#the birth scene and feast scene are very educational me loves

[megaclaudiolis]

柄本 佑 || 「光る君へ」 (2024) · 第三十六回 「待ち望まれた日」 ​​​

[barbaramoorersm]

January 1, 2023

January 1, 2023

Solemnity of Mary

Book of Numbers 6: 22-27

Moses shares with his family how they should bless the Israelites.

Psalm 67

The Psalmist asks for God’s mercy.

Paul’s Letter to the Galatians 4 :4-7

Paul refers to Jesus’ birth when he writes that God’s son was “born of a woman”.

Luke 2: 16-21

Luke shares the visit of the shepherds and the prescribed circumcision of Jesus.

  Happy New Year.  I pray it is one of peace and justice for you, those you love, and all God’s people.

 On this feast day for Roman Catholics, Mary is again presented as a central figure in the history of Christianity.  Sister Elizabeth Johnson has written a beautiful book about her entitled, “Dangerous Memories.”   But realizing that folks who are not Roman Catholic also have very positive and respectful feelings for her, let me refer you to a book entitled “Blessed One; Protestant Perspectives on Mary,” edited by Beverly Gaventa and Cynthia Rigby.   In the foreword, Kathleen Norris a Protestant author and a committed participant in the spirituality of St Benedict writes, that her experience with Benedictine values, “…enabled her to open her eyes and ears to the treasure house of the early church; and I could reclaim Mary as a significant figure in my Christian faith.”

What does it mean to reclaim Mary?  Perhaps some of our Protestant brothers and sisters, believe that she became center stage and over took the centrality of Jesus. But as time, the work of Scripture scholars and reflections grew, many have learned to see her in the words of Kathleen Norris; Mary is “the interpreter of God’s work.”

By reflecting on her life and context we can learn so much about her.  Elizabeth Johnson in her book, “Dangerous Memories” reveals an unappreciated fact about her.  Johnson reviews the instances in both the Old and New Testaments when God sends a messenger to a person with a request.   Those requests came to Moses, and over twenty others in the Old Testament and over twenty in the New Testament, of which Mary was one.  The visitation from heaven contains five steps.  First the messenger appears, and secondly, the recipient is filled with awe. The third step happens when the messenger declares God’s intent. Fourthly, the recipient raises an objection and lastly the angel offers Divine reassurance.  These steps happen in all these angelic visitations with the exception one.  Mary is the only one who takes a sixth step and accepts the request and challenge.  “Behold the handmaiden of the Lord. Be it done to me according to your word.”   Mary according to Johnson is spoken to directly by the angel and not through the male leadership in her family.  Kathleen Norris writes, “…in this scene Mary finds her voice, rather than losing it.”

She also finds her voice as she shares the Magnificat with Elizabeth.  “God has done great things for me….”  And her prayer and voice take on a note of prophecy.  “He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up the lowly.”  In the 1970’s the “Mothers of the Disappeared” in Argentina were begging for the return of their children captured by the government.  They recited this prayer that Mary proclaims, and the government banned the public recitation of the Magnificat.

While Mary finds her own voice in the Magnificat, she also brings great balance into her life.  We will find that during this holy season, she reflects, prays and as the text says today the visit of the shepherds and the stories about the birth were circulating but “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.”

She raises Jesus with Joseph, accompanies him in some circumstances, educates him in the family’s faith and in time realizes that his life and ministry are headed for resistance.  Resistance not only from the religious leadership but also from some corners in Rome.   The mothers of the Ukraine and Russia can understand her sorrow and concern as their children are dying in a war based on claims of power.

Mary understood who she was and had the heart and strength to accompany the Apostles after Jesus’ death.  She was praying with them and receives the Holy Spirit with them on Pentecost.  What a forgiving and strong woman after what they had done during Holy Week.

Beverly Gaventa shares a statement that we can all “ponder in our hearts”. “Mary’s association with the cross recalls for Christians the scandal at the heart of the Gospel: that God’s actions on our behalf meet ever and again with misunderstanding and rejection. In Mary’s  “standing near the cross” (John 19:25)  Christians may find themselves  alongside the suffering world and its vulnerable God”.

[llaevateinn]

Lan Xichen sees someting in Jin Rusong that is very familiar to him. He decides to take matters into his own hands.

The birth of Jin Guangyao's son not even a year after his marriage to Qin Su was celebrated, as much as it caused whispered discussions. Some said that he only took her as wife because she was already pregnant before their betrothal. Some lauded that he took responsibility. Most didn't care and simply showed up for the baby's one-month feast. An excuse to drink too much and eat at the expense of LanlingJin sect.

"What is his name?" Lan Xichen asked, carefully bending over the sleeping child nestled in Qin Su's arms. The mother looked radiant, beaming with love and happiness. Next to her, Lan Xichen's sworn brother also shone with pride.

"Rusong," answered Qin Su.

"A good, strong name."

"Do you wish to hold him?" asked Jin Guangyao.

Lan Xichen could see Qin Su bristle a little, so he was about to refuse. After all, the child was still so young and clearly his mother loved him so very much. But then, to his surprise, Qin Su offered him up anyway. Touched by this show of trust, he held the sleeping baby in the crook of his arm, feeling its weight and warmth.

"You are good with children," said Qin Su.

"A-Su is right. Er-ge, you should also marry and have children soon, it suits you."

Lan Xichen only chuckled and shook his head, gazing at Rusong in his arms instead of replying. In his sleep, the boy drooled a little. Wiping some of it with his sleeve despite Qin Su's protests, he reached into his robes to take out a small piece of jade.

"This is my gift to you, little Rusong," he whispered to the child. "For luck and protection."

He tucked the carved jade into the soft cloth that Rusong was wrapped in, near his body where it could absorb some of his body's warmth.

"Thank you, on his behalf. It is a lovely gift."

Rusong slept on, unaware of the world around him or the troubles ahead. Around him, the adults kept talking, laughing, feeling the warmth of new life and new hope. War was behind them. Now was the time for children to be born and love to bloom.

*

Three years later, their hopes and dreams had not all come to fruition. More loss and grief had caused them to lose families and loved ones, including Jin Zixuan. Due to this, it was now Jin Guangyao who stood to inherit the LanlingJin sect upon their father's passing. Not all were happy with this development, but such were things.

In order to show his support, Lan Xichen often visited Koi Tower to see his sworn brother and his young family. He and Qin Su became very close as well, and he loved to watch as Rusong grew up.

After all that happened, Rusong had also gained a new playmate, though often his cousin Rulan stayed at Lotus Pier with his uncle instead of here. Still, the two boys clearly held affection for each other. Whenever Rulan came to visit Koi Tower, Rusong would wait on the stairs to be the first to spot him coming.

However, on this day, there was a great storm. Surely, Sect Leader Jiang would keep little Rulan with him for one more day instead of sending him out like this. But Rusong insisted to wait on top of the stairs no matter what. When prompted to leave and wait inside, he threw such a tantrum that he was unable to speak anymore.

"Please, A-Song," Qin Su tried to coax him, holding the shaking and screaming boy around the waist so he would not fall. "It is far too cold and wet outside – you will get sick if you stay much longer."

But Rusong could not be reasoned with.

"A-Ling," he cried, breathless and red in the face. "A-Ling!"

Lan Xichen happened upon this scene, feeling his heart break a little for the sweet boy. He was reminded of a similar incident, long ago. In Rusong's place he saw a little boy his age, but in white robes and a white forehead ribbon that fluttered in the cold winter wind as he knelt on the stairs of a house that would forever remain empty.

"Madam Jin," he said softly, approaching the distraught mother and son. "May I?"

Tired, Qin Su shifted to the side, letting Lan Xichen kneel behind Rusong. He replaced her hands around the boy's waist, pulling him gently into his lap.

"A-Song," he muttered quietly. "Would you like it if I waited with you for A-Ling? I will keep you warm, so you don't get sick. And I'll shelter you, in case the rain reaches us. Then your mother can go rest, and your parents won't have to worry about you."

Rusong whined and struggled a little, but when he felt the soft warmth of three layers of white cloth close around him in a cocoon of safety, he settled down. Then, he nodded.

"Thank you." Turning his head to look at Qin Su, Lan Xichen smiled. "Do not worry about Rusong now. I will take care of him."

"This- …" Qin Su bit her lip. "I cannot ask this of you, Zewu-Jun. I'm afraid he will insist on waiting all night."

"I will wait until he falls asleep. Then I will have him brought to you."

"Oh." Qin Su looked at her son. Only his head peeked out from Lan Xichen's robes. He was already visibly exhausted from his earlier crying and kicking. Now that he was wrapped up warmly, his eyes were drooping.

Seeing this, Qin Su thanked him quietly, wiping away her own desperate tears. She excused herself, to rest a little herself, leaving Lan Xichen and Rusong alone, sitting on the stairs.

He thought it was very peaceful, with the boy's familiar warmth nestled to his chest as they listened to the rain and thunder overhead. It did not take long for a little head to lean heavily against his sternum. Lan Xichen huffed affectionately, shifting the boy's weight in his arms so he could carry him more easily.

As he helped his mother tuck him into bed, Lan Xichen thought with a full heart how much Wangji might love to meet this little boy, who was so much like he was. He could even bring along his own son to play with Rusong, and they could all become friends.

*

Qin Su and Jin Guangyao both loved their son very much. It was evident in every interaction they had with the sweet boy, who was growing up fast. Almost five years old, he would be starting training soon to become a cultivator. In a few years he might develop his golden core.

But when Lan Xichen mentioned this to his sworn brother, Jin Guangyao hesitated visibly.

"I don't know if he is ready for it," he said vaguely, smiling all the while.

"You are only worried, as his parent," Lan Xichen waved his words away. "The pressure is higher for you than it is for him. As long as you let him learn at his own pace, everything will be fine."

But he could see that his sworn brother was not yet convinced.

The next time Lan Xichen visited, he brought a guest with him. He introduced him to Rusong, who was sitting on the ground and tugging at the grass in the gardens. Qin Su knelt next to him, clearly desperately trying to get him to stop, yet unable to do so. There were already lines of frustration evident both in the lines of her shoulders and on Rusong's brow.

