The Christian life is about loving, forgiving, doing good, and praying for all especially those who hate and are out for us. There is no better way to put it than how Jesus articulated it in today’s gospel: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who abuse you.
In life, trust in God is our true happiness or blessedness. Indeed, our lives are full of ups and downs, hence, it is blissful to find peace, joy and tranquillity in God. This is the greatest challenge to our Christian belief and practice. Our profound peace and happiness lie in our whole and complete trust in God.
Our human and Christian life is all grace. No one is worthy of God’s call, but he calls, he prepares and perfects them to be worthy of his mission for them. Truly, as priests or pastors, pastoral agents or Christians, we were never called by God because we are perfect beings.
We are the light and glory of God (Christ) in the world of darkness. Today, we celebrate the feast of Christ, the light of the world, and the glory of Israel. Indeed, Christ is our light. We celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord forty days after we celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas.
A healthy body of Christ is an effective and efficacious functioning Church that works in harmony, teamwork, and a peaceful spirit, uplifting each other in service of God and others. It is a Trinitarian model of individuality in diversity for the salvation of all.
Our lives are full of complexities, but the best solution to these challenges or problems is through Mary’s intervention or prayer. With Mary’s powerful intercession, whatever difficulties there are in our lives, marriages, families, communities, societies, churches, or the world have quick and effective solutions.
Fundamentally, the sacrament of baptism opens us up to God’s grace and the Christian life. Hence, it is the most fundamental sacrament that initiates us into the divine life of God, the Church, and personal freedom from sin and slavery to Satan.
The Epiphany manifests Christ’s salvation for all and the universal. Fundamentally, the Feast of Epiphany demonstrates that God is an inclusive God. He does not exclude anyone or anything from his saving grace and mercy.