LIVE PEACEABLY WITH ALL MEN

A SERMON FOR THE 3rd SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

A few nights ago, I had a dream.  Nothing special about it really, just one of those jumbled collections of our subconscious thoughts that serve to pass the time while we’re sleeping. And yet, I can’t completely reject the idea that God does in fact send us certain insights along with all the crazy stuff of which our dreams are made.  In this particular dream, I was transported to an old farmhouse.  It was the time of the Civil War, and on the previous day a great battle had been fought.  I was a captain in the Union army, and I had been ordered to stay in the farmhouse for the night along with just two soldiers from my troop who had survived the battle. One of these soldiers was dying in the next room, so I didn’t see him.  The other one, when he took off his cap, couldn’t have been more than about 18.  Naturally, he was exhausted from the fighting, covered in dirt and sweat—blood too in places—and worst of all he was terrified by the memories of what he had seen that day.  In the absence of his mother, I suppose, he turned to his captain for comfort and encouragement, oblivious of course to the fact that I was just as dirty and terrified as he was.

Looking back at this dream, I’m struck by how easy it is to love, with our fine, smug, Christian love, those who fight with us in the trenches.  It is the comfortable love that comes from the pleasant feelings of camaraderie we share with the people who fight the same battles as we do, who agree with our principles, who applaud the same people we admire, who appreciate the same ideas we have, who believe the same truths and practice the same values.  With such men we can very easily “live peaceably” as St. Paul exhorts us in today’s Epistle.

But then, of course, there are our enemies.  Those who wish us harm, who would think nothing of crushing us under their boots in order to advance themselves, those who for apparently no reason seem determined to despise us, who seek to humiliate us and belittle us and mock us.  How easy is it to live peaceably with such as these?  St. Paul shows us the right way: “Avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath, for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” In other words, it is not our place to seek revenge on those who hate us.  We must rather leave such vengeance to God, whose role it is to reward the good and punish the wicked.  Such advice is not merely spiritual counseling, it is sound practical advice that prevents us from becoming embittered, spiteful, and filled with the venomous toxin of hatred.  If ever such hatred were to fill our souls, it would block the presence of the Holy Ghost and there would be no good, no love, in us.  We would die hating, and we would be damned to the eternal fires, where we would hate for evermore.

So we must love our enemies.  And when he comes crawling to us in his hour of need, it is not the role of the Christian to rejoice in his humiliation, but to reach out and sustain him in his need. If he is hungry, we must feed him. If he thirst, we must give him to drink. And if we act thus out of true Christian charity for a neighbor in distress, our kindness serves to “heap coals of fire on his head.”  The contrast between his hatred and our love would be so glaringly transparent that it would inspire all who witnessed it to embrace goodness and eschew evil.  It would sow the seeds of grace in the arid and cynical souls who today look around them and see nothing but animosity and quarreling.

What God asks of us is not easy, however.  But it is possible, otherwise God would not ask it of us.  It is certainly within the powers of our will to forgive and love our enemies.  We are not asked to likethem, just to lovethem.  And not to love them with any silly, emotional notion of love, but with a firm act of the will that is determined not to wish them harm but good, at least spiritual good.  We must not wish for our enemies to die, but rather to be converted and live.  This is possible for even the angriest victim of their hatred, and yes, we can all live up to this precept of God to love our neighbor. It is even possible for the soldier on the battlefield to love his enemy even as he plunges a bayonet deep between his ribs.  He should not, and hopefully does not, hate this enemy, who after all is simply performing the same job that he has for the opposing army.  And he should, if he has a second to think, say a prayer for his soul even as he deliberately forces that soul out from its body.  There is salvation for those who find they must kill in wartime.

Today, we are all surrounded by enemies.  More and more enemies.  They hate us because they hate God.  They are God’s enemies, and therefore we, the friends of God, are their enemies also. We read in this past week’s news that the Governor of New York has legalized unlimited abortion right up to the moment of birth.  What’s even worse is that this was not something he did reluctantly in order to protect some ill-conceived rights of women to control their own reproductive system. Governor Cuomo signed this bill into law with great rejoicing and celebration, ordering that many of the monuments of New York City be illuminated in pink to celebrate the expansion of infanticide within the state.  How are we supposed to love Governor Andrew Cuomo when he rubs his hands together with glee at the prospect of more dead babies?  We applaud and take up the call of the two modernist bishops for the excommunication of this perverse politician, but in doing so, we must do so not out of anger and frustration, but out of charity.  And it ischaritable to punish someone for the good of society, in this case to defend the rights of the unborn.  It’s charitable also, because the punishment may bring the wicked-doer to his senses, it just might dissuade him from losing any Catholic faith he has left.

