The Feast of the Epiphany - Fr. Leo 

“Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem!  Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you.” (Isaiah)

With the Feast of the Epiphany, we celebrate that Christ, the light of the world, is here. He is active at this moment shedding the darkness of evil.  Like the magi, we are inspired in our own way to seek God.  A seeking inspired by the belief there is always something more.

We are convinced there is something more operating in all of creation.  We each have a longing that is for beauty which itself becomes an endless seeking as there is no end to a greater experience of God who is truth and beauty.

Our faith makes us dreamers because we are willing to believe and put our hope in the goodness of a God who continues to reveal God’s self to us. We believe that life will get better each day because there is a God. Some may criticize us for being dreamers, but what great human accomplishment didn’t start with a dream.  The world can’t get better if we refuse to dream a better future for all.

To dream, requires an openness to let God lead and for us not to call the shots in everything.  When we try to control everything, our hands  grip tight and closes off the grace God wants to bestow on our lives.

Herod was one of these people.  He wanted to control everything and was threatened by the birth of a child that brought new hope to the human heart. Thus, he tries to destroy what would save him.  The love and mercy of God.

We all can make the choice to be dreamers like the magi, or control freaks like Herod.  The Choice is obvious to us because we are people of faith willing to dream of a perfect Kingdom that is coming and will be!

Along these likes I came upon a quote from Thomas Merton that bears hearing and reflection.

“What is uncertain is not the coming of Christ but our own reception of him, our own response to him, our own readiness and capacity to “go forth and meet him.”  Thomas Merton.