The Christmas season ends with two feasts of manifestations. At the Epiphany, Christ is shown as the savior of all the nations. At the Feast of the Baptism, it is revealed to us that he is the Eternal Son of the Father by the testimony of the Holy Spirit.
Imagine how surprised people were when they realized these sacred facts. Jesus did not fit into the mold other people expected. The Magi represent the nations of the world. They teach us that the search for God is universal. It is not limited to one group of people. God has planted in each heart, the desire to be with him. As St. Augustine tells us, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in thee”. The search for God is not easy; it demands from us some sweat equity. We need to choose to have a relationship with God. God chooses us whether we believe in him or not. However, given the gift of free will, we need to choose Christ. We need to be committed to him.
The day of the Baptism of Jesus was just an ordinary day. People were at the Jordan, listening to John the Baptist, and no one probably paid much attention to Jesus approaching. There was nothing about him that made him stand out of the crowd. However, when John saw his cousin, he say beyond the person he knew and saw the Eternal Son of God that the Spirit revealed. Consider the scene. The Jordan is no bigger than a stream; not a mighty river like the Hudson. Jesus revealed himself among the poor and sinner; among the outcast and forgotten. But, is not this the reason Jesus came? To show us the universal love of a God who wants us to love him and each other.
So, as close the season of Christmas and prepare for the Holy Season of Lent in a few weeks, may we allow God to reveal Himself to us in ways that we do not expect. May we know Christ in the Breaking of the Bread and in the Word proclaimed.