"Rusong," Lan Xichen said. "I want you to meet someone very special to me. This is my little brother, Lan Wangji."

Rusong only stared. Wangji stared right back, until Rusong squirmed and looked away, starting to tear out more grass. Nobody said anything, watching in strange apprehension – except for Lan Xichen, who smiled – as Lan Wangji sat next to Rusong in the grass, gesturing for Qin Su to let him continue. Clearly put-upon, Qin Su rose to her feet and brushed off her skirts. She joined everyone else in watching, her arms crossed.

After a while, Rusong stopped tearing out more grass. He snuck a quick glance at Lan Wangji before gathering all the harvested grass in his arms and taking it to a nearby pond. On the water, there were a couple of ducks. As soon as he approached, they started quacking loudly, swimming closer.

"He is feeding the ducks?" Qin Su said loudly, watching with wide eyes as Rusong threw the grass in the water for the ducks to snap up. "But I asked him why he was doing that, and he wouldn't answer. I thought he was sulking."

Now they all watched as Lan Wangji drew a pouch of seeds from his sleeve to join Rusong in feeding the ducks. Neither of them ever said a word, but to everyone it was evident that they both enjoyed each other's company.

Later, Lan Xichen drew his sworn brother aside to speak to him about Rusong's education.

"There are different ways how a child like Rusong may express the ways in which he is special," he explained. "It requires a different sort of schooling than what most teachers are experienced with. But he is not the only one. In fact, behavior like his quite frequently emerges in members of the Lan family. If you wish, he could be educated in the Cloud Recesses, where he can be given the proper care and time he needs."

Jin Guangyao looked thoughtful at this, if not a little apprehensive. Of course, any father would be unwilling to part with his son at such a young age. Lan Xichen could see that he was reluctant – clearly, an expression of his great love for Rusong. Though he smiled and said he was going to think about it, Lan Xichen sadly thought that he wasn't going to take the offer.

On their way back home, Wangji said: "Will we take the boy?"

"His parents love him very much. I don't know if they are willing to have him stay with us to be educated, even though it might be best. I don't know if Rusong would be willing to leave his home, either."

"I would take him," said Wangji.

Lan Xichen smiled.

"I know you would. You like him, don't you? He is a sweet boy. He might get along well with Sizhui, too. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"Mm."

*

"This is just temporary," Jin Guangyao said, looking haggard and torn. This was as nervous as Lan Xichen had ever seen him, so he poured them some more tea.

"I understand."

"Just to see how he would fit in. If he might like it here. I apologize for the inconvenience, er-ge."

"It is no trouble at all."

With a sigh, Jin Guangyao smiled again, inhaling the vapor rising from the tea.

Outside, Lan Xichen knew, were Rusong and Sizhui, getting acquainted for the first time. The two were not too far apart in age, though Sizhui was a little older. This was very suitable, as they intended for Sizhui to help them guide Rusong and introduce him to the Cloud Recesses and the classes he would be attending here. Lan Xichen was very confident that the two boys would soon become fast friends. Already, there was laughter to be heard, and he could see that Jin Guangyao also relaxed at this.

Apparently, Rusong had not taken well to classes in Koi Tower. He and the teachers had clashed often, and the teachers had declared him unteachable. There were even worse, less honorable words thrown around that Lan Xichen did not care for.

He made his offer again, asking whether Rusong might want to stay in the Cloud Recesses. This time, Jin Guangyao said yes immediately.

"We will take very good care of him," he promised. "Just you see, we will carefully polish and nurture his talents."

"But they said- …" Jin Guangyao hesitated. There was pain his eyes, staining his unsmiling mouth.

"It doesn't matter what they said. Your boy is kind and strong. He is going to be able to help a lot of people in the future."

"Thank you. Er-ge, thank you, so much. You don't know how- …" He paused, dabbing at his eyes. "If it weren't for you, I don't know what I would have done."

"I am sure you would have found a way," Lan Xichen said consolingly, patting his sworn brother's arm. "I know how much you love your son."

"Yes. Yes, of course."

They finished drinking their tea, listening to Sizhui's giggling outside as he played with Rusong. Just as predicted, they had taken an immediate liking to each other. Lan Xichen smiled, content with his work well done.

[vaguely-gestures-to-the-void]

Hindsight: My thoughts on Loki (2021)

Spoilers below. Please correct me if I slip up. I am in no way shape or form educated on ANYTHING to do with the making of films, how to critique this stuff etc, this is all just my opinion. If I haven’t covered a scene, it’s probably because it’s already been covered much better than I can. This is my extended episode 1 review.

Episode 1: GLORIOUS PURPOSE

Pre-title scene

The scene titles looking like a train station combined with the scrolling through time is such a cool stylistic choice.

The music is familiar, but followed by an alternate shot of Loki as Cap. A different perspective of something known, how fitting. FYI, I’m going to mention music a lot.

Love how no one questions the Hulk terrifying people.

This is the last time Loki will hear Thor call his name, or speak to him. Oh darn, I made myself sad.

Marvel studios logo

The Marvel logo changing colours + Loki theme finally taking the centre stage. I love it.

The comments made on Loki soundtrack videos saying ‘I see that the Mandalorian soundtrack has become a genre’ are so accurate it hurts. Shout out to Ludwig btw, he deserves all the awards for his soundtracks.

My thoughts so far: This part is setting up the general shift in tone from what we’ve seen in past Marvel projects, even the other shows. It reaffirms the audience’s subconscious that whilst we are familiar with the characters, there’s new twists up ahead, subtle hints to oncoming mischief. Props to the entire team behind the series.

Gobi Desert Scene

As much as I liked the opening bug crawl, the following interactions look a bit CGId. I’m being picky, they really are gorgeous. It’s also difficult after having seen the Mandalorian, but that show really paid attention to scenery as it was an instrumental part of the story, whereas here it’s just one scene and all the others are stunning.

The parallels to Tony in the desert. Loki immediately rips off the muzzle (?).

I just watched the scene and yes, Tony rips off the mask immediately.

Also I think I would have definitely had a crush on young RDJ.

And Gwyneth Paltrow (GOOP LADY) if I didn’t know her now.

Props to Tom Hiddleston’s acting. Loki’s face when he sits up is just pure confusion but with the signature hint of indignation that I’d expect from his characterisation at this point.

The rock lmao.

THE MUSIC WHEN B-15 (MY QUEEN) APPEARS. HELL YEAH!

Also props to the supporting cast of minutemen, where does Marvel find these people? They’re so well choreographed, they all move perfectly and it’s a joy to watch.

Love the time doors honestly.

I couldn’t have been the only one who thought that the temp pads were Samsung phones for a sec right?

Lol is that unintentional foreshadowing about the TVA? Jk I’m just clowning.

Has anyone spoken about what the Temp pad showed?

My theory is that ‘Units’ refer to a predetermined rate of change [e.g. m/s] where one unit = one increment of change.

The steady rate of change here is interesting. I’ll talk about it more at the end of the next episode.

I love the music, just the slow ticking increasing in pace and the dramatic flares brought on by the strings (I think), simply divine. Natalie Holt got it spot on and props to Tom Hiddleston and literally everyone involved for understanding the importance of good music with this series. I’ll talk about this in depth in the next episode, just wanted to mention it when it first started that I noticed.

In retrospect, I can definitely retract my critique of the background in the scene. It holds up well now that I’ve rewatched it.

B-15 doesn’t get enough love. Shout out to Wunmi Mosaku, she’s a trooper and I’m here to hype her up.

Also y'all I just checked the cast list and ???? Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner and Tessa Thompson are on it?????? MARVEL TF IS THIS WHAT TOM MEANT BY EP 4 BEING WILD I-

Tom’s acting chops: The face moment. You know the one. It’s pretty incredible.

Theory from me: the reason that Loki doesn’t see the hit coming is because B15 was moving unnaturally fast.

It’s the immediate change in the music to reflect the audience’s reaction at the standard fight scene taking a strange turn for me lads.

B-15 doesn’t smile, which I think is in character for her.

She’s seen this shit wayyyy too many times.

We’re not even five minutes into the first ep and a) I’ve waffled this much, Gods, and b) the music has changed at least 3?? Times to reflect what’s happening. I love it.

My theory about resetting the timeline: the reset charges get rid of anything in the immediate vicinity of the branch, pretty much a mini-apocalypse of the timeline. If everything is erased, none of it matters. Does that make sense?

Taking away the Tesseract while yes, it serves a purpose with showing Loki the might of the TVA later on, also reflects how nitpicky the TVA are about their time-keeping. They do everything in a very orderly fashion, but as we see later, the outdated nature of things is very human.

The TVA - the elevator thing

Man I love the TVA’s look. Someone (and I’ve heard that Kate Herron was also very particular about the set design) went to extraordinary lengths with every single scene, not just this one, but the one before as well.

Heck I just want to appreciate how much of a visual feast this series is. Good on ‘em.

The shots changing angle is also very interesting. They switch it up between one-takes, close-ups of differing extremities and it just keeps the flow fast-paced, ya know?

Watching Loki run was hilarious.

“Sounds dumb.” - Casey, Null Time Zone.

This weird robot is what I think of when the TVA is mentioned. Advanced tech mimicking a retroistic 70s feel.

The cat’s adorable.

The clock. The cup. The placing of props. Impeccable.

The clock’s hands don’t move whilst they’re on screen.

The realisation on his face when he eyes the stack of papers.

Why is the wall so badly scratched???

I love that the signature is in character. I have a huge thing for attention to detail lmao.

Again, why are all of the walls so scratched? If they could talk, I’d presume it’s just a set design choice but it’s interesting that they did that.

Does anyone else want a TVA sweater vest?

Tickets

The opening zoom in on Loki combined with the consistent brown-orange colours of the set makes the room look uniform and encompassing. I love how the lights are always placed in a repetitive manner so rooms are given the illusion that they go on forever.

Lighting here creates depth, but whilst the lights form a ceiling, we can’t actually see how they’re suspended and I think that’s neat.

The posters. Yes.

This is the first time I noticed the different minutemen uniforms. This one’s half orange-red and black. Pretty cool imo.

Shout out to Tara Strong and the entire animation.

The butterfly was a nice hint to the butterfly effect, and the music is perfect as always.

The wooden walls in the background of this shot. How very 70s.

