EPIPHANY; MULTIPLE MANIFESTATIONS

 

We have a guest blogger today. Arlene B. Muller (Arlene Clare Muller, OFS) is a lector and EM at St. Pancras Church in Glendale, NY, a singer in the choir at St. Margaret's Church in Middle Village, NY, a professed Secular Franciscan & newly elected Formation Director at St. Adalbert's Secular Franciscan fraternity in Elmhurst, NY & an itinerant speech/language therapist who works with preschool children with delayed language development. In addition to her ministries & work she seeks to promote the GOSPEL & the GOSPEL OF LIFE, especially in writing & frequently on FACEBOOK.

Scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at The Epiphany of the Lord | USCCB

This morning as I thought about today's Scripture readings for the Feast of the Epiphany, I realized that not only was there a manifestation of the coming of JESUS CHRIST, King & Messiah to the Magi, but St. Paul the Apostle, formerly Saul of Tarsus the former Pharisee, also experienced a manifestation. 

The religious Jewish people at that time, of which he was one, referred to Gentiles as "unbelieving dogs" and wanted nothing to do with them because of the threat of assimilation with them which had led to the many sins that had caused their exile.
So not only was the conversion of Saul of Tarsus from arresting Christians to following & proclaiming CHRIST as the LORD & MESSIAH amazing, but also that he became Apostle to the Gentiles and the man who realized that the Gentiles--the very people he probably called "unbelieving dogs"--are CO-HEIRS with the Jews!

So all 3 Scripture readings deal with our GOD being a GOD for ALL people, even when Israel is at the geographical center. And not only do we celebrate Our LORD being made manifest to the Gentiles through the Magi, but we celebrate the truth of the Gentiles being made co-heirs with the Jews being made manifest to St. Paul, so that through the preaching of St. Paul and the spread if the GOSPEL & establishment of the Church to the Gentiles almost 2000 years ago, Our LORD is made manifest to us--mostly Gentiles--throughout the centuries to us in our present day. 

And we pray, as St. Paul did, that one day there will be a large number of Jewish people who will come to know & believe in JESUS CHRIST as LORD, SAVIOR & MESSIAH.