Homily for the Epiphany of the Lord
Cathedral of Mary Our Queen
January 2, 2022
Debating Authority
One of the most neuralgic pressure points in today’s society is authority: Who has authority? What are the limits of authority? How should it be exercised? Debates on authority are going on in every sector of society, including politics and government, education, social media, and the Church. Some see the exercise of governmental authority as heavy handed, while others see it as the most effective way to meet emergencies and to bring about change in society. Some argue that schools infringe on the rights of parents to educate their children, whereas others see education primarily as a matter for experts. Some view science as a replacement for religion, while others turn to social media as the ultimate authority on everything. The Church? It has its own running debates on authority, going back to the apostles. Some see a robust exercise of authority in the Church as an obstacle to evangelization, while others say that a weakening of Church authority has led to confusion and ennui.
On this day when we celebrate the Epiphany, we turn to our Scripture readings, which proclaim the dazzling appearance of the Son of God, clothed in our humanity. In this light, we can distinguish true authority from counterfeit authority, the right and just exercise of authority from injustice under the cloak of authority. The Magi signify genuine authority, whereas Herod signifies sham authority. Entering the stable with the Magi – there to adore the Christ-Child – we encounter the Source of all true authority whether on earth or in heaven. Of him the crowds would say, “This one teaches with authority, not like the scribes.” So let us begin our brief journey by contrasting the Magi with the despot, Herod.
True and False Authority
The Magi were authorities in their own right. Not only were they kings, they also possessed a rare degree of wisdom. They gazed at the stars to unravel the secrets of life itself, and in their science, they were led, not by admiration of their own achievements, but rather by the truth that impressed itself upon their hearts and minds. When they arrived at truth, they were willing to subject themselves to it. This is why, when the uncommon star caught their attention, they studied it and discerned what it could mean. Having done so, they left at once to adore the Source of this dawning light.
King Herod was greatly upset when, during a courtesy visit, the Magi told him that they had come in search of “the newborn King of the Jews.” Immediately, Herod sensed a threat to his self-centered power and authority. Unlike the Magi, Herod had no desire to gaze at stars or search for truth. No, Herod was all about power and protecting himself from rivals, real and imagined. We could almost understand this had his realm been magnificent. But Herod was a petty king, presiding over a distant outpost of the Roman Empire. Illusions of self-importance filled his darkened soul, like the shadows on Plato’s cave. Even so, Herod was not completely ignorant; he knew something of Jesus. In his conversation with his counselors, he asked pointedly where ‘the Christ, the anointed of God’ was to be born. Yes, the signs and portents shone all around Herod’s palace. Herod could not help but see the light yet he refused to accept it. Worst of all, was Herod’s fake piety. He asked the Magi to find out where Jesus was, so that he too could worship him. In fact, Herod wanted to kill Jesus; he would stop at nothing to hold on to power.
The Magi were too wise to enter into Herod’s dark and petty world, so they proceeded to follow the moving star, the dynamic star, which both announced the birth of Christ and also corresponded to the light in their own hearts. As these righteous Gentiles followed its lead, it brought them to a stable, a cave. There, they encountered the newborn Jesus in his Mother’s arms, a baby born in circumstances at once humble and magnificent. In their integrity and wisdom, the Magi sensed that they had found the Source, the Source of ‘truth and love, holiness and grace, justice, love and peace’ – the One who is King, not by heredity or conquest, but because he is of God. The Magi did not comprehend everything they saw. But they knew they had found the path to truth, goodness, and peace.
Elated and filled with awe, they bent down in worship as they opened the gifts they had brought for the newborn King. The gift of gold symbolized both Jesus’ kingship as well as the Magi’s faith in him. The gold Jesus asks of us is our faith in him as Savior and Lord. The gift of frankincense symbolized Jesus’ divinity and the Magi’s spirit of adoration. Just so, Jesus invites us to adore him, that is, to surrender ourselves entirely to him, for only in his love do we truly find our ourselves and our dignity and our freedom. The gift of myrrh symbolized the death Jesus would undergo for our salvation, the One who would shepherd rightly people of every race and nation . . . leading them to the green pastures of his Eucharistic love . . . giving himself as their Food and Drink.
Three Lessons
What do we learn from the encounter of the Magi with Herod, and, above all, from the encounter of the Magi with the newborn King?
First, in a world where authority is often contaminated by self-seeking, we long for an authority that is exercised, not through raw power, but in pursuit of truth. We seek authority rooted in genuine wisdom and goodness, rather than in petty goals, be they organizational or political. True authority does not reside in the accumulation of power and wealth, but rather, in the adoration of that One Truth and Love which gives life its meaning and joy. Only when we submit ourselves to God, do we exercise authority in justice and love, whether at home, or at work, or in public life, or in the Church.
Second, in a world where the human capacity to be believe is de-valued, we yearn for minds and hearts that are truly open to the light of truth, the light that leads us to the One who is “God from God and light from light . . . .” The light of faith does not cancel out the light of reason, but enhances it. And the embrace of God in faith does not diminish human dignity but saves it, saves it from the murderous designs of those who exercise power without regard for truth. When we perceive the truth, we like the Magi, must respond to it promptly, even when it upends our lives or invades our comfort zones.
Third, at a time when the Church’s mission of evangelization is struggling, should we not ask God to grant us something of the joy and elation of the Magi? They did not have the benefit of Revelation – Scripture and Tradition – but they sensed, more keenly than we, the magnificent mission entrusted to Jesus . . . the saving mission he would accomplish by dying on the Cross and rising from the dead. If we had just a small portion of the Magi’s spirit of joy, adoration, and amazement, what zealous proponents of the Gospel we would be! How we would delight in spreading the good news, by word and example, among family members, friends, and fellow parishioners whose faith has lapsed.
One more thing. The Wise Men refused to be drawn into Herod’s illusory world. So too, as people of faith, let us not be pulled into the illusory world of ideology, either on the left or the right, either from secular or pseudo-religious sources. Rather, let us hold fast to the mystery of faith, not on the world’s terms, but God’s. Then will the glory of the Lord shine upon us and through us, just like the Magi! Blessed New Year! May God bless you and keep you always in his love!