The reflection showing the guy getting pruned is pretty cool.

Again, another clock with no movement on the wall.

The first 11 minutes are up and we’ve made it to the title! If you’ve read this far, congrats.

1549 Aix-en-provence, France

Just speculating, we’re in a church with an initial high-angled nearly bird’s eye view and then a cut to one looking up at Mobius. I guess it means even if we think as viewers our perspective is omniscient, we’re not spared from the mystery in this series.

Who’s in the stained glass window?

I love how they tie in a detail as small as the gum. It just goes to show when you haven’t got much time, every character interaction is meaningful.

Props to Owen Wilson, he really sold Mobius to me.

Mirrors in a church showing the devil behind Mobius. Or on his side.

Time court 37

The time court 37 really reminds me of train stations.

The chairs remind me of pews. They sure are reverent of the Time keepers.

The lighting is a cool, bluish tinge for the first time I’ve noticed. Especially on Ravonna (MY LOVE!).

B-15 knows Loki’s clowning lmaooo.

Ravonna isn’t here for it either.

Ravonna’s nailpolish is a very nice shade of brown.

Theory: Resetting is ‘being brainwashed for the TVA’. Not very original, but it’s interesting that the TVA thinks that Loki would be useful as a worker, unlike the guy who got pruned earlier.

The TVA exterior is amazing. It also extends forever in all directions, even down.

Time Theatre 25

What is that elevator music??

“I thought you didn’t like to talk” Ragnarok, anyone?

Loki reading the ‘Time theatre’ sign whilst rambling. Gotta give it to him, he’s always aware of his surroundings.

The little TVA logo on Mobius’ shirt.

Shout out to whoever did the costuming. Personally, I liked the shirts with no collars, and the armour of the minutemen and Hunters came off to me as practical but not ignorant of the branding that the TVA likes.

Theory (bear with me): Once you’re a part of the TVA, you’re not collared anymore, though there is an appearance of that on the shirts.

Seriously tho, what are those shirts like? Mobius doesn’t have a collar.

Why do the ties just… end?

Neat details:

Holo projector 35.

The lights being reminiscent of skylights but still leaving the characters in the dark. “The sun will shine on us again, brother.” Not yet.

The reflection of the projector in the table/on the ground.

Loki: *turns away.*

Mobius: *sips Josta.*

Seriously, the lighting is great. Loki moving in and out of the shadows? Great way to show his mistrust/ unease of the situation.

The illusion speech is the last time we really hear 2012 Loki in my eyes, mainly because Mobius really gets into the cracks of who Loki is and then there’s action.

The ‘I was- I am” Freudian slip is perfection.

Side note the music’s changed yet again. It’s definitely setting up the more mournful tones for seeing his mother’s death.

I find it interesting that the door is partially in the shadows.

Doors are symbols of opportunities, barriers and both death and birth from what I remember of high school English.

From what I know in interrogations the person being interrogated is allowed to sit with their back to a door. Initially, both Loki and Mobius are sideways, equidistant from the door. When Loki wants to run, he edges closer to the door, even if it is just to make a point. Excellent blocking in my eyes.

Oh man, Mobius’ little gestures.

“Always so perceptive about everyone but yourself.” I really don’t have to talk about the significance of that line, do I?

Frigga being stabbed in the back. Little solace to a dead man? Ouch. That hurt me too.

Loki’s wounds heal unnaturally fast, because he’s no mortal.

Mobius really drives home the last point. Who says ‘like you did your mother” ??? Owen sold how Mobius can influence Loki's mind.

The ‘best versions of themselves' line and showing Thor must have hit Loki hard. He spent two movies trying to prove who he is, measuring himself against Thor. And then he sees them both working together and being equals.

Loki’s escape

Wunmi and Owen’s line delivery is unforced and charged, completely in character.

Mobius looking under the table is hilarious to me.

The music.

The tidy cubicle = healthy timeline is a bit contradictory because they’re supposedly in the null time zone but okay.

Is no one going to mention the taxidermy ferret?

Loki just had an identity crisis. His ‘gut you like a fish’ seems in character.

The dude’s really questioning everything he knows lmao.

Casey’s ‘what’s a fish’ was really our first hint that not everything is what it seems to be at the TVA.

It amuses me that Loki’s on his knees when he gets the Tesseract.

I’m sure someone’s pointed it out already, but given that Loki takes back the Time Twister, it’s possible he could have stolen an Infinity stone.

Again, point’s already been made but Loki seeing the Infinity stones is what sells the power of the TVA.

Please, the rest of the office not giving a damn when one dude’s having some drama is hilariously on point. They really said ‘not my problem’.

Loki’s future

The screen on the table showing what he’s rewinding as it happens.

Btw if you pause any moment during that, you’ll see a scene.

A quick note on Loki’s characterisation:

He’s been through a lot in a very short period of time, quite literally finding out that his actions don’t have any consequences. He’s lost all autonomy, especially as a god who probably believed he was not as restrained as mortals. More on this in later Eps.

I really liked Ragnarok because it showed Loki and Thor’s maturity; they had to step out of legacies that were thousands of years old and come to terms with a universe that was much bigger than them. It also fleshed out their relationship as brothers, but not at the expense of who they were. Loki still is a schemer, and he talks more because he has less to hide in my eyes. He’s no longer just a villain, and that can’t be shown by just actions, especially in his own tv show.

Loki’s little laugh when Thor talks about giving him a hug. Man that was sad.

What shouldn’t be forgotten is that Loki doesn’t know how it ends. He doesn’t know whether Thanos gets defeated. For all he knows, he died in vain and left behind a brother with no family.

The collar says DANGER.

This is the scene that really nails it home to Loki that his purpose in life was to cause pain. He found out his glorious purpose in that timeline, he’s conflicted as Sylvie points out in Ep 3.

When Loki talks to Mobius, they’re both in medium shots. They’re on the same page.

Loki’s delivery has changed when talking about the 'illusion' but Mobius hasn’t. That may change in the later episodes.

1858 Salina, Oklahoma

Others have covered this better.

Sylvie’s theme is similar to Loki’s but not identical.

It’s got sinister tones which change throughout the series.

I love how you can see the images of the minutemen’s past and future as they walk through a time door, they literally step through time.

I’ve got a whole other post on the end credits scenes. Cheers if you read this all lads.

Ep 1 review

All in all, this was a scene-setting episode. One of my friends texted me and said ‘Loki really went through ten years worth of character development in minutes’ and I think that sums it up pretty well. It’s a great set up, but the next episode is where the plot begins to progress. Really enjoyed it. There’s not too much that was aided by what we know from ep 3 besides Casey’s fish from what I caught.

See y'all next time, if there is anyone reading this. Look after yourselves!

[writingwithcolor]

Female Vietnamese-Chinese-Australian

My dad is Vietnamese, but his parents come from China. My mum is from China, but she moved with her family to Hong Kong from an early age. They speak Cantonese (or as you otherwise might know it, traditional Chinese) as a main language, although they can speak (simplified) Chinese too. I was born and raised in Australia so I identify as Australian as well as Chinese and Vietnamese.

My area has some Asians, but you can get other PoC showing up too and as a writer, I like to embrace that (that’s why this profile exists). However, most people here are non-PoC, Australia being a former British colony and whatnot.

Clothing

Hand me downs. When your dad has 10 sibings and 2 of them are about an hour’s drive from your house, you can’t deny that’ll happen. However, I do get new clothes every now and again.

Food

My family does have a habit of eating rice and/or different Chinese styles of noodles a lot for dinner, but we eat pasta and other cultural foods every now and then. A typical lunch is normally a sandwich or fast food, while breakfast can be anything from dim sims to toast to apple pie (I think the apple pie is just a scrounge-for-money excuse on my mum’s part though).

We do eat Vietnamese food for dinner (a cold vermicelli dish with mint/lettuce, fish sauce and soft shell crab/spring rolls/cha lua/surimi scallops - or a combo of those - known verbally as something along the lines of “moong” to me, although I don’t know its proper name or spelling) or lunch (banh mi or pho), although the likelihood of having Vietnamese food for any given meal is significantly rarer than Western-style food/rice and normally it’s my dad who’ll eat pho.

We used to go out for yum cha for lunch (despite it being breakfast in most cases in Hong Kong) every now and again. When we’re in Hong Kong though, my maternal grandma makes us go to yum cha for breakfast and then to the same restaurant for dinner. There’s one dish I love from yum cha specifically (prawns in cheong fun with soya sauce) which is often on the menu and why I don’t mind yum cha in most cases.

My mum loves Japanese food, but my dad doesn’t like most raw things (I had a childhood friend whose mother used to work at a sushi shop, so we got lots of discounted food - it didn’t help my dad one bit) so me and my sisters have grown up eating sushi/okonomiyaki/sashimi and we’ll eat this stuff on birthdays or special occasions. That’s how we get into anime and learning Japanese at school. 

Holidays

My family is atheist, with a mild exception on my smallest sister’s part (she believed in the optional religious education classes a little too much, and so is a bit more insistent on Christianity). We normally go out to Chinese New Year celebrations in our vicinity (we normally buy the spiral potatoes on skewers and/or batter-coated octopus tentacles and eat them if not collecting freebies). We’ll eat mooncake, tang yuan or the like as a celebratory food around the relevant holidays, although we do sometimes eat them out of season if the food is around and cheap. We don’t take days off around Chinese New Year like Chinese are supposed to, but we do take breaks around Easter, Christmas etc. because schools, supermarkets etc. close on those days.

Red pockets (actually red envelopes, they have money in them) are a custom for birthdays, Christmas, New Year, weddings and Chinese New Year. If your birthday is close to one of the other listed holidays, you get one instead of two (see this profile for explanation). There is no set amount for the others, but normally for a 20-something-year old the cap is about AU $50 (we send the equivalent in American money to American relatives, but that’s less often than the ones we see in person and remember the birthdays for), and for weddings you should give more than that. 

We take basically any excuse to get together with extended family and Asian family parties are never dull. The adults, especially, gossip long into the night and if they bust out the alcohol, they go home at midnight or 2 am because…obvious reasons.

