January 3, 2010
The Epiphany of the Lord
By Rev. Joe McCloskey, S.J.
Rise up in splendor! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory. Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance. Isaiah 60:1-3
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:9-11
Piety
Piety is like the Epiphany of the Lord. Piety is he opening of our hearts to the coming of the Lord in our own lives. It lets our Lord show forth in the ways we do things out of love of the Lord in each other. Wherever there is love, the Lord is there. Piety showcases the Lord to our world. It not only shows the Lord to each other. It searches out he Lord in each other.
Study
We need to learn where the Lord is to be found in our world. Spiritual Reading shows us the Lord and where he can be found. It also creates a hunger for the Lord that reading about goodness brings us. We all need a Spiritual Director, a companion of the road. A good Director is a star to be followed. When the star is no longer visible, we need the help of those who know the road to sanctity. A Spiritual Director points out the dead ends and shows where the pot holes are.
Action
Actions are the gifts we bring to the Lord. Giving prime time to the Lord is one action important by itself. Too often leftover time from other things we do leaves the Lord out of the center of our hearts. Giving the Lord the energy from our having rested up shows the importance of our spiritual journey. We find the Lord in the Now of our lives; it is best not to put off looking for the Lord. It is best to keep him in sight. Each moment can be a special revelation of his presence if we are willing to look.
