Jan. 3, 2021: Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6: Homily

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(Please read the passage cited above first.)

My sisters and brothers,

We celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord today.  The word epiphany means manifestation or revelation.  It is like unwrapping a present to find the gift itself: it had always been there, but was not seen until it was unwrapped.  The Epiphany is the unwrapping of the presence of the Lord of Christmas.  It is the manifestation of the mystery of God: that God has entered the world through Jesus Christ to save all men and women of the world, both believers and non-believers.

Those who do not believe are co-heirs of the same inheritance that we have.  Muslims, Chinese, poor people, black-skinned people, foreigners, those without documents, gay people, those of the other political party, and those of other religions: all are coheirs with us in the inheritance of the Son of God.

Some Magi and the many others who come from the East, the West, the North and the South in order to find the Child are coheirs with us.  This grace of God that these others have received is for our benefit.  When others believe in Jesus Christ, we become better and greater.  The more we share with others, the more we are great; the less we share, the less great we are.  This is so of all our relationships, whether spiritual, personal, political, or international: we have to give in order to be great.

We need to welcome refugees, those who want to come into our country from the South.  We need to help those who suffer economically or from lack of work because of the pandemic.   The marginalized have to welcome those who have more wealth than they have.

It is a lie that each of us can be great by ourselves alone without anyone else.  This is true for individuals as well as for nations.  It is the truth that greatness comes in our community-ness.  If my neighbor is not great, neither can I be great.  If Mexico, China or Russia is not great, neither can our nation be great.

It is the truth that Jesus Christ is Lord, but he cannot be my Lord unless he is likewise your Lord and Lord of all the peoples of all the nations of the world.  It is the truth that we cannot be saved unless every else in the world can be saved.

The feast of the Epiphany celebrates the salvation of all the peoples of the world.