality of the fullness of the glory of God resting on the face of Jesus Christ. The Magi could not have anticipated this glorious experience. Their openness to God's direction in their lives helped them follow the signs of God that led them to Jesus. We hear that they go home "by another way" indicating that this epiphany of God's glory changed them in their love for God and for others.

God continues to give epiphany moments to His faithful followers. Like the star, everything true, good, beautiful, noble, and worthy of love can be employed by God to draw us to Christ. God loves to lead us by visible signs of His creation to the invisible mysteries of His love. Thus, the Sacraments of the Church (most especially the Eucharist), the power of the Scriptures, the wisdom of the Church and her saints, and the transcendental beauty of creation are all ways that God reveals His presence and leads us to see the glory of God in the face of Christ. We cannot anticipate these epiphany moments. Science cannot identify or explain them away. God simply requires us to remain open and aware to His presence and guidance so that every moment of our lives may be marked by the weight of His glory. 

Tabernacle Refurbishing and New Ciboria
Remember that our tabernacle is being refurbished over the next few weeks. A smaller tabernacle is in place for the time being while the restoration work is being done. We should have our refinished tabernacle back in time for Easter. We have also purchased new ciboria which we will use at Mass for distribution of Holy Communion. Thanks to our benefactors of the Chinese auction whose support made these liturgical works possible!

I am yours in Christ,
Fr. Scott Goodfellow