DEACON TOM ANTHONY

Sunday, January 3, 2016







COME LET US ADORE HIM!
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

 When Christ was born, the first to come and pay him homage were the shepherds tending their flocks in the nearby fields. They were the first to recognize him as the savior of the world and the Son of God. They were the lowest of the low in society and were looked down upon. Yet, they were invited to give Him glory. As Jesus Christ said, “I did not come to call the righteous but sinners,” we are the shepherds called forth to love and glorify Jesus Christ. It is through him that we find salvation and repair our relationship with God. Undeserving that we are, Jesus Christ tells us that we are welcome to come forward and claim our birthright. We should meditate on this continuously: that Jesus Christ is calling for us to come forward to love and glorify him.

Today we celebrate The Epiphany where the Magi from the East arrive in Bethlehem to give him homage. Again, the Magi represent us. They are pagans and gentiles from a priestly class called Medes from Persia. Even though this is the case, they too recognize Jesus for what he is and they worship Him. This event sends the message that Jesus Christ is here for the salvation of the entire world. He has come in the flesh for everyone: Jews and non-Jew alike. No one is exempt from the possibility of salvation. Jesus Christ is the Word Made Flesh and everyone is sharers in the message he brings. We must look to everyone as our Brothers and sisters through Jesus Christ. There is no need to be selfish or divisive in this process. From the beginning, Jesus Christ called everyone to welcome Him and love Him.

The story of the Magi is reflective throughout history as kings, emperors, and aliens were known to come and worship God in the Jewish Temple. Alexander the Great himself, along with Roman generals and emperors were known to offer sacrifice. This led up to the conversion of the emperor Constantine to Christianity. We are all invited to participate in this celebration by claiming our birthright as Sons of God and sacrificing our lives to Him. We are those kings and emperors that went before us and are called to love God. We are offered that transformative experience and are no less important than anyone who has come before us and will come afterward.

The Star that guided the Magi calls to all of us. It shines through the darkness and represents the Light of Christ that first offers us Faith, hope, Joy, and Love. When accepted, it then transforms us so that become possessors of the light. It then shines forth from us, offering to all that come in contact with us that which was initially offered to us and was received. God, beyond time and space, thus inserts us into Sacred Scripture. We become a part of everyone else’s’ Salvation Story. It is a story that encompasses the entire universe.

Alexander the Great, a pagan king, entered Jerusalem and realized with a particular awe that he was the one mentioned in the Book of Daniel who was to crush the Persian Empire. With that particular revelation, he welcomed the high priests of the Temple and worshipped God within. We, as Sons of God, are welcomed to do just that with no less honors or significance. To welcome God is to love God. Jesus Christ is there to reveal the Father to us.

Deacon Tom

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