The Magi Knew the Answer (Epiphany - Cycle A)

The Feast of the Epiphany commemorates the arrival of the Three Wise Men, also known as the Three Kings or the Magi, who traveled a long distance, most likely from Persia, to see the child Jesus. The visit of the Magi has deep theological significance. Jesus was born among the Jewish people and was the fulfillment of the ancient Hebrew prophecies of the coming of the Messiah. However, the Magi recognized that his mission was not just to the people of Israel, but to the whole world. His work of redemption was to be for all of humanity.

When they find the child Jesus, the Magi prostrate themselves before him, which is a sign of worship. Thereby, they recognize Jesus as the true power in the world. They do not reverence Herod, who is the local king, installed by the Roman Empire, which controlled the area. Nor to do the Magi show worship to the Roman Emperor, who was regarded as a divine figure. Persia was outside the control of Roman Empire and the Magi show no sign of bowing before the power and majesty of mighty Rome. Instead, they single out the child Jesus for their obeisance. The true power in the world is not the emperor controlling formidable armies but the child Jesus, who is God Incarnate.

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Photo Credit: The Adoration of the Magi by Edward Burne-Jones from Wikimedia Commons.

All Happy Families Are Like the Holy Trinity (Holy Family - Cycle A)

One of the most controversial topics in New Testament interpretation today is St. Paul's statement, found in the long form of this Sunday's Second Reading, "Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord" (Colossians 3:18). Many would prefer not to discuss the passage at all. Oftentimes the short from of the reading is used at Mass to exclude this line. But precisely because the passage is so controversial, we should talk about it.

Discussions of the passage often neglect the context. The next line reads, "Husbands, love your wives" (Colossians 3:19). In our contemporary culture, the word "love" has been greatly weakened and has often been reduced to little more than being nice. But the New Testament concept of love is much more substantial. To love means to act in a Christ-like manner. Christ showed love by giving himself fully, even at the cost if his own life.

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Photo Credit: Igreja São João em Porto Alegre, Brasil : Vitral Sagrada Família from Wikimedia Commons.

Every Mass Is Like Christmas (Christmas - Cycle A)

The celebration of Christmas in the Catholic Church has four distinct Masses - the Vigil, the Mass during night, the Mass at dawn, and the Mass during the day, each with its own set of readings. The Gospel for the Vigil Mass starts with the genealogy of Jesus. Some might want to skip over those lines, not wanting to bother with the difficult biblical names.

But we can learn a great deal already from the genealogy. The people of Israel had waited many years for the coming of the Messiah. Indeed, the entire Old Testament period was a time of preparation for Christ. The Israelites were waiting for a great king, a powerful military conqueror, who would subdue their enemies and usher in a new age of glory for Israel. But when he arrived, the Messiah was much more than what they had hoped for, beyond, in fact, their wildest expectations, as we shall see below.

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Photo Credit: The Nativity with Donors and Saints Jerome and Leonard from Wikimedia Commons.

Our Lady Always Points to Christ (Advent IV - Cycle A)

The dogmas of the Catholic Church are teachings that the Church has declared definitively. These teachings are to be held by all the faithful as a part of being Catholic. Most dogmas have been declared by Ecumenical Councils, which are the gathering of all bishops, with the approval of the Pope, but some dogmas have been declared by the Pope himself directly.

Over the centuries, the Church has established four dogmas about the Virgin Mary: 1) Mary's Divine Motherhood, which makes her the Mother of God, 2) Mary's Immaculate Conception, meaning that she was conceived without original sin, 3) Mary's Perpetual Virginity, having remained a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Christ, and 4) Mary's Assumption into Heaven body and soul at the completion of her earthly life.

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Photo Credit: Overview of advent wreath in 2023 at Masarykovo náměstí street in Třebíč, Třebíč District from Wikimedia Commons.

A New Level of Being (Advent III - Cycle A)

In the Gospel Reading for this Sunday, John the Baptist sends his disciples to Jesus to ask him if he is truly the Messiah. Why, we might wonder, is John doubting? Is he wavering in his faith? Given all that we know about John, the answer is undoubtedly no.

John the Baptist was the sightly older cousin of Jesus, who recognized and greeted our Lord while they were still in their mothers' wombs, when the Virgin Mary visited Elizabeth. As an adult, John dedicated his life to preparing the way for the public ministry of Jesus, leading a rigorous ascetic life in the desert. As he preached repentance, John was imprisoned by King Herod for challenging his unlawful marriage. But John did not waver. He paid the ultimate price when he was beheaded by the king for preaching God's word. Therefore, John is not likely to have doubted Christ.

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Photo Credit: Adventskranz mit drei brennenden Kerzen from Wikimedia Commons.

The Warning Against Complacency (Advent II - Cycle A)

The Old Testament period was a long and elaborate preparation for the coming of Christ, who is God Incarnate. John the Baptist was a transitional figure between the Old and the New Testaments. He spoke with the language and style of the prophets of old, preparing the way for Jesus, just before Jesus would start his ministry. What is more, the synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke depict John the Baptist as Elijah, one of the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, who was prophesied to return before the coming of the Messiah. By connecting John with the role of Elijah, the Gospel writers indicate that the prophecy has been fulfilled and everything is ready for the arrival of the Messiah.

As we see from the Gospel reading for this Sunday, John the Baptist was preaching repentance, warning of dire consequences for those who do not do so. Sometimes commentators draw a contrast between the preaching of John and the teachings of Christ, suggesting that Christ was much softer and more conciliatory. However, Christ too used strong words at times when he spoke about sin and our need to repent.

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Photo Credit: Advent wreath, 2. Advent, Ehrenbach from Wikimedia Commons.

What is Advent? (Advent I - Cycle A)

This Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent, the beginning of a new liturgical year. Our society has different ways of calculating the timespan of a year. The civic calendar goes from January 1 to December 31. Schools follow the academic calendar, which begins late summer or early autumn and lasts until the spring. The fiscal year starts on July 1 and ends on June 30. A number of ethnic groups also maintain their own traditional calendars.

In the Catholic Church, our calendar is the liturgical year. We start on the First Sunday of Advent, which is the Sunday closest to the Feast of St. Andrew, observed on November 30. We then follow a sequence of seasons and feasts throughout the year, until the Feast of Christ the King, the last Sunday of the liturgical year.

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Photo Credit: Advent wreath: Week #1 by Eugenio Hansen, OFS from Wikimedia Commons.