ALL ARE WELCOME. This Sunday, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany. This is one of the oldest feasts in the ecclesiastical calendar. It is more than likely that the Church celebrated the Epiphany even before celebrating Christmas.
Let’s focus for a moment on the three Wise Men. Who were these men, sometimes referred to as kings? We don’t know much about them. The main thing we know is that they were not Jews. And this is significant. A few days after the birth of the Lord, the Gentiles, the pagans, were summoned to follow a star to Israel, where He, who the centuries awaited, was born. They followed the star because they were good men who honestly sought the will of God.
It must have been quite a sight when they arrived in Israel. They were foreigners, but not just any foreigners. They held positions powerful enough to merit an audience with Herod. Herod was worried about their visit and with him, all of Jerusalem. Who were these men, and what did they want from the king? They asked to pay tribute to the newborn king of the Jews. Was there a baby out there somewhere who would replace Herod? The high priests and scribes could only tell Herod about an ancient prophecy that a ruler would come from Bethlehem. If these three wise men, considered kings in their time, could create such a stir in Jerusalem, imagine what it must have been like when they arrived in Bethlehem and headed to the place where Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were staying. Even more surprising, these wealthy pagans prostrated themselves before the child and gave him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Why would wealthy pagans be interested in the Jewish Messiah? For the Gentiles to be part of God’s plan for his people was beyond the consideration of the Jews. But the mystery, hidden for generations, was now revealed: the Gentiles were to be co-heirs with the Jews, members of the same body, partakers of the promise of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, the Emmanuel, came for all people. No one was to be excluded from the Grace of God that He would bring.
We Catholics, people whose very name means universal, recognize that all people are called to the grace of God given through Jesus Christ. It’s very easy for us to exclude people, though. In fact, we have been trained by our society to divide people into different groups. We are told to judge who behaves in one way and who behaves in another. We can easily decide who belongs in the Church and who really shouldn’t be there. We decided that groups of people should not participate in the gifts of the Church.
We do not have the right to exclude people from worshiping Him, who is the Offering, the gift of Bethlehem. We do not have the right to exclude people from receiving the charity of the Church, the love of God. There are some who think that Catholic Relief Services and the Catholic Campaign for Human Development should not support organizations that care about people in need unless these organizations adhere to the Church’s teachings on morality. Other Catholics say that the wise men had no business receiving God’s Grace because, after all, they were probably pagans.
We cannot bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to people if we exclude them from the love of the Lord that has been entrusted to us. Jesus did not come for a select group of people. He came for all people. This is a truth of the Church and a great mystery for those who see themselves as the only beneficiaries of God’s Grace.
We come to church on Sundays to celebrate Mass. The word Mass means to be sent. We come to church to receive the gift of God, and we are sent to bring these gifts to all the people of the world. We are sent to bring the good news of the joy of the Gospel to those who have been marginalized by society. We are sent to heal those who are suffering, whether they believe in Christ or not. We are sent to help those who care for those in need, whether they follow the entirety of Catholic morality or not. People who are excluded will never find Christ unless they experience the presence of God through the charitable gestures and acts of other Christians. Pope Francis reaffirmed that no one has ever been converted because of a discussion. People are converted by the presence of Christ that they experience in sincere Christians.
What are those wise men doing bringing gifts to the King of the Jews? What are those people who we say are not worthy of being in Church, doing seeking to be welcomed into the Presence of God? What are these non-Catholic organizations doing caring for those in need? Everyone is doing exactly what they should be doing: worshiping the One who came for all people.
We often begin our Masses by singing, “All Are Welcome.” Are we referring to this? Or are there some who are not as welcomed as others, whether here at Mass or outside our doors seeking to care for others? This Sunday, on the Solemnity of the Epiphany, we ask the Lord to free us from our prejudices. We ask Jesus to allow us to truly be what we call ourselves, Catholics, people of a universal Church.
Father Lalo Jara, OFM
Pastor, Mission San Luis Rey Parish
Sign up to Join Our Flock!
Do you want to stay updated with text and/or email notifications about upcoming events, Mass times, and more? Would you like to get your weekly bulletin by email? Or connect with one of our ministries?
We have you covered! This is the best way to get the latest information from Mission San Luis Rey Parish.
then select "Add to Home Screen" and click "Add."