Matthew 2:1 - 12
For many families, ours included, the
Christmas season is a time when we go out of our way to be with those
we love. In our house by the time the season is over we will have
been to several parties given by our children or ourselves; we will
have had house guests every day for about three weeks; and we will
have our days disrupted in other ways. And when everyone is gathered
together our thoughts will go to those who can’t be with us as
well. And yet, in this age of the internet, why could we not have
simply gone to our computers and set up a skype conference or
something like that. We could still see and hear each other, and we
would not have to put ourselves out to be in each other’s presence.
Of course no one wants to skype when
you can be in each other’s actual presence. We human beings are
designed that way. And all of us know that even though we can’t
explain it, being in the presence of someone beats phoning or skyping
or communicating in any other way. In fact, it’s one of the last
things to go in patients with dementia. They lose the ability to talk
or feed themselves, but another person’s presence is often the one
thing that will bring them peace, will calm them down when they are
upset.
The Feast of the Epiphany celebrates
God’s presence among us. The Magi learned from their studies that
someone really important would be born in Bethlehem at a certain time
and place. But when you read the whole story from Matthew, it turns
out that they weren’t the only ones. The Jewish scholars had the
prophecies of Isaiah and Daniel to tell them the same thing, and thus
they were able to answer Herod’s questions, which eventually ended
in the slaughter of all the boys under two years of age in Bethlehem.
The Magi went to great trouble to be in the presence of the Messiah,
the promised one. And when they found the little boy and his parents
in a decidedly lower class home, they did not go away disappointed;
they rejoiced exceedingly. They saw the child with the eyes of
faith. The Jewish scholars knew that the prophets had predicted that
the Messiah would come at a certain time, and this was the time; and
in a certain place, and Behtlehem was the place. But they are not
moved to travel eight miles from Jerusalem to Bethlehem; and if they
had, they might have been disappointed in what they found; they did
not see with the eyes of faith.
Do you believe that Jesus Christ, the
Son of God from all eternity, at the same time the son of Mary who
walked the roads of Palestine two thousand years ago, is made present
in the form of bread and wine at this Mass and at every Mass through
the words of consecration pronounced by our pastor? If you don’t,
you are in good company. Only one third of those who identify as
Catholics actually believe that. About seventy percent believe that
the bread and wine are symbols, not reality. And yet Vatican II
proclaimed that the Eucharist is the source and summit of the
Christian life. When I deal with elderly people in nursing homes,
I’m surprised at how many of them are Catholic, but have long
ceased to practice their faith. I’m sure you have as hard a time
as I do when you wonder how a young man who once wanted to dedicate
his life to Jesus and the Church can become a serial abuser. In
1960, latin Americans were 90% Catholic; today it’s closer to 65%.
The statistics are depressing. And I wonder whether much of this can
be blamed on the fact that we no longer appreciate the unique nature
of the Eucharist, the very presence of Jesus Christ, God and man, in
our midst.
Blaise Pascal, a French philosopher,
was on to something when he proposed his wager -- If we behaved as
though revelation was true, and it turned out we were wrong, we’d
just be dead. If we behave as though revelation is false, and it
turns out we were wrong, we would be in hell for all eternity. I
think we could say similar things about the Eucharist. If Jesus is
really present in a unique way in the Eucharist, how are we
demonstrating that in our words and actions? If it is possible to be
in the physical presence of the Second Person of the Trinity who
became man, died for our sins, and rose again to conquer death for
us, what are we doing that shows we believe this? If we believe
Jesus feeds us with his body and blood so that we have the grace to
become other Christs, adopted children of Jesus’ Father, how
carefully do we prepare to receive this great gift?
I know I’m preaching to the choir
here. But I wonder, if you and I made a resolution to increase our
devotion to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament
during the coming year, what might happen? Would some of our fallen
away parishioners return to our fellowship? Would some of our
children decide to become priests or religious? Would couples living
together feel called to sacramental marriage? Would we ourselves
experience a more vibrant faith, a faith that would give us strength
to make a difference in our world?
God is everywhere; but Jesus, who is
God made Man, is always truly present in our Eucharist, always here
in our Church. Jesus stands before us in the Blessed Sacrament
during formal adoration. Are we like the wise men who physically and
at great personal expense came into his presence? Or like the Jewish
scholars who knew what the Magi knew, but did not leave the comfort
of their homes to visit the living God made man?