So let’s fight any temptations we might have to wish for a violent and preferably painful death for people who would do such terrible things to innocent babies, much as they deserve it.  “Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord.”  Our own role is to defend those babies as best we can by thrusting the bayonet of excommunication right between Cuomo’s two beady eyes.  With all the love we can push with.  And in the more general sense, we must remember that while it is our job to defend the innocent and the oppressed, it’s God job to serve up the ultimate sentence of justice on those who violate them.  Never to overcome the evil ones with greater evil, but to overcome them with good.  It might not be easy, but neither is it optional.

THE DIVINE IMAGE

A HYMN FOR THE 3rd SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY

By William Blake

To Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love 

All pray in their distress; 

And to these virtues of delight 

Return their thankfulness. 

For Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love 

Is God, our father dear, 

And Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love 

Is Man, his child and care. 

For Mercy has a human heart, 

Pity a human face, 

And Love, the human form divine, 

And Peace, the human dress. 

Then every man, of every clime, 

That prays in his distress, 

Prays to the human form divine, 

Love, Mercy, Pity, Peace. 

And all must love the human form, 

In heathen, Turk, or Jew; 

Where Mercy, Love, and Pity dwell 

There God is dwelling too. 

MIND NOT HIGH THINGS

A MESSAGE FOR THE 3rd SUNDAY AFTER EPIPIHANY

Our Gospel today begins with the story of a leper. This leper, in spite of the great deal of suffering he must have endured from his disease, nevertheless had faith in our Lord’s ability to heal him. Did he fully understand that this Man was the Son of God?  Was his understanding of the nature of the Blessed Trinity so complete that he had grasped the reason why the Second Person of that Trinity was now living in the midst of the children of Israel working miracles?  Most assuredly not.

We sometimes falsely equate our faith with our understanding of the truths of that faith.  This is the wrong approach.  It is perhaps true that the more we understand those truths, the more complete our faith is.  But God calls each person to a different level of knowledge.  The average layperson is not expected to have the knowledge of a priest who has undergone five or six years or more of intense training in a seminary designed for the purpose.  And neither that priest, nor even those who had taught him in the seminary can claim to approach the level of comprehension that a St. Thomas Aquinas or a St. Augustine had of the truths of the faith.

This is as it should be. We are not all born equal when it comes to intelligence and opportunity.  Our divine judge will never pronounce sentence on us based on how much we know, unless of course we have deliberately neglected to learn our faith.   Otherwise, we are who we are.  We should not try to rise above our station.  Or as St. Paul says in today’s Epistle, “Mind not high things… be not wise in your own conceits.”  It is a sign of humility to recognize our own worth when it comes to intelligence and education, and never make pretences to learning higher than we actually possess.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and for this reason armchair theologians are dangerous.  One cannot simply read, for example, the Code of Canon Law and then pretend to know how to apply its principles to unforeseen situations such as the ones we come across since Vatican 2.  And yet, we have such creatures as “home-aloners” who refuse the sacraments because they believe traditional priests don’t have “jurisdiction.”  Laws that worked in the past cannot be applied today, but that doesn’t stop them pontificating to the rest of us based on their pathetically incomplete knowledge of the principles.  Don’t be impressed by people who try to overwhelm you with “facts” and quotations. Chances are, they are sincere, but wrong!  Good intentions pave the way not to a closer walk with God, but to hell.

It’s better to accept, humbly, that we can’t unravel all the complexities of life and theology thrust upon us by the ravages of Vatican 2 and the evil men who promote the Church’s destruction.  And far better to take on the role of the leper in today’s Gospel, proclaiming to our Lord in heaven that we know, by our faith, that he has the power to make everything right again.  If we would all fervently and repeatedly make this prayer, maybe we would be blessed to hear once again the answer of our Lord, “I will; be thou clean.”

WE FLY UNTO THEE

A SERMON FOR THE 2nd SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY

In the last couple of weeks, we have taken quite a leap forward in the Gospel story.  On the feast of the Holy Family we heard the tale of the Christ Child, twelve years old, remaining behind in Jerusalem, being lost and then found by his parents, conversing with the elders in the temple, being about “his father’s business.”  The Gospel ended by setting the scene for the raising of the Christ Child in Nazareth, where, we are told, he was subject to Saints Mary and Joseph.

