(Please read the above Scriptural passage before the homily.)
We celebrate today the mystery of the Epiphany of the Lord. The word Epiphany is a Greek word; it means revelation or manifestation. It is the mystery that God has revealed to us, namely, that the pagans are co-heirs in the same inheritance that the Jewish people and we have.
Who are the pagans? They are those whom we consider different from us, those not in our group, or in our political party; those people of another religion different from ours; those from another race, country, or nationality. The Gospel, however, is for them as much as it is for us.
The mystery says that pagans, those who we do like, are members of the same body of Christ and share in the same promise as we do.
Thanks be to God who has shared the mercy he has for us and our pagans through the Jewish people. We are united with the Jewish people and the rest of the world. Thanks be to God; in God’s mercy, we have received the grace of knowing God’s goodness, Christ Jesus.
What we have received, that we must distribute to the rest of the people near us. We must share our joy and happiness with the all the other people, those whom we call pagans.
We are Christians, not for ourselves alone, but also for the rest of the world, even though we refer to them as pagans or our enemies. Divisions among people and divisions between people and the rest of nature must be destroyed.
The grace of God is likewise for ICE, our border guards, politicians, and all those whom we do not like.
The mystery of the Epiphany is that the mercy of God includes all men and women without distinction. It I the celebration and the joy of today. Pagans, all people united with us, are co-heirs with Christ and share his same life, his same promise, his same mercy. May we celebrate this mystery today with all men and women now in this life and forever in the glory of God the Father.