You may know today as Epiphany, but did you know that it is also called the “Feast of the Gentiles?” That’s to remind us that among the first people to recognize Jesus as the Messiah were pagans from “the East.” We don’t know much about them except that they were learned men who studied the stars. They were certainly not Jewish, and may have been priests of Ahura Mazda, the Zoroastrian god of the ancient Persians.

Imagine their dedication! These men spent months traveling to see Jesus—and not on highways but across deserts. They brought with them costly gifts, not even knowing if they would ever reach their destination. And they knew nothing about Christ other than that he was the promised king of the Jews. They may have been outsiders, but they had it all together on the inside!

The example of the Magi should teach us that God does not care about distinctions like Gentile, Jew, or Greek—and neither should we. If God “desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4), then we should think no differently. We may tend to steer clear of those who seem far from God, but they may ironically be the ones who have the biggest hearts for the Lord!

We all know people we might never expect to come to Christ: the acquaintance who is in a “questionable” living situation, the perpetually nasty neighbor, or the intellectual coworker who wants nothing to do with Christianity. But how do we know they don’t have a future saint hiding within them? St. Paul started as a fanatical hater of Christians, and St. Augustine began as a hedonist who stubbornly refused to convert. We are also “works in progress.” So let’s ask the Holy Spirit to fill us with his compassion, a compassion that puts no limits on love.

“Lord, send your Spirit to all nations and all hearts: to those who know you, that they will reach out to the lost; and to those who don’t know you, that they will hear you calling them to salvation!”

Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men

1.    The first reading speaks of both darkness and light. In what ways do you see a battle waging in your heart and mind between the desires of the flesh (carnal desires) and the desires of the spirit (Godly desires)? What are some steps you can take to “win” this battle?

2.    Jesus said that he is the light of the world. In what way is Jesus the light of your life? For example, do you speak with him daily in prayer? Is he the light that guides your daily decisions?

3.    In the responsorial psalm, the psalmist asks for “justice” and “right judgment.” How important are these attributes to you in your family life? In your business life?

4.    St. Paul tells us that “the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.” What does this mean to you? What are some of the promises that you are a coheir of and copartner in?

5.    In the Gospel, we again see the humility of God - he chose insignificant Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus instead of Jerusalem the capital city and home of the great temple. How important is humility to you as a virtue? Would your relationships with others, or your dealing with your family, be described as humble? Why or why not?

6.    Herod had told the Magi to “go and search diligently” for Christ. As we start the New Year, what steps can you take to seek the Lord more each day and allow him to occupy a greater part in your life?

7.    In the meditation, we prayed to “reach out to the lost.” Is there someone in your family or circle of acquaintances the Lord is asking you to reach out to? What are one or two specific things you might do to accomplish this?  

Come Holy Spirit!  ~  Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and en kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your spirit and they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. Let us pray: O God, you taught the hearts of your faithful by sending them the light of your Holy Spirit. In that same spirit give us your right judgment and the joy of your consolation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen