Chapter 3: In the Light of the Master

Jesus explained with great simplicity what it means to be holy when he gave us the beatitudes. The beatitudes are like a Christian’s identity card. So, if anyone asks:, “What must one do to be a good Christian?” The answer is clear. We have to do, each in our own way, what Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount. In the beatitudes we find a portrait of the Master that we are called to reflect in our daily lives.

The word “happy” or “blessed” thus becomes a synonym for “holy.” It expresses the fact that those faithful to God and his word, by their self-giving, gain true happiness.

Although Jesus’ words may strike us as poetic, they clearly run counter to the way things are usually done in our world. Even if we find Jesus’ words attractive, the world pushes us toward another way of living. The beatitudes are in no way trite or undemanding, quite the opposite. We can only practice them if the Holy Spirit fills us with his power and frees us from our weakness, our selfishness, our complacency and our pride.

On this Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, we hear Isaiah say: “Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come. The glory of the Lord shines upon you. See darkness cover the earth and thick clouds cover the people, but upon you the Lord shines and over you appears his glory.”

Although this was written centuries before Jesus, we can easily see that our light has come in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the one that is our light in the darkness of his world and this day and age that threatens us. The Epiphany shows us that Jesus is this for all people, all ages, all places. We say to Jesus: “Let your light shine on me.”

You may remember that we had our church elevator rebuilt last year. So, you may ask, why isn’t it working? Unfortunately, we found a small leak dripping from somewhere into the elevator that threatens to shut down the electrical system. We are trying to find that “somewhere” and have had engineers and maintenance personnel tracking down possibilities. Several ducts with rust may have to be removed and new ones installed. This means that they have to be custom made to our setting. All of this is in progress. We regret the inability of being able of using the elevator over these past weeks. Thank the good Lord that we will be receiving funds from Renew and Rebuild that you so generosity contributed to and this will pay for the project.

-Fr. Andrew Reitz, O.F.M.

Today’s feast is new as feasts go, and it sets us this year in a very modern crisis. Amid conflicting schedules and commitments, a young man, testing the limits, has strayed from his parents and gone off to the big city. Mary and Joseph search frantically, only to find the child Jesus in the temple, conversing with the elders and scholars of the law, who are amazed at his wisdom.

In the time of Jesus, the temple was the religious center of Jewish ritual. Outside of Jerusalem, people gathered in the synagogues, centers of learning, for daily prayer and study.

Still, everyone longed to journey to the temple to participate in the offerings, and to fulfill certain obligations of the law that could only be done there. On this feast, we catch a glimpse of the family of Jesus: parents dealing with the normal stresses of raising a child, and yet completely grounded in the ways of faith and tradition.

There has always been an appreciation in Christianity for the value of pilgrimage – the journey to holy places that is a symbol of our life’s journey to God, and a sense of connection to important events in our family history. During the Christmas season, many of us undertake pilgrimages to the family homestead for festival meals, to the parishes where we were formed in the faith, or perhaps even to a beautiful manger scene or festival of lights. There are few better days than this in our calendar for spending time with the family, especially on a short pilgrimage to a favorite place. Just make sure that no one gets left behind!

-James Field

© J. S. Paluch Co.