Vincent
Leclercq asked for baptism at 42 years old. Born in Paris, he was indifferent
to the faith as he was growing up. But seven years ago, he had a spiritual
awakening. A friend opened his eyes to the beauty of the Christian Faith. He
confirmed that he had an experienced of being enlightened by Christ such that
he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. It was like a “Damascus Experience”.
He started a journey of faith by reading scriptures. For a year now, he had
been attending catechism classes twice a week in their parish in Oman where he
is based. Vincent experienced an epiphany of the Lord!
Today
we celebrate the epiphany of the Lord. It is a Greek term which denotes a
“visit of a god to earth.” When Jesus was born on Christmas, we contemplated
the incarnation of God. The child in the manger is an extraordinary child; the
Son of God. His given name is “Jesus” because he will save his people from
their sins. A bright star appeared when he was born. Through it, he manifested
his divinity to all humanity and all people. The Magi came to adore him and
brought symbolic gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. These gifts manifested
his kingship, his priesthood and his vocation as messiah who will redeem
humanity through his sacrificial death.
The
Magi believed that stars carry messages from God. The presence of a bright
light indicated God’s presence in the world. When God called Moses into a
closer relationship with him, he used the burning bush to manifest his
presence. When the Magi saw the bright star in the firmament, they responded as
Moses did. The Star of Bethlehem continues to be a sign that manifest God’s
presence in the world today. It challenges us to draw near, to seek more and to
discover his fuller message. French philosopher Blaise Pascal once wrote:
“there is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled
by any created thing, but only by God the Creator made known through Jesus
Christ.” He is the star that enlightens and fills up our lives.
Prayer:
Lord, may I constantly be open to your light and courageously step forward to
embrace you. Amen.
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