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Gospel: Matthew 2: 1-12
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Growing up, there was a TV show I used to watch called, “Are You Afraid of the Dark?”
(I still wonder why I watched it; it spooked me every time. I guess it was a function of being an innately curious child.)
Each episode began with kids sitting around a campfire at night. One of them would put a flashlight in front of their face and begin to tell a scary story.
The stories always took place at night with an evil character at work.
For example, one episode was called The Tale of the Night Nurse. In the story, a group of kids get locked inside a hospital overnight, while a ghost haunts them!
Do they survive?
I won’t say.
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Today’s Gospel sounds just like an episode of “Are You Afraid of the Dark?”
There’s an evil character, King Herod, who wants to kill the baby Jesus. Meanwhile, the magi want to worship him. If they’re going to find him, then the magi must travel in the darkness…into the night.
We might ask them, “Are you afraid of the dark?”
(…Dun…dun…dun…)
As they begin their tedious journey, the magi must be aware of several things: the possibility of heavy storms, robbers hiding in the hills, wild animals lurking in the bushes, and many months, perhaps a year or longer, on the road.
This will not be a journey for the faint of heart. In many ways, their lives are at stake.
There’s also the added shade of political darkness: King Herod has issued a death warrant for Jesus because Herod will do anything to remain in power.
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This is an important theme of the Epiphany, which we celebrate today: Christ entered into a darkened world.
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We gather this Sunday morning all too aware of the darkness and uncertainty that still lingers among us.
Some Christians live like the magi, under the constant threat of political persecution for their belief in Jesus.
Meanwhile, the spread of Omicron has sparked renewed fears among many, leaving us questioning, “When will this pandemic end?”
There’s also the drama some families experienced over the holidays, when Christmas dinner turned into more of a feud than a feast.
Others carry burdens silently: grief from losing a loved one, social anxiety, cancer, financial or marital trouble, and so on.
Our journeys are not too different from the magi that first Christmas. At times, we, too, journey through uncertainty. We, too, journey through the night.
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But something happened to the magi that transformed their experience of the darkness. They were comforted by the light of a star, leading them to the child Jesus.
That star assured them that there was Someone else working in the night. In spite of King Herod and the other dangers they faced, God was with them.
God was for them.
This is what we celebrate at Christmas: the fact that, in every time and place, God is with us. God is for us.
God also works in the night.
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This is where our stories differ from the life of Herod, and from that show I watched as a kid, “Are You Afraid of the Dark?”
Like the magi, at times we pass through periods of uncertainty, but the magi embolden us not to be afraid.
We have Jesus – Emmanuel – meaning, “God is with us. God is for us.”
As we begin another year, may we proceed in peace knowing a star will guide our steps.
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Image credits: (1) Springlike Parish (2) Catholic Daily Reflections (3) Everyday Power