From this idyllic picture of family life on the feast of the Holy Family, we traveled forward in time a period of 18 years. The young child grows up.  At some point his foster father St. Joseph passes on into eternity, and then last Sunday, the octave day of the Epiphany we celebrated the Baptism of Christ, now a young man of 30.  It is the beginning of Christ’s three years of ministry, during which he taught us by his parables, his actions, his miracles.   

But before Christ began his public life of ministry, there was something he wanted to do first.  And so, when he and his Mother were invited to a wedding feast at Cana, he had no intention of performing his first miracle, and starting his public ministry with the dramatic and miraculous changing of the water into wine. What was it that he wanted to do first? We’ll not know that until we are in heaven.  All we know is that his hour had “not yet come”.  And this, then, is the greatest drama of today’s Gospel.  Not that he changed water into wine—this was nothing to the almighty Word of God who had created an entire universe out of nothing. No, the great drama today is that this almighty God changed his plan at the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary his Mother.

With this in mind, we should never hesitate to ask her to intercede for us at the feet of her Son.  He can refuse her nothing that she asks.  And so we ask for her help.  And “never was it known”, says the prayer, the Memorare, “that anyone who fled to her protection, who sought her help, or sought her intercession, was left unaided.”

Today’s Gospel begins with the words:  “There was a marriage in Cana of Galilee, and the Mother of Jesus was there.”  Note that the Gospel does not tell us WHO is getting married.  That’s not the important part of this story.  The bride and groom at Cana represent and foreshadow all future Christian brides and bridegrooms, for this, my dear people, was the very first wedding on which Lord was to bestow the grace of a sacrament. Yes, this wedding at Cana was the first marriage to be a sacrament.  “And the Mother of Jesus was there.”

How important is it therefore, that we invite the Mother of Jesus into our own homes.  That we make her a permanent guest here amongst our family.  The name of Mary should never be far from our lips, and the thought of her loving care should never be far from our minds.  Remember the famous words of Father Peyton, that the Family that prays together stays together.  Pray the Rosary—Our Lady’s Rose Garden.  Say the 150 Hail Marys of the Rosary together each week, calling on her to help you, poor banished children of Eve, in this vale of tears.  

Some days are happy, some are sad.  Sometimes we are joyful, at other times we are sorrowful. The Rosary reflects these different moods and circumstances of our life, with its joyful and sorrowful mysteries. The Rosary makes sense of all these ups and downs by placing before us the promise of a life to come, the glorious mysteries of an eternity with God.  Let the life of Our Lady and her Divine Son enter into your life, let them both be guests in your home as you gather together in prayer.  They should not be strangers but welcome friends, so that when the time comes for you to ask a favour of Our Lady, she will bestow a sweet smile on your prayer, and remind her Son that you have “no wine”, or whatever plight you happen to be in.  And Our Lord, even though he may have been planning something altogether different for you, will do as she asks and grant the favour you so badly need.

And so, inspired by this confidence, as the Memorare reminds us, “we fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, our mother.”  It is not enough to drag our feet slowly to prayer.  To reluctantly give up a few minutes of our day to mutter through a few tired old incantations, without thought, or even worse, with our thoughts on our own distracted life, with its fears and pleasures.  No, we must FLY to the Virgin of virgins, our Mother. Invite her as a guest into your home, and then come before her presence with joy, inspired by the confidence that she will intercede for us to her Son, and that he will grant her the favours she asks.  Stand before her, sinful and sorrowful.  She is the Mother of the Word Incarnate, and she will not despise your petitions, but in her mercy she will hear and answer you. 

FOR MARY, MOTHER OF THE LORD

A HYMN FOR THE 2nd SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY

For Mary, Mother of the Lord
God's holy name be praised,
Who first the Son of God adored

As on her child she gazed.

The angel Gabriel brought the word
She should Christ's mother be;
Our Lady, handmaid of the Lord,
Made answer willingly.

The heavenly call she thus obeyed,
And so God's will was done;
The second Eve love's answer made
Which our redemption won.

She gave her body for God's shrine,
Her heart to piercing pain,
And knew the cost of love divine
When Jesus Christ was slain.

Dear Mary, from thy lowliness
And home in Galilee,
There comes a joy and holiness
To every family.

Hail, Mary, thou art full of grace,
Above all women blest;
Blest in thy Son, whom thy embrace
In birth and death confessed.

