Epiphany 

Catherine McAuley House 

Most of us as children were probably fascinated with the figurines of the three Wise Men, the Three Kings in the crib. They were exotic looking, coloured, wearing crowns.  Their garments were different. They were unlike the shepherds, Mary and Joseph. We now appreciate better how they represented the wider world searching for Jesus and finding him in the lowly scene of Bethlehem. 

It has been said that it isn’t that Three Wise Kings first saw a star and then set out on a journey but rather they saw the star because they had already set out on a journey. It was the journey of searching for God, turning away from idols, looking for truth. They were sincerely seeking the true meaning of life. And once they were open and began searching, God intervened and offered them a light to guide them. Pope Benedict XVI said of the Magi: “Their outward pilgrimage was the expression of their inward journey, the inner pilgrimage of their hearts”? 

Their deep desire led them to Jerusalem, asking questions along the way and eventually reaching Bethlehem where, as the Gospel puts it, ?“they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage” (v. 11).? 

The journey, the searching, the questions all eventually led to paying Jesus, the Son of God, the King of Kings, homage. They adored Jesus, the Son of God and King of Kings. They worshipped him as the tiny baby in the lowly stable. In bowing low and offering their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh they were making a declaration – “you are the centre of our lives, not ourselves, you, not our career, not our being kings or successful, not our projects. You, Lord, are our only good. You are the King of our hearts”. 

At the conclusion of the Synodal Assembly in October last, Pope Francis emphasised how much we need to rediscover the importance of worship and adoration. He said: “May the Church adore: in every diocese, in every parish, in every community, let us adore the Lord! Only in this way will we turn to Jesus and not to ourselves. For only through silent adoration will the Word of God live in our words; only in his presence will we be purified, transformed and renewed by the fire of his Spirit. Brothers and sisters, let us adore the Lord Jesus!” 

Adoration is what our heart deep down desires.?In the words of Saint Augustine, “our entire life is an exercise of holy desire” (Homily on the First Letter of John, IV, 6). And that desire is to encounter God, to adore God. 

Yes, we must serve by doing many activities, but ultimately we need adoration. It keeps us centred on Jesus. Otherwise, we risk going off course, thinking our projects and our way of seeing and doing things is everything. We can get distracted from what really matters. Our activities will be fruitless unless we put Jesus at their centre and fall down in worship before him. 

In a homily for Epiphany a few years ago, Pope Francis said, “Desire leads us to adoration and adoration renews our desire. For our desire for God can only grow when we place ourselves in his presence. For Jesus alone heals our desires. From what? From the tyranny of needs. Indeed, our hearts grow sickly whenever our desires coincide merely with our needs. God, on the other hand, elevates our desires; he purifies them and heals them of selfishness, opening them to love for him and for our brothers and sisters. This is why we should not neglect adoration, that prayer of silent adoration which is not so common among us. Please let us not forget adoration.” 

You here who are in this nursing home experience many moments of silence. You don’t have the activities that you had years ago. But from your heart, you can declare your love of God and in this way “adore” Jesus. Your simple declarations of love, of adoration, of worship, are a treasure-trove for the Church. The Church needs to adore and your prayers, sighs, expressions of adoration provide the voice that expresses the desire of humanity to see the Lord.