Identity issues

I thought, when I was younger, my surname was Chinese, but it turned out to be Vietnamese put through American pronunciation. I told my friends…and they didn’t give any reaction. Either they took it in their stride or just continued to think I was Chinese/Chinese-Australian like them.

I’ve been to Vietnam and Hong Kong on family trips before and for some reason, even though Australia is “home” to me, when all the people look closer to what you do and experience life similar to what you do, you feel like you’re “at home” in a weird sense. Can’t speak a speck of Vietnamese and my Cantonese and Chinese have fallen out of good use though, so I’m just berated by older relatives (in Cantonese and most times to my parents’ faces) when I visit them and speak in English.

I’m a bit more tan than my sisters due to neglecting sunscreen on sunny days, but my dad used to joke to me and my sisters that I was Filipino/Indian and looking back on it, that was pretty toxic. (It was also kinda hypocritical because he’s tanner than me, but he never pointed that out.) Some other people may get offended at being called “banana” or “ABC” (Australian-born Chinese), but me and my sisters can take it as a joke.

Talking about the Vietnam War is kinda awkward for me, as my dad escaped from it in his youth. I learnt about the war while doing an international studies course and being to Vietnam - there was this aura of coldness around it all the while and I don’t think I’ll ever get rid of it.

Language

I was taught Cantonese from birth, but Australia being as it is means English is my default. I had to learn Chinese and Japanese from language schools and school courses.

Hong Kong was British up until 1997, so there’s lots of English (the language, the people aren’t that common there) around and it’s easier to get by there (for me) than Vietnam. Vietnam was French in the 1800s so my dad knows limited French, but I’ve never learnt French. 

Study

I used to try and keep up with my parents’ standards of “play piano!”, “get good grades!” etc. etc. but as time wore on, I found I didn’t want to. In the end, I found they’re not too worried, so long as I do well in what I want to do and pass in what I need to do. 

…I’m also a proud procrastinator, as bad as that is.

Micro-aggressions

Notice how I’ve used “Cantonese” as a term for traditional Chinese, and “Chinese” for simplified? Cantonese and Chinese are completely different beasts. (I can get kinda picky about it, even though “Canton” is a somewhat whitewashed term and doesn’t refer to Hong Kong per se…I use the terms because I have no better way of distinguishing between the two.)

Tropes I’m tired of seeing

Kung fu Asians. Not all Asians are willing to whip your butt into shape with martial arts - most Asians wouldn’t know martial arts. For that matter, tai chi/taekwondo/karate/gong fu do not equal each other (yeah, Karate Kid with Jaden Smith is a misnomer).

Things I’d like to see more of

There’s one show I thought was fairly accurate in depicting a life like mine, and that’s The Family Law. Showing more family dynamics like that would be great.

I’d also like to see close siblings, regardless of genre, gender or race. (Not twins or OreImo, either - that’s a little too close.) I’m very close to my older sister, to the point where if we weren’t blood related, we’d be best friends.

It’s a weird demand, but regardless of where your story’s set or who it’s aimed at, I get kinda disappointed when people have an eating scene and they could check up some weird and wonderful food for it - for a workplace or school scene, a sandwich can make sense and it’s fine, but for one example, in fantasy feasts people eat “boar meat” and sometimes I wish they’d eat char siu instead of being so generic. Just do your research properly, spell the words properly and it’ll fit right in if it’s appropriate and/or relevant.

Read more POC Profiles here or submit your own.

[romancatholicreflections]

6th August >> Daily Reflection on Today's Mass Readings (Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 , Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9, 2 Peter 1:16-19, Matthew 17:1-9) for Roman Catholics on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Lectionary: 614 Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9 2 Peter 1:16-19 Matthew 17:1-9 Praying Ordinary Time Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer Pope Francis on the Transfiguation in 2014 Today’s feast of the transfiguration of Jesus is one of those gospel events that steps out of the ordinary as does, for example, the account of the baptism of Jesus by John. Both involve the presence of the divine and the divinely inspired. I think of the transfiguration as something like “coming attractions.” The event takes place near the end of Jesus’ public ministry and seems to act as a glimpse into the very near future -- Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus leads three of his disciples, Peter, James and John into this special scene and then astounding events unfolded before their eyes: “he was transfigured” before them; his “face shone like the sun;” and his garments became “white like the light.” Peter responded by acknowledging “how good it is for us to be here.” And then the cloud, the ancient sign of the very presence of God overshadowed them, and the voice, “This is my beloved Son, listen to him.” What on earth is going on here? From our historical perspective we can look back and say that the disciples were given a preview of the glory that belongs to Jesus after his death and resurrection and in the fullness of the Kingdom of God. They don’t know it now, but that is the same glory that they will be given after they bring the message of the Kingdom to their contemporaries. What a special moment for them, and also for us who receive the promise of ultimate glory from Jesus through God’s generous love. We are invited to plumb the depths of this astonishing transfituration moment in the lives of Jesus and the disciples. I usually think of the “glory” of Jesus at the moment of the transfiguration being associated with his resurrection. But the truth is that BOTH the suffering/death of Jesus AND the resurrection represent to us the glory the Son has received from the Father. Scripture scholar, Tom Wright, invites his readers to discover a parallel between this transfiguration moment and the crucifixion of Jesus. It can be compared and contrasted schematically this way: TRANSFIGURATION CRUCIFIXION Jesus revealed in GLORY Jesus revealed in SHAME His clothes SHINING WHITE Clothes roughly STRIPPED OFF Jesus with MOSES & ELIJAH Jesus with TWO THIEVES Surrounded by SHINING CLOUD DARKNESS covers the land The mount-top view of transfiguration gets its meaning from the hill-top of Golgotha and vice-versa. Our invitation is to acknowledge the glory in the crucifixion. Our lives are filled with experiences that we could describe as transfigurations: think of the birth of a child; honors coming from the hard work of getting an education; truly enjoying the benefits of good health. And our lives are filled with crucifixion experiences as well: the loss of a job or economic instability; the loss of a loved one to death; the pain of illness. The list can go on, and we are all called to be attentive to both types of experiences – those by which I am transfigured and those that are a crucifixion to me. The same glory shines through both of these real life situations if we but let it in, and in so doing we let Christ in at ever-deeper levels of our lives. Lord, help me to live into the reality of Christ’s life, death and resurrection in my own history. Let me be more deeply aware of Jesus’ presence to me and to live into as well as out of that glorious inviting presence that you are to me. This reflection was taken from the Archives for this Feast in 2014. by Tom Shanahan, S.J. Creighton University's Athletic Department

[frmartinshomiliesandreflections]

6th January >> Fr. Martin's Reflection on Today's Gospel Reading (Matthew 2:1-12) -  Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord:  ‘They did him homage’.

Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord

Gospel (Ireland)

Matthew 2:1-12

After Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of King Herod, some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east. ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ they asked. ‘We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage.’ When King Herod heard this he was perturbed, and so was the whole of Jerusalem. He called together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, and enquired of them where the Christ was to be born. ‘At Bethlehem in Judaea,’ they told him ‘for this is what the prophet wrote: And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah, for out of you will come a leader who will shepherd my people Israel.’ Then Herod summoned the wise men to see him privately. He asked them the exact date on which the star had appeared, and sent them on to Bethlehem. ‘Go and find out all about the child,’ he said ‘and when you have found him, let me know, so that I too may go and do him homage.’ Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out. And there in front of them was the star they had seen rising; it went forward, and halted over the place where the child was. The sight of the star filled them with delight, and going into the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. But they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, and returned to their own country by a different way.

Reflections (6)

(i) Feast of the Epiphany of The Lord.

On this feast of the Epiphany our crib scene is complete, with the arrival of the three visitors from the East. Tradition has made kings of these visitors, but the gospel passage which is the basis of this tradition speaks of magi. In that culture, magi were people with a certain set of skills, people possessed of some kind of specialized knowledge. The gospel passage suggests that the specialized knowledge of these magi related to the interpretation of the stars. They were not kings themselves but served the king with their skills. The gospel passage does not say how many of them there were. The number three was simply deduced from the number of gifts that were brought. The evangelist Matthew says they came from the east, without specifying from where. Magi were often associated with Persia, in particular, which corresponds to modern day Iran. They were clearly intended by the evangelist as representatives of the non-Jewish world. Their observation of the rising of a new star led them to believe that a new king of the Jews has been born. There was a widespread belief in that world that the birth of new leaders was marked by unusual events in the heavens. The natural gifts and acquired knowledge of these magi set them on a journey towards the child of Mary and Joseph whose name was Emmanuel, God with us. Their science was not in any way in conflict with their religious search. Rather, their study of the stars was the inspiration for their long journey towards a place of worship, ‘We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage’. Science is never in conflict with faith. Both are different and complementary paths to God. The story of the magi suggests that the study of creation, whether it is the heavenly world or some other dimension of creation, can serve the journey of faith, and help to bring us to the worship of the God who stands behind all created reality and who has become God with us in the child of Bethlehem.

In the story we have just heard, the journey of the magi from the East did not bring them to Bethlehem initially. It brought them to the principal city of Judea, Jerusalem, some miles north of Bethlehem. When they reached Jerusalem, they asked, ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ Their expertise in reading the heavens did not make them think that they knew it all. The evangelist portrays these specialists as humble people. They did not have all the answers. They remained people who questioned. They knew they needed the help of others who had a different expertise to theirown if their question ‘Where?’ was to be answered. In the gospel reading it is the chief priests and the scribes, those who had studied the Jewish Scriptures, who provided the information that allowed them to complete the last short leg of their journey. According to the prophet Micah, the shepherd king whom God will provide for his people will come from Bethlehem, the birthplace of King David. The magi’s observation and interpretation of the skies brought them a long way on their journey towards God with us. However, they needed the Jewish Scriptures to complete the journey. Creation is a revelation of God the Creator, but the Scriptures are a fuller revelation of God. These pagan specialists from the east were open to both expressions of God’s revelation. They were receptive to the various ways that God can speak to us. We can learn from them to be attentive to God’s word, whatever form that word may take. There are times in our lives when God seems to speak most powerfully to us through the wonders and beauty of creation. There are other times when we feel the need to listen attentively to the Lord’s word as it comes to us in both the Jewish and Christian Scriptures. The magi speak to the seeker within each one of us, that deep core whose longing cannot be fully satisfied by anything in this earthly life. Genuine seekers are always open to the many and varied ways that God communicates with us and seeks us out.