By J.R. Peacey

THE SINLESS ONE TO JORDAN CAME

A HYMN FOR THE OCTAVE DAY OF EPIPHANY

By G.B. Timms, 1975

The sinless one to Jordan came To share our fallen nature's blame; God's righteousness he thus fulfilled And chose the path his Father willed.

Uprising from the waters there, The voice from heaven did witness bear That he, the Son of God, had come To lead his scattered people home.

Above him see the heavenly Dove, The sign of God the Father's love, Now by the Holy Spirit shed Upon the Son's anointed head.

How blest that mission then begun To heal and save a race undone; Straight to the wilderness he goes To wrestle with his people's foes.

Dear Lord, let those baptized from sin Go forth with thee, a world to win, And send the Holy Spirit's power To shield them in temptation's hour.

On thee shall all thy people feed And know thou art the Bread indeed, Who gives eternal life to those That with thee died, and with thee rose.

A TRIPLE CELEBRATION

A MESSAGE FOR THE OCTAVE DAY OF EPIPHANY

On the Feast of the Epiphany, the antiphon at Vespers announces to us the triple nature of the feast: “Now do we celebrate * a festival in honour of three days when Christ was made manifest: the day whereon a star led the Wise Men to the manger; the day whereon water was turned to wine at the wedding feast; the day whereon Christ was pleased to be baptized of John in Jordan that he might save us, alleluia.”

The word Epiphany signifies “manifestation”, and of course refers to the fact that not only was born at Christmas, but was also manifested, revealed, to the world. This manifestation took place in three steps, all of which are celebrated during Epiphanytide. The first manifestation is the one most commonly associated with the Feast of Epiphany, and refers to the visit of the Three Wise Men, pagans all, who traveled from their faraway countries, following a star and the promise of a newborn King who would save all men, not just the chosen Jewish nation, from their wickedness.

On the Octave Day of the Epiphany, our Lord's cousin, St. John the Baptist, brings to our attention another later manifestation in the form of our Lord’s Baptism. This great forerunner of the Messiah had been chosen to prepare the way of the Lord so that the people would recognize their Saviour when he came. St. John the Baptist wished to make it perfectly clear that Christ was this Saviour, and pointed him out to the multitudes, saying “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him that taketh away the sins of the world!” His words were echoed by no less than God the Father in heaven, whose voice was heard confirming the Baptist's declaration: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

The third manifestation of Christ’s coming was made at the wedding feast of Cana, when our Lord performed his first miracle at the request of his blessed Mother. With this miracle, his divinity was confirmed to the people, and our Lord’s public ministry began. We celebrate this miracle next week on the 2nd Sunday after Epiphany.

A TRIPLE CROWN

A MESSAGE FOR THE EPIPHANY

Three wise men followed a star and made their way to Bethlehem.  There, the three kings knelt before the newborn King of Kings, and each one gave him a gift—gold, frankincense and myrrh.  Pope St. Gregory the Great expounded on the symbolism of these gifts, and we are familiar with their imagery: “By the gifts which they presented unto him, the wise men set forth three things concerning him unto whom they offered them: by the gold, that he was King; by the frankincense, that he was God; and by the myrrh, that he was mortal man.”

Christ was born God and man.  But we must remember too that he was born a king—indeed, the King of Kings—so it was fitting that three kings should be present at his Nativity to kneel before him and do him homage.  Their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh not only show us the three aspects of royalty, divinity and humanity, but represent also the extent of the infant King’s authority over heaven as God, and over the earth as Man. The gifts of the three kings at Bethlehem can be seen, therefore, as the three crowns of Christ the King, and are the reason for the large number of images and statues that depict Christ the King wearing a triple tiara.

In these latter days, the enemies of the Church have intensified their attacks against Christ our King: “The kings of the earth rise up, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against his anointed” (Ps. 2). Since the French Revolution, they have attempted to substitute the triple masonic ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity in place of the triple crown of Christ the King.  Their undying opposition to the reign of Christ eventually reached within the very bosom of Holy Mother Church—at Vatican II, the Council Fathers adopted the triple motto of freemasonry, and placed it within thte Council documents, hiding liberty, equality and fraternity under the guise of religious liberty, collegiality and ecumenism.  Their efforts may seem clumsily self-evident , yet they were effective in changing the nature of the whole Church establishment.

