REV. FR. JOSEPH BARANJOKO.

Before sharing the word of Christ with you today, I will like to join my voice with the voices of others to say Happy New Year to you all and may the joy of Christ continue to abide with us throughout the New Year and beyond, amen.

Today, the Mother Church celebrates the feast of the Epiphany, a beautiful celebration of God revealing Himself to the gentiles, in other words to all of us. On this day, we remember the visit of the Magi to the child Jesus. They were strangers, foreigners, and seekers of truth. Yet, God chose to reveal His Son to them. What a marvelous God we are serving!

Looking at the story of these simple men, how they struggled, travelled miles to meet Jesus and the sacrifices made towards meeting Jesus, I realized that I could do better in my journey towards Christ. Unfortunately, many times we claim to know Christ when we really have not truly encountered him. Brethren, the desire to encounter Jesus is a personal struggle. The story of the Magi today, teaches us a simple but deep lesson: when we truly encounter Jesus, our direction, orientation, perspective, behavior and character in life changes totally. 

When the Magi encountered Jesus in the manger, they responded by worshipping Jesus and offering Him gifts: Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. These gifts had meaning. Gold was for a king, frankincense was for worship, and myrrh pointed to suffering and death. By offering these gifts, the Magi gave Jesus their best and accepted His mission. Encounter always calls for a response. When we truly meet Christ, we cannot remain passive. We are moved to give something of ourselves. Let us take a pause to ask ourselves before we proceed in this reflection, what is the greatest gift I have ever given to my King through humanity? What is my attitude towards this just concluded Christmas celebration? Am I still sober and reluctant because of what God did not do for me last year? In case you have not done everything right and you are ready to make amends, just say 1000 thank you Jesus now.

After this encounter, the Gospel tells us that the Magi were warned in a dream not to return to Herod. So they went home by another way. This change of direction was not only physical; it was spiritual. They could not go back the same way because they were no longer the same people. Meeting Jesus opened their eyes. Returning to Herod would mean cooperating with evil and fear. Worthy to note is that, they only met Jesus once, yet they encountered him.

It is very painful that despite our presence with Jesus at the Mass, at the sacrament of Reconciliation and during the reception of the Eucharist, many are yet to encounter Him. How do you know if you have encountered Him? Encounter with Christ led them to choose life, truth, and obedience. Knowing about Christ does not change direction; meeting Him does. A real encounter affects our choices, our values, and our priorities. It leads us away from sin, selfishness, and fear, and directs us toward love, forgiveness, and service.

The Epiphany reminds us that God reveals Himself to all people, not just to a few. The Magi were not Jews, yet they were welcomed. This tells us that encounter with Christ breaks barriers and opens new paths. When we meet Jesus, we begin to see others differently. We become more open, more compassionate, and more willing to walk with others. Let me ask you, what level are you? Are you in knowing level or encountering level with Christ? May the New Born King grant us the grace to truly experience him in all we do, Amen.