A New Year of God Searching —God Finding
Did you notice that in our Gospel reading for Epiphany, Matthew places the birth of Jesus not in a manger, but in a house? Only Luke has the manger scene so familiar to us. The truth of the story whether Matthew or Luke, resides in the fact that an epiphany took place as God’s answer to prayers.
What is an epiphany? It is a manifestation of God made real in our humanity. —those billions of prayers in search of hope in our world, of evidence of God’s presence—Jesus born into time, place, and family.
Epiphany is the feast of searching and finding new beginnings in our spiritual journey. God has made us, like the magi, to be God-searchers and God-finders. God is always new for the searcher
I’m so blessed to hear frequently that discovery so often in our RCIA members as they search for God and their way in life and in our Church. God is always ready to be found by those who respond to the inner hunger God has set in each of us.
God is present in us and all creation—we say such things all the time. However, it is in the living of such statements that reflects our belief in His presence in our lives. When we seek to see God in all people—including ourselves, seek to respect God’s creative force in our planet and all of life; that is faith witness—not merely words of faith.
That is what we do together at Mass, come to find God together, and ask God to answer prayers for hope in our lives and in our world.
Pray for the grace not to be disappointed when God isn’t found in the routine of familiar prayers and ritual; instead ask for courage to let go of the comfortable and familiar: ‘help me find you oh Lord.’
We pray to be able to put aside barriers that keep us apart and from seeing all of humanity as children of God.
Or pray for a sense of wonder and awe in life—the beauty of this Valley—the beauty in the many faces of God—the sanctity of all life from womb to natural death.
Or pray for the spirit of a searcher: to risk new ways of prayer, add reading the Bible daily,
look for ways to make peace in a marriage that is troubled,
seek out ways to talk to your children that is truly dialogue not lectures,
search for ways to let go of old wounds and embrace a New Year in Christ.
Limitless ways we can seek God in daily life; find God in daily life, and so many ways to live God in daily life.
Entering the epiphany of Jesus—God made real to us–is a call for us to take off the blinders of bigotry toward race, culture, gender orientation, or economic level,¾ for none of us chooses the circumstances of our birth. Who wants to be born into human categories that restrict, paralyze, and hurt people? Human barriers are contrary to Epiphany for they bring darkness to our world and lives, not the light of Christ. And in a world that is going through so many scary times and in so many places we need to be magi, witnesses of God’s loving presence starting at home, with one another, in our community, and out into the world.
All of us can find that presence, all of us can see that presence, and if we take off the blinders let in the light and accept the gift, all of us can be his presence and share it.
Jesus is calling all of us to be him, to see as he sees; and to make his presence known outside the sweet images of the crib and into our daily lives.
Music by Karen Lafferty, 1974, used with Permission copyright
Seek and find and live Him, Fr. Gordon |