Every Sunday, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click HERE for the readings.
The Feast of the Epiphany brings us near to the end of the Christmas Season. The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord brings it to a close. But these last few days of Christmas should not mark the end of our search for the presence of Christ in the newborn child of Bethlehem.
In the Gospel for this Sunday, we read the familiar story of the traveling Magi in search of the newborn king — they come to find the Christ in a little village in a lowly setting.
Along the way, these Magi encounter Herod, who was a naturally jealous man, and extremely fearful of any competition to his authority. Herod seeks to put an early end to the rule of Jesus, this newborn “King.”
What Herod did not understand was that the dominion of Jesus' would last forever, and it would extend beyond the boundaries of Judea. The mission of Jesus could not be stopped, even by his death. We have the fact of the Resurrection to prove that. Herod was completely incapable of destroying what was of God. He was wasting his time.
Unlike the rule of Herod, the Kingdom that Jesus would bring was a Kingdom of peace and joy, touching the heart and reviving the spirit. It was meant for all people of all time. No human king – certainly not Herod — would be able to keep the Kingdom of God from coming. What was begun in Christ will last until the end of time (and beyond).
And here is the truth: only I can stop the kingdom of Jesus from reigning in my heart.
Every day of our lives must be a relentless search for the presence of Jesus — who hides himself in the recesses of our hearts, within the Word of God, in the signs and symbols of our sacraments, and in the poor of our streets. Like the Magi, we often find him in unexpected places, even in the ordinary events of our daily life. When we find him — and he wants to be found — we must give our best to him (represented by gold, frankincense, and myrrh). We must give him our worship and our lives.
Keep following the star of faith — it always leads to Him. Modern day “Herods” will always attempt to take faith in Jesus from us. They would like to destroy his peace, joy, and the salvation he brings. May we never give them the opportunity to take him from our hearts, for the Kingdom of God is already within us (see Luke 20:21).
Have a blessed week everyone.