by Fr Raymond Raj
Isaiah 60:1-6
Psalm 71:1-2,7-8,10-13
Ephesians 3:2-3,5-6
Matthew 2:1-12
Theme: Jesus the Light
My dear brothers and sisters in the blessed Lord,
Speaking of journey, life itself is a journey. For those of you who think life is a destination, sorry to say you are wrong. Life is a journey.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step, says Lao Tzu from China.
So speaking of journey, speaking of destination, a little story. You know why I always say story, especially weekend Masses? Because story is the shortest distance between truth and reality. Story is the shortest distance between truth and reality. You may not remember my sermon, obviously, but you will remember my story.
Brothers and sisters, a young Catholic priest (something like me), a young Catholic priest was transferred to a new parish (something like me, just came). So this parish is located in a very rural area, in a kampung.
So the next day this parish priest went to the morning market to buy some groceries. Since he is new to this village, the priest saw a little boy there at the morning market and asked the young boy, “Can you please show me the direction to go to the post office? Because I am new, I just came here yesterday. Can you please show me the direction to the post office?“
So the young boy immediately took a piece of paper, sketched, started to draw the direction to the post office.
The priest in return said, “Thank you very much, my dear boy.”
And told him, “Boy, my name is Father John. I am the new parish priest in this village. This coming Sunday I will celebrate my first Mass and preach about going to heaven, how to go to heaven. So, boy, you must attend this Sunday Mass.“
Immediately the boy said, “No, Father, sorry.“
“No?” The Father got shocked and asked. “What do you mean by ‘No you won’t come for Mass?‘”
The young boy explained to the priest, “Father, you don’t even know the way to the post office. But you claim you know the way to heaven?“
Can a Catholic priest bring you to heaven? Don’t answer this question. Just reflect.
In today’s Gospel, the three kings from the East took initiative to pay homage to the King of Kings. Their initiative was led by a rising star in the sky.
Brothers and sisters in the Lord, Epiphany is a great way, I suppose it is the best way, to begin our new year because Epiphany is a story about people of faith going on a journey to look for God.
Brothers and sisters, all of us here, all of us are on our journey of faith. In fact, our journey of faith is not solo, not Sendirian Berhad. The journey of faith must be synodal.
Speaking of faith’s journey, in the Old Testament, the Father of Faith, Abraham, he journeyed through the wilderness to the Promised Land.
In the New Testament, Mary and Joseph, both of them, traveled through mountains in Bethlehem in order to give birth to Jesus.
And post resurrection story, Jesus himself traveled. Jesus himself journeyed to heaven to prepare a place for you and for me.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, traveling, journeying is part of faith. Journeying will always remain as part of faith.
Brothers and sisters in the Lord, the point that I would like to make today is after these three kings journeyed, looking for Jesus, after these three kings encountered Jesus, their lives changed forever. After they encountered Jesus, their lives changed.
Similarly, my dear friends, when we encounter Jesus, our life will also change. If you encounter Jesus, your life will change because we die to our old self and experience new life each time we encounter Jesus.
So my dear brothers and sisters, our journey with Jesus begins, listen carefully, our journey with Jesus begins when you and I faithfully pick up the bible, read it and meditate on it every day. That is our journey. Not coming for Mass once a week. settled. Everything settled.
No! Our journey of faith is about taking the word of God, reading it, praying it and meditating on it.
Brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ has revealed Himself, has manifested Himself in the scriptures. Therefore, don’t look further. Jesus is in the scripture.
So today, I invite you as all of us begin this new year, each one of us will encounter Jesus who is waiting to meet us. And I leave you with these words to ponder over the weekend:-
Faith is a journey, not destination.
Faith will always remain as a journey. If faith is a destination, if you claim, if you say, if you believe, faith is a destination, then why do you delay? Then why do you delay?
Amen.
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