The long journey of the magi was finally crowned with an act of worship and an act of generosity, ‘they did him homage… they offered him gifts’. They surrendered themselves and their possessions to the Lord. We believe that our own life journey will be crowned in the same way. At the end of our lives, we surrender ourselves, all we are and have, into the hands of the living and loving Lord. Our own times of worship in the course of our life journey, our own acts of self-giving to the Lord, anticipate and prepare us for that final moment of self-surrender. One element of this inspiring story is the ominous presence of Herod. He too asked the question where the Christ was to be born. However, his motive in asking this question was very different to that of the magi. He wanted to eliminate a perceived threat to his throne. On our faith journey there will often be forces that are hostile to God’s purpose for our lives. Yet, this assures that, in the words of the fourth gospel, ‘the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it’.

And/Or

(ii) Feast of the Epiphany of The Lord

The gospel story behind this feast is has inspired artists, story tellers, poets and musicians down the centuries. In Mater Dei Institute of Education the music department used to put on a musical event once a year. One year they put on an operetta called ‘Amahl and the night visitors’. It was composed by Gian Carlo Menotti. He was born and reared in Italy but had been living in the United States, in New York for some years. Amahl is a disabled boy who needs a crutch to walk. He lives with his mother in very poor circumstances. One night the three kings stop off at their house to rest the night on their way to Bethlehem. When the boy hears that they are going to visit this special child to bring him their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, he asks them to take his crutch as his gift to the child. When he gave his crutch to the kings to give to the child of Bethlehem, he was miraculously cured. He then begged his mother to allow him to travel to Bethlehem with the kings to give thanks to this child for his healing. 

The composer said he was inspired to write this operetta by his own experience as a child in Italy. In his childhood there was no Santa Claus who brought gifts at Christmas time. Instead, the three kings brought gifts to children on the 6th of January. In the booklet for the opening performance of the operetta he wrote, ‘I actually never met the Three Kings—it didn’t matter how hard my little brother and I tried to keep awake at night to catch a glimpse of the Three Royal Visitors, we would always fall asleep just before they arrived. But I do remember hearing them. I remember the weird cadence of their song in the dark distance; I remember the brittle sound of the camel’s hooves crushing the frozen snow; and I remember the mysterious tinkling of their silver bridles… To these Three Kings I mainly owe the happy Christmas seasons of my childhood’. When he came to live in the United States the presence of Santa Claus everywhere at Christmas time led him to forget about the three kings. In November 1951 he had been commissioned by the National Broadcasting Company to write an operetta for television for Christmas. He wrote in that booklet that he didn’t have an idea in his head. As he walked through the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City one gloomy November afternoon in 1951, he came across the wonderful painting of the Adoration of the Magi by Hieronymus Bosch. He wrote ‘as I was looking at it, suddenly I heard again, coming from the distant blue hills, the weird song of the Three Kings. I then realized they had come back to me and had brought me a gift’. Their gift was the inspiration he needed to write his operetta, ‘Amahl and the night visitors’.

Perhaps we could ask ourselves, ‘What gift are the magi bringing us this feast of the Epiphany?’ How might their story speak to ours? The gospel story suggests that the magi were prompted to journey westward by the appearance of a bright star they had never seen before. The evangelist Matthew wants us to think of them as people who were used to studying the heavens. They looked upwards in amazement at the wonder of the star filled sky. There was a real contemplative dimension to their lives. They were absorbed by the beauty of the starry sky in all its radiance. Because they were attentive to this powerful and absorbing phenomenon, they noticed a new star when it appeared and were prompted to follow it. One of the gifts of the magi to us is perhaps that contemplative spirit which allows us to step back and really see what is before us. We can look without really seeing, just as we can hear without really listening. It is that contemplative spirit, that attentive looking and listening to the world around us, that can open us up to the signs of the Lord’s presence to us, those stars that leads us to the Lord. The Lord is always drawing us to himself. He is the light who enlightens everyone who comes into the world. We just need to be attentive to the presence of his light or the light of his presence. His light can shine upon us through a whole range of human experiences. For the magi, it took the form of the mysterious star, which launched them on a new journey. For Gian Carlo Menotti, it took the form of that painting in the Art Gallery in New York. His contemplative stance before this painting opened him up to the Lord’s light, launching him on the journey of creating his own work of art that would inspire many others. The Lord can also speak to us and inspire us to take some step through the people that cross our path in life, be it a close friend or even a stranger. The magi in the gospel reading teach us to be attentive to these signals from the Lord. The star that leads us to the Lord is there for all of us if we seek for it with an open heart, and with open ears and eyes.

And/Or

(iii) Feast of the Epiphany of The Lord

Today’s gospel reading puts before us two very contrasting responses to the news that the long-awaited Jewish Messiah had just been born. Astrologers from the East were so excited by this news that they set out on a long journey to find the child so as to pay him homage. King Herod in Jerusalem was so perturbed by the same news that he sought to kill the child. Today on this feast of the Epiphany we are asked to identify with the response of the astrologers, the wise men, from the East. They were people who were very observant of God’s natural world, in particular that part of God’s natural world that came into view when darkness descended. They observed and studied the stars. They were fascinated by the stars. Yet, they recognized that the stars, for all their splendour, pointed beyond themselves to some more wonderful reality, to God. So, when they heard that God was visiting our world in a new way through a child who had just been born, they set out in search of that child. These exotic figures from the East show us how being attentive to God’s natural world can draw us closer to God. This can happen in different ways for different people. For the wise men it was their fascination with the stars that led them to the true light of the world. For others, the sea can have a similar impact, revealing in some mysterious way the depth and power of God. The redness of a rose spoke to Joseph Mary Plunket of the redeeming death of Christ. God can speak to us in a variety of ways through the world of nature. The wise men teach us to be attentive and observant of God’s world, so that in and through it we may experience the presence of the living God. There came a point on the journey of the wise men when they needed more that the signs of nature to find the child whom they were seeking. When they came to Jerusalem they had to ask, ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ To make the last short step on their long journey, they needed more than the light of a star. They needed the light of the Scriptures. The chief priests and the scribes who knew the Scriptures were able to point them in the direction of Bethlehem. On our own journey towards the Lord, we too need the light of the Scriptures as well as the light of nature. The Scriptures are a fuller revelation of God than the natural world. It is in and through the Scriptures that we meet God and his Son in a special way. Through the Scriptures God speaks to us in a privileged way. He asks us to listen and to allow our lives to be shaped by what we hear. The wise men allowed themselves to be guided by the Scriptures, as well as by the star. They showed something of that responsiveness to God’s word to which we are all called. Having been moved by the presence of God in nature and in the Scriptures, the wise men came face to face with God in a child. They did not worship the star; they did not even worship the Scriptures. But they did worship the child, because they recognised that here was Emmanuel, God-with-us. We too worship Emmanuel, and we do so in a special way every time we celebrate the Eucharist. As the wise men expressed their worship by offering the child their precious gifts, we express our own worship of the Lord in the Eucharist by offering him gifts, and our most precious gift is the gift of our lives. In the Eucharist we give ourselves to the Lord, in response to his giving of himself to us as bread of life, saying ‘Here I am’ in response to his ‘Take and eat’. The gospel reading tells us that, after worshipping the child, the wise men returned home by a different way. Their meeting with the infant king of the Jews somehow changed them. Our own worship of the Lord in the Eucharist will often prompt us to take a different path too. We come to the Eucharist open to being changed by our meeting with the Lord. We are sent forth from the Eucharist to follow the way of the Lord more closely. We pray on this feast of the Epiphany that we would be as open to the Lord’s path as the wise men were.

And/Or:

(iv) Feast of the Epiphany of The Lord

There is a tradition in certain parts of Latin America that on the feast of the Epiphany a small plastic baby Jesus is hidden in a cake baked specially for the feast day. The hiding of the plastic figure signifies the efforts to hide the child Jesus from the evil intentions of King Herod. As the cake is cut, the slicing knife represents the danger posed to the infant Jesus by the cruel king. In some places the tradition is that whoever gets the piece of cake with the small figure of Jesus is obliged to host the next family gathering on February 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. In other places, the one who finds the plastic figure in his or her portion receives gifts from those present. These traditions make tangible both the dangers that threatened the child Jesus as soon as he was born and the excitement of discovering the child Jesus, the son of Mary and Joseph, to be Emmanuel, God-with-us. If the danger posed to the child Jesus is represented by King Herod the excitement of discovering the child Jesus is expressed by the magi from the East who, on arriving to Bethlehem, fell to their knees to worship the infant king of the Jews and then offered him their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Charles Dickens wrote a book entitled ‘A Tale of Two Cities’, based on the French revolution. One commentator has entitled the story we have just heard in the gospel reading, ‘A Tale of Three Cities’. There is Jerusalem, the city of Herod; there is Bethlehem, the city, or more the town, of David, where Jesus was born, and then the unnamed city in the East from where the visitors who sought the infant king of the Jews hailed. 

The word ‘Epiphany’ means a showing forth, a setting in the light. Today we celebrate the good news that God showed forth his Son to all the nations, Jews and pagans alike. It is the pagan visitors from the unnamed city of the East who reveal to us how to respond to God’s showing forth of his Son, God’s gift of his Son. Jesus was born into a Jewish world and these visitors from the East were strangers in that world; they were outsiders. It often takes strangers, outsiders, to show us how to respond to God’s gift of his Son, how to appreciate the great riches of our faith, the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and in the other sacraments, the life-giving message of the Scriptures, in particular, the gospels. In recent years there has been a huge increase in the number of people coming to live among us from abroad, many of them from the East, from Eastern Europe and from much further East, the Far East, others from the South, from Africa. They often bring an enthusiasm and appreciation for the treasures of the faith, that, perhaps, we have lost somewhat. They have enriched the church by their readiness to share their gifts and energies with the church here in their adopted homeland. Although in the emerging tradition of the church the visitors from the East have become kings and are portrayed as kings in our traditional cribs, they are not called kings in the gospel reading. They are called ‘magi’, translated as ‘wise men’. The term ‘magi’ referred to people who had special knowledge, experts in some field or other, and in the case of our magi, it would appear, experts in astronomy or astrology. The rising of a new star suggested to these ‘magi’ the birth of a new Jewish king, to whom they wished to do homage. They saw a new light and they chose to follow the light, wherever it led them. They represent all those, of whatever creed or persuasion, who seek to follow the light, the light of truth. The magi are the ancestors of all of us who seek the truth. It was their own natural skills of searching and interpreting the skies - their own natural knowledge and wisdom - that launched them on their search. Those natural gifts brought them to Jerusalem, but the gospel reading suggests that they needed the guidance of the Jewish Scriptures to direct them to Bethlehem where the infant king of the Jews would be found. Reason and the revelation of Scripture worked together to bring them to the Lord. Their profile in the gospels reminds us that our natural gifts of mind and reason need never be an obstacle to faith. The magi came to recognize that the brightest star of all was Christ the Lord; he was ‘light from light’, in the words of the Creed.

