Homily for Epiphany - January 8, 2017

Homily for Epiphany

January 8, 2017

Seeking God Where He Is Found

 

            Do you want to find God in your life? The Wise Men went on quite a journey – from as far away as India and Persia – because they wanted God. They wanted to see Him, experience Him, be in His presence and give Him worship. It’s a fundamental desire of the human heart.

            In the twentieth century, Poland had been suffering under Soviet Communist occupation for decades, since 1945. The Communists aimed to stamp out religion, seeing it as worthless and dangerous, since they viewed human beings as only valuable in what they could produce. Yet in June of 1979, Pope John Paul II – himself a son of Poland – visited his homeland, and met with massive crowds hungry for God. On June 5, he gave a speech to millions of people in Krakow – and in response, the millions of people started to chant, “We want God! We want God! We want God!” Even forty years of Communist oppression couldn’t snuff out the desire for God in every human heart.

            So, we all seek God. But where can we find Him? The Magi found Him as a baby – quite an unexpected way to find God! But what about us?

            First, we find God in nature. His creation proclaims the majesty of Him Who created it. One of my favorite memories of this past year was camping with a few people from the parish up at Housatonic Meadows State Park in northern CT. Once you get out of the city, the night sky comes alive – and we were taken aback by the amount of stars we could see. We prayed a Rosary there, outside by the Housatonic River, beneath the Milky Way…it was a truly stellar experience (pun intended!). You could almost see God’s fingerprints in the galaxies and constellations!

            Second, we find God in Scripture. If you ever want to know what’s on God’s mind, read His Word, which is like His love letter to you. It is in the Bible that we encounter Jesus, we learn about what is on God’s heart, and what plans He has for your life.

            Third, we find God in fellow believers. Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered in My Name, I am there in the midst of them.” It is true – I belong to a couple prayer groups, both of which show me a face of God that I need to see – the face of friendship, love, compassion. When I pray together with my family, I feel the Holy Spirit moving, because I know that we are praying for each other, united in our love for Christ.

            Fourth, we find God reflected in the poor. “The poor” does not always mean the homeless standing on street corners – it means the lonely kid sitting by himself at the lunch table; it means the elderly person forgotten in the nursing home; it means the friend who is self-destructing through bad choices; it means your spouse and your kids who need your love. As Jesus Himself said, “Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for Me.” If we want to find God, we can look for Him in the distressing disguise of the poor and those in need.

            Fifth, we find God in gratitude. “Every good and perfect gift comes from above,” St. James tells us in his letter. When I was home over Christmas break, I was telling my family about a dear priest-friend who often said, “Food is God’s love made edible!” To which my mom responded, “I’ve also thought that taking a warm shower is like being hugged by God.” Wow! Great realization! Such small blessings, but by our gratitude, we recognize the good Giver Who poured them out on us.

            Sixth, we find God even in our sufferings. We are never closer to Christ than when we are on the Cross with Him. In fact, it’s a sign of God’s great love for you and His desire for your holiness if He allows you to participate in the Cross. Even in the midst of suffering, we can find Christ with us, carrying our burdens with us.

Lastly, we find God in the Eucharist par excellence. In the other places like nature and good gifts and helping the poor, we encounter a symbol of God. God is not literally a warm shower or a homeless man! But here in the Eucharist, we encounter God Himself! We are able to receive Him into our own flesh and blood. The same God who took on flesh in Bethlehem now takes on the appearance of bread, humbling Himself once again so that He can be small enough for our poor souls to love.

Often in life we ask, “Where is God?” All of us have a desire to see Him, encounter Him, love Him. And we can still find Him today – in nature, in Scripture, in suffering, in the poor, in fellow believers, in the Eucharist…He is real. Encounter Him. Love Him. Give your life to Him, as He gave His life for you.