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En français
“When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On
coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed
down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with
gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:10,11)
A thin
layer of snow covered the ice in the churchyard, so I didn't need to wear the
ice cleats on my boots. Maybe it would have been better to use them because I
couldn't walk fast. As I scanned every millimeter of ground before taking a
step forward, I watched other people walking, agile, without even looking down.
Either I don't have enough mileage on the ice, or I really don't have the
skills for extreme sports. Nor is it because of age, because people who go to
church here are my age or are even older.
This Sunday
of Epiphany celebration, I went to Mass in the morning. Despite the cold, the
sun was shining. Our star also seemed to be announcing the birth of Jesus to
us, “Gentiles” from faraway lands.
When I go to Mass Saturday
late afternoon, I always sit in the back pews, to go out early, if the final announcements
list goes on too long and if I see the sky already getting dark. I don't like
driving on the road at night, especially in winter.
As it was
early, I decided to sit closer to the altar, to listen better and without hurry
to leave. I had never noticed the paintings of the Stations of the Cross along
the church side walls. Where I sat, I was right next to one of them. It was the
fourth Station, Jesus' encounter with His mother. The paintings are large,
imposing, and beautiful. In this one I came closer to, it was written in
French, "La rencontre".
Encounters...
The Magi
followed the Star of Bethlehem and found baby Jesus in the arms of Mary,
according to the Gospel. Our Lady is always present in God's saving plan for
us. Filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit, she wants to show us Jesus, our
“Way,” in all circumstances.
May our
hearts be open to Epiphany, this insight illuminated by and for the Divine. May
we be wise as the Magi and sensitive to God's messages to find Him. These days
we need to learn from yet another example of wisdom and of good listening to
the divine inspiration the Magi has left to us: the shrewdness to avoid those
like Herod, who want to destroy our Light, the great reason of our faith; let us
divert our way from them.
The church
was full this Sunday. I didn't expect to find so many faithful, I was glad
about it. There are more people than I imagined, like the wise men, looking for
the God Child.
~~~
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