As for the Lord’s anointed representative on earth, the alleged successor of Peter to whom Christ’s authority on earth was bestowed, Paul VI was the last to be crowned with the triple tiara, or any other crown.  Why was it so important to abolish this symbol of the papacy?  The triple crown symbolized the very attributes of the papacy that the modernists were so anxious to replace with their liberty, equality and fraternity.  At the moment of the pope’s coronation, the following words are solemnly pronounced in Latin: “Receive the tiara adorned with three crowns and know that thou art father of princes and kings, ruler of the world, vicar on earth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, to whom be honour and glory for ever and ever.”  The royalty, humanity and divinity of Christ are all clearly referenced in this admonition, and the divine right of the Pope and his authority over all mankind are unambiguously described.  What horror and contempt the modernists must have had for a symbol that so perfectly encapsulated the opposite of what they sought. 

And so, after his own coronation, Paul VI symbolically ratified the three masonic ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity by abolishing the pope’s triple tiara.  It has not been used since.  There is no room from crowns in this brave new post-concilar and democratic world where all men are supposedly created forever equal. The papal tiara, the Triregnum, has been replaced with a simple miter, symbolizing the reduction of his role to that of “first among equals.”  Paul VI then proceeded to abolish the Holy Apostolic Mass. 

A LIFE OF SERVICE

A SERMON FOR EPIPHANY

One of the most beloved Christmas traditions in my homeland, England, takes place every Christmas Day at three o’clock in the afternoon.  Just as families are winding down after their traditional Christmas dinner of roast turkey, the television is switched on, and everyone gathers together to watch The Queen’s annual Christmas broadcast to the nation and the Commonwealth.  This tradition of speaking on Christmas Day to her people follows a tradition established by her grandfather King George V back in 1932, when his speech was written by the great author Rudyard Kipling, and was transmitted live over the radio on the BBC’s World Service.

I mention this because today is the Feast of the Epiphany, the Feast of the Three Kings.  Kings, and Queens, have been a part of our Western Christian heritage throughout the Middle Ages, and on to the present day.  As head of their respective nations, they represent the highest pinnacle of civil power and authority under only God himself.  Unfortunately, many monarchs have not lived up to the momentous responsibilities given to them by God.  Throughout history we have watched as “the kings of the earth rise up, and the rulers have taken counsel together against the Lord, and against his Anointed.” It started with today's Gospel, where we see King Herod trying to trick the Three Wise Men into betraying the location of the newborn King of Kings.  He’s already plotting his mischief against the Christ Child. Later in history, we have only to think of the English King Henry II who had St. Thomas a Becket murdered in the cathedral, or Henry VIII, who was responsible for the execution of St. Thomas More.

Herod and the two Henrys—three bad kings, certainly.  But today our focus is on another three Kings.  Three Kings from the Orient, who followed their star of wonder across field and fountain, moor and mountain, until at last it came to rest above the stable at Bethlehem.   What made Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar travel so far in the bleak midwinter?  What was it that brought them to that stable where they presented their precious gifts to the child in the humble manger?  Was it mere curiosity at the astronomical phenomenon of a moving star?  Or was it to see fulfilled some long-remembered prophecy? However, the real lesson we learn from them lies not in the reasons why they made their journey, but rather in the image of these three Kings, kneeling at the feet of the infant Messiah, humbly recognizing, in this baby in the stable, him who from this moment was to be not only the glory of his people Israel, but also a light to enlighten the Gentiles.  This image is the announcement to us, the Gentiles, that Christ came for the Redemption not only of the Jews, but of all mankind.  Including ourselves.

This humble baby is none other than the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the source of all power and authority.  In the Gospel of St. Matthew he himself tells us “I am a King.  All power is given to me in heaven and in earth.”  But why did this King of kings become a man to dwell amongst us?   He had all power to rule over us and govern us, but rather than do this during his life on earth, he preferred to humbly serve.  His real reason for being born was to save mankind from all his iniquities.  And to save us, he served us. 

This is why the Three Kings came to Bethlehem.  They came “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity.”  And in return for the gift that the Christ Child gave them in this his glorious manifestation to the Gentiles, they gave him their gifts.  The gift of gold in recognition of the Kingship of Christ.  The gift of frankincense, in recognition of his priesthood.  And the gift of myrrh, a burial ointment, symbolizing the death he would suffer for us.   King, God, and suffering Redeemer.  Gold, frankincense and myrrh.  They gave their gifts, each more precious than the last, and they gave them with the same love that the humble shepherds presented their lambs.   The Three Kings humbled themselves before the King of kings. They knelt before him, acknowledging that their own power and authority was derived from the divine power and authority that emanated from this tiny baby in his Mother’s arms.  They knelt and served their King, their Lord and master.

