The lights of Christmas certainly are magical, aren’t they? I love coming into the rectory and seeing the living room with just the lights of our tree on, or going to my room and see my personal tree just make the room glow. I love driving around town seeing peoples’ trees all lit up, whether outside, or inside—through one of their windows; it is a special feeling. It reminds me of how fortunate we all are, and all we need to be grateful for: the places we live—the opportunities that have been given to us. It is overwhelming.

Yet as we journey into this new year of 2012, we have hope that God still walks with us. Whether we are experiencing joy, or sorrow, strength or weakness, confidence or doubt, GOD is with us; and that’s what we need to remember. That’s why we need each other, and need to PRAY with each other, every week. It is in the gathering of the people of God that we find ourselves and allow others to find us too.

That’s what God did for the Magi or “wise men”; he allowed them to find the star and have confidence that the star would lead to an ‘epiphany’ for them. It did when they came upon Jesus. They had their doubts, and confusions, and even the challenge to figure out what Herod wanted. But they trusted, and their lives were never the same again.

My friends, as we begin this new year, let us learn to trust why God calls us together and what it all means. Why don’t we let God lead us to an ‘epiphany’ of one another. Let God lead us to the wonder that is “The Church of the Nativity”

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Thoughts on the scriptures:(Taken from the Living Liturgy)

The magi come from the east sincerely searching for “the newborn king of the Jews.” The self-serving, deceitful plotting by Herod does not thwart their finding the newborn King. Like the Magi, in spite of our own “Herods,” we too must diligently search for Christ. Even when we seem to lose sight of the star and the way forward is no longer clear, even when evil forces seek to thwart our search, we can trust that God never leaves us in darkness but always leads us to the light.

In our own experiences sometimes we grow discouraged in our search for God. But the truth is that we find God not primarily because we search but because God chooses to reveal the divine splendor and presence to us.

Peace,

Fr. Peter