Jesus is God’s gift to all who seek the truth; he is not a gift for a select few. The figure of Herod in the gospel reading can symbolize the forces that work to prevent us finding the one for whom we long. We can encounter many obstacles on our journey towards the Lord of light and truth. Yet, the gospel reading also suggests that the obstacles will not ultimately prevail if we are faithful to our search for the true light. We are about to witness the baptism of John. The light of Christ will shine upon him through this sacrament and the flame of faith will be kindled in his young life.

And/Or:

(v) Feast of the Epiphany of The Lord

The planet Mars has been in the news in recent weeks, both for the apparent failure of the European mission to land a probe there and, in contrast, the great success of the American mission. You may have seen on the TV some of the pictures of the Martian surface that the American craft has started to send back. One of the scientists at NASA commented that it is remarkable to look up into the night sky at the planet Mars and to realize that we have now landed a craft on the planet that is sending back pictures from its surface. Men and women have always been fascinated by the night sky with its myriads of stars and planets. Once the Wright brothers took to the air a hundred years ago this year, it was only a matter of time before we succeed in landing on some of these planets.

The wise men in our gospel reading today were star gazers. They were closer to modern-day astrologers than modern-day astronomers. It is difficult to look up at a brilliantly lit starry sky and not to be overawed by the wonder, the beauty and the mystery of the universe. That sense of awe in the face of our ever expanding universe can touch what is deepest and most spiritual in us. We can be opened up to the wonder, not only of creation, but of the creator. As one of the psalms puts it, ‘the heavens proclaim the glory of God’. According to our gospel reading, the star gazing of the wise men from the east launched them on a spiritual quest, a search for God’s anointed one, a king in whom God was present in a unique way. Their fascination with one particular star brought them west to Jerusalem and eventually to Bethlehem, where they found the one for whom they were searching. Having found him, they worshipped him and left him their gifts, before returning home by another way. There is something of the searcher in all of us. There is a restlessness in us for what is ultimate and absolute, for what is good and beautiful and true. The busyness of our lives can sometimes cut us off from that restlessness within. We can loose touch with the searcher within ourselves. It often takes a period of enforced inactivity to help us make contact again with the deeper longings within us that get silenced by the pace of life. It was while recovering from the wounds of battle that Ignatius of Loyola began to notice his deepest desires for God, his longing to serve God and to do God’s will. When he recovered from his wounds, he set out, like the wise men, by a different way. Sometimes an opportunity for quiet retreat can do the same for us. We take an opportunity that comes our way to step back from our usual comings and goings, and to focus on those deeper voices within us that can so easily get silenced. In a prayerful atmosphere, perhaps with some guidance, we get in touch with the searcher within ourselves again. We begin to attend to the Lord and his call. Having met the Lord anew, we return home again by a different way, somehow changed. A pilgrimage can have the same effect on us. We find ourselves joining a group that are travelling together to some holy place, some place that has been touched in some way by God, by people of God. There, in this special place, something deep within us is touched. We are helped to see ourselves and others in a different light, in God’s light. We are helped to take a different way, a better way.

Today’s feast speaks to the searcher in all of us. We are invited to identify with these wise men from the East who invested time, energy and resources in seeking out the one whom God sent to us. Their search was very much in response to God’s initiative. They came to Bethlehem because God had already visited that place. God had spoken a word which they were alert enough to hear. Our search is always a response to God’s initiative towards us. God seeks us out before we seek out God. Over the Christmas period we have been celebrating the wonderful way God has sought us out in the person of his Son, who became flesh, taking on a human life like yours and mine. God sent his Son to seek out and to save the lost, and that includes all of us. We are already the objects of God’s search. God’s searching love continues to call out to us, and to draw us. Our search is always only a response to that greater search, the search of a love that is greater than any human love. Today’s feast invites us to pause and allow ourselves to be touched by God’s searching love, so that, like the wise men, we can set out on our own search for the Lord who seeks us out. As we set out on that journey, the Lord will provide us with stars to guide us. Those stars will often take the form of people who themselves have been true to their own deepest longings and whose lives are pointing towards God. We need to be alert to the signals the Lord gives us to guide our way towards his great light. As we enter that light and allow that light to shine on us, we too will find ourselves setting out by a different way, one that corresponds more to the Lord’s way.

And/Or

(vi) Feast of the Epiphany of The Lord

The story of the magi from the East that we have just heard has inspired artists and poets down through the centuries. In the last century, the poet TS Eliot wrote a poem entitled, ‘The Journey of the Magi’. It begins, ‘A cold coming we had of it, Just the worst time of the year For a journey, and such a long journey: The ways deep and the weather sharp, The very dead of winter’. We celebrate this feast in the very dead of winter, when the days are short and dark. Yet the feast of the Epiphany is very much a feast of light. The word ‘Epiphany’ means ‘manifestation’ or ‘showing forth’. Today’s feast celebrates the shining forth of Emmanuel, God with us, to all who are seeking the face of God, who are searching for truth, looking for meaning and purpose in their lives. The feast of the Epiphany announces that the Christ child is the journey’s end for all such seekers.

The magi from the East are patrons of all who are searching for a greater light and a fuller truth. They are symbols of hope for all who struggle to God by strange routes. The writer Evelyn Waugh wrote a prayer to the magi for one of his fictional characters which catches something of this hope: ‘You are my especial patrons, and patrons of all latecomers, of all who have a tedious journey to make to the truth, of all who are confused with knowledge and speculation’. It is likely that by using the term ‘magi’ Matthew intended scholars who studied the stars, and who, in contemplating the heavens, sought the God of heaven and earth. They hoped that the language of the stars would speak to them of God. So it was that when one unusual star appeared, they followed it, believing it would lead them to a new born child who was the long awaited King of the Jews, God’s anointed one. Their journey was driven by a question, which they put to the inhabitants of Jerusalem on arriving in that great city, ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ Often it is our questions that bring us closer to the Lord. The question, ‘Where is Jesus to be found?’ is one of the deeper questions of life. People have always asked that question. They may not ask it in that form, but they ask ‘Where is truth to be found?’ ‘Where is light and life to be found?’ They are, in reality, seeking the one who said of himself, ‘I am the truth; I am the light; I am the life’. The magi are their patrons. They are patrons of us all because we all remain seekers until that day when we pass over from this life and come to see the Lord face to face. As Saint Augustine said, ‘our hearts are restless, until they rest in God’.

The magi were led to Bethlehem by a star. There is always a star that guides us towards Bethlehem. The Lord will find ways of drawing us towards himself, if we are genuinely searching for him. The Lord drew the magi to himself from within their own experience; they were stargazers and it was through the stars that he spoke to them. The Lord will speak to us too from within our particular set of experiences, if we have ears to hear. Yet, as the Lord draws us towards himself, there will be other forces that seek to draw us away from the Lord. The magi discovered this for themselves. As they came closer to their final destination, they encountered people who were not genuine seekers after truth, Herod, the representative of the political power, and his allies, the chief priests and scribes. When Herod asked, ‘where is Jesus to be found?’, where the King of the Jews was to be born, it was out of fear that here was someone who might threaten his own status as King of the Jews. His hypocrisy is evident is his invitation to the magi to return to him and tell him all about the child so that he may worship him. On our journey towards the Lord, we will inevitably encounter our own version of Herod and his entourage. That is why Jesus teaches us to pray, ‘lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil’

When these strangers from the East finally reached the child whom they had been seeking, they worshipped him, and they placed at his service their most valuable treasures. They invite us to ask of ourselves, ‘Before whom do we kneel in worship?’ ‘Do we live worshipping the child of Bethlehem?’ ‘Do we place at his feet our own possessions, our resources and gifts?’ It is said of the magi that, having encountered the child, they returned to their country by a different way. The treasure they received from this child was more precious than the gifts they brought and it changed their lives forever; they went home different people. Any genuine encounter with the Lord will always change us in some fundamental way. The conclusion of Eliot’s poem captures this truth, ‘We returned to our places, these kingdoms, But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation, With an alien people clutching their gods’.

Fr Martin Hogan, Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland.

Parish Website: www.stjohnsclontarf.ieJoin us via our webcam.

Twitter: @SJtBClontarfRC.

Facebook: St John the Baptist RC Parish, Clontarf.

Tumblr: Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin.

[romancatholicreflections]

6th January >> Fr. Martin’s Reflection on Today’s Gospel Reading (Matthew 2:1-12) - Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord: ‘They did him homage’.

Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord Gospel (Ireland) Matthew 2:1-12 After Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of King Herod, some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east. ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ they asked. ‘We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage.’ When King Herod heard this he was perturbed, and so was the whole of Jerusalem. He called together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, and enquired of them where the Christ was to be born. ‘At Bethlehem in Judaea,’ they told him ‘for this is what the prophet wrote: And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah, for out of you will come a leader who will shepherd my people Israel.’ Then Herod summoned the wise men to see him privately. He asked them the exact date on which the star had appeared, and sent them on to Bethlehem. ‘Go and find out all about the child,’ he said ‘and when you have found him, let me know, so that I too may go and do him homage.’ Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out. And there in front of them was the star they had seen rising; it went forward, and halted over the place where the child was. The sight of the star filled them with delight, and going into the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. But they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, and returned to their own country by a different way. Reflections (6) (i) Feast of the Epiphany of The Lord. On this feast of the Epiphany our crib scene is complete, with the arrival of the three visitors from the East. Tradition has made kings of these visitors, but the gospel passage which is the basis of this tradition speaks of magi. In that culture, magi were people with a certain set of skills, people possessed of some kind of specialized knowledge. The gospel passage suggests that the specialized knowledge of these magi related to the interpretation of the stars. They were not kings themselves but served the king with their skills. The gospel passage does not say how many of them there were. The number three was simply deduced from the number of gifts that were brought. The evangelist Matthew says they came from the east, without specifying from where. Magi were often associated with Persia, in particular, which corresponds to modern day Iran. They were clearly intended by the evangelist as representatives of the non-Jewish world. Their observation of the rising of a new star led them to believe that a new king of the Jews has been born. There was a widespread belief in that world that the birth of new leaders was marked by unusual events in the heavens. The natural gifts and acquired knowledge of these magi set them on a journey towards the child of Mary and Joseph whose name was Emmanuel, God with us. Their science was not in any way in conflict with their religious search. Rather, their study of the stars was the inspiration for their long journey towards a place of worship, ‘We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage’. Science is never in conflict with faith. Both are different and complementary paths to God. The story of the magi suggests that the study of creation, whether it is the heavenly world or some other dimension of creation, can serve the journey of faith, and help to bring us to the worship of the God who stands behind all created reality and who has become God with us in the child of Bethlehem. In the story we have just heard, the journey of the magi from the East did not bring them to Bethlehem initially. It brought them to the principal city of Judea, Jerusalem, some miles north of Bethlehem. When they reached Jerusalem, they asked, ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ Their expertise in reading the heavens did not make them think that they knew it all. The evangelist portrays these specialists as humble people. They did not have all the answers. They remained people who questioned. They knew they needed the help of others who had a different expertise to theirown if their question ‘Where?’ was to be answered. In the gospel reading it is the chief priests and the scribes, those who had studied the Jewish Scriptures, who provided the information that allowed them to complete the last short leg of their journey. According to the prophet Micah, the shepherd king whom God will provide for his people will come from Bethlehem, the birthplace of King David. The magi’s observation and interpretation of the skies brought them a long way on their journey towards God with us. However, they needed the Jewish Scriptures to complete the journey. Creation is a revelation of God the Creator, but the Scriptures are a fuller revelation of God. These pagan specialists from the east were open to both expressions of God’s revelation. They were receptive to the various ways that God can speak to us. We can learn from them to be attentive to God’s word, whatever form that word may take. There are times in our lives when God seems to speak most powerfully to us through the wonders and beauty of creation. There are other times when we feel the need to listen attentively to the Lord’s word as it comes to us in both the Jewish and Christian Scriptures. The magi speak to the seeker within each one of us, that deep core whose longing cannot be fully satisfied by anything in this earthly life. Genuine seekers are always open to the many and varied ways that God communicates with us and seeks us out. The long journey of the magi was finally crowned with an act of worship and an act of generosity, ‘they did him homage… they offered him gifts’. They surrendered themselves and their possessions to the Lord. We believe that our own life journey will be crowned in the same way. At the end of our lives, we surrender ourselves, all we are and have, into the hands of the living and loving Lord. Our own times of worship in the course of our life journey, our own acts of self-giving to the Lord, anticipate and prepare us for that final moment of self-surrender. One element of this inspiring story is the ominous presence of Herod. He too asked the question where the Christ was to be born. However, his motive in asking this question was very different to that of the magi. He wanted to eliminate a perceived threat to his throne. On our faith journey there will often be forces that are hostile to God’s purpose for our lives. Yet, this assures that, in the words of the fourth gospel, ‘the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it’. And/Or (ii) Feast of the Epiphany of The Lord The gospel story behind this feast is has inspired artists, story tellers, poets and musicians down the centuries. In Mater Dei Institute of Education the music department used to put on a musical event once a year. One year they put on an operetta called ‘Amahl and the night visitors’. It was composed by Gian Carlo Menotti. He was born and reared in Italy but had been living in the United States, in New York for some years. Amahl is a disabled boy who needs a crutch to walk. He lives with his mother in very poor circumstances. One night the three kings stop off at their house to rest the night on their way to Bethlehem. When the boy hears that they are going to visit this special child to bring him their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, he asks them to take his crutch as his gift to the child. When he gave his crutch to the kings to give to the child of Bethlehem, he was miraculously cured. He then begged his mother to allow him to travel to Bethlehem with the kings to give thanks to this child for his healing. The composer said he was inspired to write this operetta by his own experience as a child in Italy. In his childhood there was no Santa Claus who brought gifts at Christmas time. Instead, the three kings brought gifts to children on the 6th of January. In the booklet for the opening performance of the operetta he wrote, ‘I actually never met the Three Kings—it didn’t matter how hard my little brother and I tried to keep awake at night to catch a glimpse of the Three Royal Visitors, we would always fall asleep just before they arrived. But I do remember hearing them. I remember the weird cadence of their song in the dark distance; I remember the brittle sound of the camel’s hooves crushing the frozen snow; and I remember the mysterious tinkling of their silver bridles… To these Three Kings I mainly owe the happy Christmas seasons of my childhood’. When he came to live in the United States the presence of Santa Claus everywhere at Christmas time led him to forget about the three kings. In November 1951 he had been commissioned by the National Broadcasting Company to write an operetta for television for Christmas. He wrote in that booklet that he didn’t have an idea in his head. As he walked through the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City one gloomy November afternoon in 1951, he came across the wonderful painting of the Adoration of the Magi by Hieronymus Bosch. He wrote ‘as I was looking at it, suddenly I heard again, coming from the distant blue hills, the weird song of the Three Kings. I then realized they had come back to me and had brought me a gift’. Their gift was the inspiration he needed to write his operetta, ‘Amahl and the night visitors’. Perhaps we could ask ourselves, ‘What gift are the magi bringing us this feast of the Epiphany?’ How might their story speak to ours? The gospel story suggests that the magi were prompted to journey westward by the appearance of a bright star they had never seen before. The evangelist Matthew wants us to think of them as people who were used to studying the heavens. They looked upwards in amazement at the wonder of the star filled sky. There was a real contemplative dimension to their lives. They were absorbed by the beauty of the starry sky in all its radiance. Because they were attentive to this powerful and absorbing phenomenon, they noticed a new star when it appeared and were prompted to follow it. One of the gifts of the magi to us is perhaps that contemplative spirit which allows us to step back and really see what is before us. We can look without really seeing, just as we can hear without really listening. It is that contemplative spirit, that attentive looking and listening to the world around us, that can open us up to the signs of the Lord’s presence to us, those stars that leads us to the Lord. The Lord is always drawing us to himself. He is the light who enlightens everyone who comes into the world. We just need to be attentive to the presence of his light or the light of his presence. His light can shine upon us through a whole range of human experiences. For the magi, it took the form of the mysterious star, which launched them on a new journey. For Gian Carlo Menotti, it took the form of that painting in the Art Gallery in New York. His contemplative stance before this painting opened him up to the Lord’s light, launching him on the journey of creating his own work of art that would inspire many others. The Lord can also speak to us and inspire us to take some step through the people that cross our path in life, be it a close friend or even a stranger. The magi in the gospel reading teach us to be attentive to these signals from the Lord. The star that leads us to the Lord is there for all of us if we seek for it with an open heart, and with open ears and eyes. And/Or (iii) Feast of the Epiphany of The Lord Today’s gospel reading puts before us two very contrasting responses to the news that the long-awaited Jewish Messiah had just been born. Astrologers from the East were so excited by this news that they set out on a long journey to find the child so as to pay him homage. King Herod in Jerusalem was so perturbed by the same news that he sought to kill the child. Today on this feast of the Epiphany we are asked to identify with the response of the astrologers, the wise men, from the East. They were people who were very observant of God’s natural world, in particular that part of God’s natural world that came into view when darkness descended. They observed and studied the stars. They were fascinated by the stars. Yet, they recognized that the stars, for all their splendour, pointed beyond themselves to some more wonderful reality, to God. So, when they heard that God was visiting our world in a new way through a child who had just been born, they set out in search of that child. These exotic figures from the East show us how being attentive to God’s natural world can draw us closer to God. This can happen in different ways for different people. For the wise men it was their fascination with the stars that led them to the true light of the world. For others, the sea can have a similar impact, revealing in some mysterious way the depth and power of God. The redness of a rose spoke to Joseph Mary Plunket of the redeeming death of Christ. God can speak to us in a variety of ways through the world of nature. The wise men teach us to be attentive and observant of God’s world, so that in and through it we may experience the presence of the living God. There came a point on the journey of the wise men when they needed more that the signs of nature to find the child whom they were seeking. When they came to Jerusalem they had to ask, ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ To make the last short step on their long journey, they needed more than the light of a star. They needed the light of the Scriptures. The chief priests and the scribes who knew the Scriptures were able to point them in the direction of Bethlehem. On our own journey towards the Lord, we too need the light of the Scriptures as well as the light of nature. The Scriptures are a fuller revelation of God than the natural world. It is in and through the Scriptures that we meet God and his Son in a special way. Through the Scriptures God speaks to us in a privileged way. He asks us to listen and to allow our lives to be shaped by what we hear. The wise men allowed themselves to be guided by the Scriptures, as well as by the star. They showed something of that responsiveness to God’s word to which we are all called. Having been moved by the presence of God