This is the attitude all rulers should adopt today.  No matter how much power they may wield in this world, they should humbly acknowledge that this power comes from God, and that they must lead their people in worshiping this God.  Alas, so many heads of state today sorely neglect their first duty, which is to publicly and humbly acknowledge that their power comes from God.  It is striking, then, when we hear words from a reigning monarch clearly reflecting the Catholic teaching that all authority comes from God, and that it is therefore the duty of all, whether shepherds or kings, to serve God and their neighbor.  Queen Elizabeth II acceded to the throne in 1952, and has reigned now for almost 70 years.  Her reign has been one of continual service to her people, and this theme of service, giving to others, was central to her Christmas message a few years ago.  Here are her words from the end of her broadcast:

"At Christmas I am always struck by how the spirit of togetherness lies also at the heart of the Christmas story. A young mother and a dutiful father with their baby were joined by poor shepherds and visitors from afar. They came with their gifts to worship the Christ child. From that day on he has inspired people to commit themselves to the best interests of others. 

"This is the time of year when we remember that God sent his only Son 'to serve, not to be served'.  He restored love and service to the centre of our lives in the person of Jesus Christ. 

"It is my prayer this Christmas Day that his example and teaching will continue to bring people together to give the best of themselves in the service of others. 

"The carol,In the Bleak Midwinter, ends by asking a question of all of us who know the Christmas story, of how God gave himself to us in humble service: 'What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; if I were a wise man, I would do my part'. The carol gives the answer 'Yet what I can I give him - give my heart'.”

This was the call of a Queen to her people.  To follow the example of the Christ Child and give of themselves, to be generous in their dedication to the needs of others.  And most of all to give God our heart.  Here are the two great commandments, to love God with all our heart and mind and strength, and to love our neighbour as ourselves.  We are called to service in the army of Christ the King.  We are called upon to do our duty.  But it is a duty we should fulfill with love, because it is in loving that we do our duty, loving God and neighbour isour duty.

It was the custom on the feast of Epiphany, or Twelfth Night as it is sometimes called in England, that the lord and lady of the manor would seat their servants at the head table, and would serve them drinks and a fine dinner. This topsy-turvy overturning of the normal hierarchy of authority meant one simple thing:  it was a reminder that the higher the calling, the greater the responsibility.  Kings, lords, and ladies, and certainly our politicians, are the servants of the people, and although it is we the people who appear to serve them, the actual truth is that they have been given power solely in order to serve the people better. The last shall be first, and the first shall be last.  It is one of the major themes of the Christmas season.

Added to this theme of humility and service today is the great Epiphany message: “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.”  With the arrival of the Three Kings at the stable, the Saviour is made manifest to the Gentiles.  The good news of our salvation is spread abroad through the word of the Magi, and eventually through the words of the evangelists in the Holy Scripture.  It is our Christmas Message from Bethlehem.  The image of the manger is our very first Christmas Broadcast from a King to his people and to the nations.  A message from a King, and broadcast by kings.  And today, we gather around to hear this Christmas message of salvation, not just passively, but so that we can ourselves broadcast this message, not to far off nations but more simply, to our neighbour. Let us broadcast this message by our example and our prayers.  Broadcast this message with dedication, in service to those less fortunate than ourselves, who do not rejoice in the knowledge of these truths but who still yearn for something to fill the empty void they feel in their lives.

Let us look to Our Blessed Mother and St. Joseph, and their own example of holy and dutiful service to their infant Son.  Let us follow their example by knowing, loving and serving God in this world, so that we may be happy with him forever in the next.

AS WITH GLADNESS MEN OF OLD

A HYMN FOR THE EPIPHANY

By William Chatterton Dix, 1867

1 As with gladness men of old
did the guiding star behold;
as with joy they hailed its light,
leading onward, beaming bright;
so, most gracious God, may we
evermore be led to Thee.

2 As with joyful steps they sped
to that lowly cradle-bed,
there to bend the knee before
Him whom heav'n and earth adore;
so may we with willing feet
ever seek Thy mercy-seat.

3 As they offered gifts most rare
at that cradle rude and bare;
so may we with holy joy,
pure, and free from sin’s alloy,
all our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to Thee, our heav'nly King.

4 Holy Jesus, ev'ry day
keep us in the narrow way;
and, when earthly things are past,
bring our ransomed lives at last
where they need no star to guide,
where no clouds Thy glory hide.

5 In that heav'nly country bright
need they no created light;
Thou its Light, its Joy, its Crown,
Thou its Sun which goes not down;
there for ever may we sing
alleluias to our King.