Saturday, January 3, 2015

The Magi show up and bring their best--so should we: Epiphany Sunday


(Listen to this homily here).

            Today I would simply like to look to the Magi as an example of approaching Christ.  To do so I want to focus on two facts—the Magi show up and they don’t come empty-handed.
            One of my favorite portions of literature comes in the beginning of Ben Hur (by Lew Wallace).  In it Wallace describes what the journey of the wise men from the east may have been like.  He portrays men who cross hundreds, if not thousands of miles of desert on the back of the camel.  They are covered with dust and experience hunger and thirst.  They are led by a mysterious sense of the Spirit as they make their way to Bethlehem. 
            Sometimes I joke about being quite a missionary.  I mean, I braved cold and snow today to come to Mass!  I did so by driving a four-wheel drive truck while cranking up the heat.  What a missionary! 
            Now I am always glad to see you at Mass.  Your presence delights me, whether it has been since Thursday or years ago.  But you certainly didn’t come tonight on camel or traverse hundreds of miles!  Sometimes we may think how devoted we are because we made it through wintry conditions to come to Church.  But was it really that difficult to get here in our heated vehicles with heated seats on plowed roads? 
Sometimes we take for granted how easy it is to get to church.  Remember, there are people in our world—even today—who do not get to come to Mass every week because they don’t have a priest.  I personally watched families in Ghana, Africa walking to Church in their Sunday best six, eight or ten miles with their whole family.
You showed up today and for that I am grateful.  Keep showing up every week.  And as you showed up tonight physically, show up spiritually!
The Magi did not come to Jesus empty handed.  They came with gold, frankincense and myrrh.  These gifts were signs of Jesus’ identity.  The gold was for a king, the frankincense for a priest and the myrrh for a sacrificial victim.  These gifts were also the first fruits—the best—these men had to offer.
I remember in college when I didn’t have a ton of money (I still don’t!).  If I knew I had a twenty in my wallet, I’d be sure to leave that wallet in the car because that basket would eventually passed around.  Or, if I had a ten and some ones, I’d make sure to pull out the ones and save the ten for myself.  This was not the best of what I had to offer.
Think about it—they brought gold!  The wise man didn’t leave the gold at home after he found a copper coin on the ground.  They gave their best to the newborn king.
What do you bring to God?  What do you offer Him?  Do you present your King the best, or what is leftover?  Do you offer your first fruits of time, talent and treasure, or simply what is convenient or what you have in excess?
We learn a valuable lesson today from the Magi—we must show up to Christ and come bearing the best of our gifts.  May we, like the Magi, always follow the star that leads to Christ and present to him our best.

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