in nature and in the Scriptures, the wise men came face to face with God in a child. They did not worship the star; they did not even worship the Scriptures. But they did worship the child, because they recognised that here was Emmanuel, God-with-us. We too worship Emmanuel, and we do so in a special way every time we celebrate the Eucharist. As the wise men expressed their worship by offering the child their precious gifts, we express our own worship of the Lord in the Eucharist by offering him gifts, and our most precious gift is the gift of our lives. In the Eucharist we give ourselves to the Lord, in response to his giving of himself to us as bread of life, saying ‘Here I am’ in response to his ‘Take and eat’. The gospel reading tells us that, after worshipping the child, the wise men returned home by a different way. Their meeting with the infant king of the Jews somehow changed them. Our own worship of the Lord in the Eucharist will often prompt us to take a different path too. We come to the Eucharist open to being changed by our meeting with the Lord. We are sent forth from the Eucharist to follow the way of the Lord more closely. We pray on this feast of the Epiphany that we would be as open to the Lord’s path as the wise men were. And/Or: (iv) Feast of the Epiphany of The Lord There is a tradition in certain parts of Latin America that on the feast of the Epiphany a small plastic baby Jesus is hidden in a cake baked specially for the feast day. The hiding of the plastic figure signifies the efforts to hide the child Jesus from the evil intentions of King Herod. As the cake is cut, the slicing knife represents the danger posed to the infant Jesus by the cruel king. In some places the tradition is that whoever gets the piece of cake with the small figure of Jesus is obliged to host the next family gathering on February 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. In other places, the one who finds the plastic figure in his or her portion receives gifts from those present. These traditions make tangible both the dangers that threatened the child Jesus as soon as he was born and the excitement of discovering the child Jesus, the son of Mary and Joseph, to be Emmanuel, God-with-us. If the danger posed to the child Jesus is represented by King Herod the excitement of discovering the child Jesus is expressed by the magi from the East who, on arriving to Bethlehem, fell to their knees to worship the infant king of the Jews and then offered him their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Charles Dickens wrote a book entitled ‘A Tale of Two Cities’, based on the French revolution. One commentator has entitled the story we have just heard in the gospel reading, ‘A Tale of Three Cities’. There is Jerusalem, the city of Herod; there is Bethlehem, the city, or more the town, of David, where Jesus was born, and then the unnamed city in the East from where the visitors who sought the infant king of the Jews hailed. The word ‘Epiphany’ means a showing forth, a setting in the light. Today we celebrate the good news that God showed forth his Son to all the nations, Jews and pagans alike. It is the pagan visitors from the unnamed city of the East who reveal to us how to respond to God’s showing forth of his Son, God’s gift of his Son. Jesus was born into a Jewish world and these visitors from the East were strangers in that world; they were outsiders. It often takes strangers, outsiders, to show us how to respond to God’s gift of his Son, how to appreciate the great riches of our faith, the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and in the other sacraments, the life-giving message of the Scriptures, in particular, the gospels. In recent years there has been a huge increase in the number of people coming to live among us from abroad, many of them from the East, from Eastern Europe and from much further East, the Far East, others from the South, from Africa. They often bring an enthusiasm and appreciation for the treasures of the faith, that, perhaps, we have lost somewhat. They have enriched the church by their readiness to share their gifts and energies with the church here in their adopted homeland. Although in the emerging tradition of the church the visitors from the East have become kings and are portrayed as kings in our traditional cribs, they are not called kings in the gospel reading. They are called ‘magi’, translated as ‘wise men’. The term ‘magi’ referred to people who had special knowledge, experts in some field or other, and in the case of our magi, it would appear, experts in astronomy or astrology. The rising of a new star suggested to these ‘magi’ the birth of a new Jewish king, to whom they wished to do homage. They saw a new light and they chose to follow the light, wherever it led them. They represent all those, of whatever creed or persuasion, who seek to follow the light, the light of truth. The magi are the ancestors of all of us who seek the truth. It was their own natural skills of searching and interpreting the skies - their own natural knowledge and wisdom - that launched them on their search. Those natural gifts brought them to Jerusalem, but the gospel reading suggests that they needed the guidance of the Jewish Scriptures to direct them to Bethlehem where the infant king of the Jews would be found. Reason and the revelation of Scripture worked together to bring them to the Lord. Their profile in the gospels reminds us that our natural gifts of mind and reason need never be an obstacle to faith. The magi came to recognize that the brightest star of all was Christ the Lord; he was ‘light from light’, in the words of the Creed. Jesus is God’s gift to all who seek the truth; he is not a gift for a select few. The figure of Herod in the gospel reading can symbolize the forces that work to prevent us finding the one for whom we long. We can encounter many obstacles on our journey towards the Lord of light and truth. Yet, the gospel reading also suggests that the obstacles will not ultimately prevail if we are faithful to our search for the true light. We are about to witness the baptism of John. The light of Christ will shine upon him through this sacrament and the flame of faith will be kindled in his young life. And/Or: (v) Feast of the Epiphany of The Lord The planet Mars has been in the news in recent weeks, both for the apparent failure of the European mission to land a probe there and, in contrast, the great success of the American mission. You may have seen on the TV some of the pictures of the Martian surface that the American craft has started to send back. One of the scientists at NASA commented that it is remarkable to look up into the night sky at the planet Mars and to realize that we have now landed a craft on the planet that is sending back pictures from its surface. Men and women have always been fascinated by the night sky with its myriads of stars and planets. Once the Wright brothers took to the air a hundred years ago this year, it was only a matter of time before we succeed in landing on some of these planets. The wise men in our gospel reading today were star gazers. They were closer to modern-day astrologers than modern-day astronomers. It is difficult to look up at a brilliantly lit starry sky and not to be overawed by the wonder, the beauty and the mystery of the universe. That sense of awe in the face of our ever expanding universe can touch what is deepest and most spiritual in us. We can be opened up to the wonder, not only of creation, but of the creator. As one of the psalms puts it, ‘the heavens proclaim the glory of God’. According to our gospel reading, the star gazing of the wise men from the east launched them on a spiritual quest, a search for God’s anointed one, a king in whom God was present in a unique way. Their fascination with one particular star brought them west to Jerusalem and eventually to Bethlehem, where they found the one for whom they were searching. Having found him, they worshipped him and left him their gifts, before returning home by another way. There is something of the searcher in all of us. There is a restlessness in us for what is ultimate and absolute, for what is good and beautiful and true. The busyness of our lives can sometimes cut us off from that restlessness within. We can loose touch with the searcher within ourselves. It often takes a period of enforced inactivity to help us make contact again with the deeper longings within us that get silenced by the pace of life. It was while recovering from the wounds of battle that Ignatius of Loyola began to notice his deepest desires for God, his longing to serve God and to do God’s will. When he recovered from his wounds, he set out, like the wise men, by a different way. Sometimes an opportunity for quiet retreat can do the same for us. We take an opportunity that comes our way to step back from our usual comings and goings, and to focus on those deeper voices within us that can so easily get silenced. In a prayerful atmosphere, perhaps with some guidance, we get in touch with the searcher within ourselves again. We begin to attend to the Lord and his call. Having met the Lord anew, we return home again by a different way, somehow changed. A pilgrimage can have the same effect on us. We find ourselves joining a group that are travelling together to some holy place, some place that has been touched in some way by God, by people of God. There, in this special place, something deep within us is touched. We are helped to see ourselves and others in a different light, in God’s light. We are helped to take a different way, a better way. Today’s feast speaks to the searcher in all of us. We are invited to identify with these wise men from the East who invested time, energy and resources in seeking out the one whom God sent to us. Their search was very much in response to God’s initiative. They came to Bethlehem because God had already visited that place. God had spoken a word which they were alert enough to hear. Our search is always a response to God’s initiative towards us. God seeks us out before we seek out God. Over the Christmas period we have been celebrating the wonderful way God has sought us out in the person of his Son, who became flesh, taking on a human life like yours and mine. God sent his Son to seek out and to save the lost, and that includes all of us. We are already the objects of God’s search. God’s searching love continues to call out to us, and to draw us. Our search is always only a response to that greater search, the search of a love that is greater than any human love. Today’s feast invites us to pause and allow ourselves to be touched by God’s searching love, so that, like the wise men, we can set out on our own search for the Lord who seeks us out. As we set out on that journey, the Lord will provide us with stars to guide us. Those stars will often take the form of people who themselves have been true to their own deepest longings and whose lives are pointing towards God. We need to be alert to the signals the Lord gives us to guide our way towards his great light. As we enter that light and allow that light to shine on us, we too will find ourselves setting out by a different way, one that corresponds more to the Lord’s way. And/Or (vi) Feast of the Epiphany of The Lord The story of the magi from the East that we have just heard has inspired artists and poets down through the centuries. In the last century, the poet TS Eliot wrote a poem entitled, ‘The Journey of the Magi’. It begins, ‘A cold coming we had of it, Just the worst time of the year For a journey, and such a long journey: The ways deep and the weather sharp, The very dead of winter’. We celebrate this feast in the very dead of winter, when the days are short and dark. Yet the feast of the Epiphany is very much a feast of light. The word ‘Epiphany’ means ‘manifestation’ or ‘showing forth’. Today’s feast celebrates the shining forth of Emmanuel, God with us, to all who are seeking the face of God, who are searching for truth, looking for meaning and purpose in their lives. The feast of the Epiphany announces that the Christ child is the journey’s end for all such seekers. The magi from the East are patrons of all who are searching for a greater light and a fuller truth. They are symbols of hope for all who struggle to God by strange routes. The writer Evelyn Waugh wrote a prayer to the magi for one of his fictional characters which catches something of this hope: ‘You are my especial patrons, and patrons of all latecomers, of all who have a tedious journey to make to the truth, of all who are confused with knowledge and speculation’. It is likely that by using the term ‘magi’ Matthew intended scholars who studied the stars, and who, in contemplating the heavens, sought the God of heaven and earth. They hoped that the language of the stars would speak to them of God. So it was that when one unusual star appeared, they followed it, believing it would lead them to a new born child who was the long awaited King of the Jews, God’s anointed one. Their journey was driven by a question, which they put to the inhabitants of Jerusalem on arriving in that great city, ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ Often it is our questions that bring us closer to the Lord. The question, ‘Where is Jesus to be found?’ is one of the deeper questions of life. People have always asked that question. They may not ask it in that form, but they ask ‘Where is truth to be found?’ ‘Where is light and life to be found?’ They are, in reality, seeking the one who said of himself, ‘I am the truth; I am the light; I am the life’. The magi are their patrons. They are patrons of us all because we all remain seekers until that day when we pass over from this life and come to see the Lord face to face. As Saint Augustine said, ‘our hearts are restless, until they rest in God’. The magi were led to Bethlehem by a star. There is always a star that guides us towards Bethlehem. The Lord will find ways of drawing us towards himself, if we are genuinely searching for him. The Lord drew the magi to himself from within their own experience; they were stargazers and it was through the stars that he spoke to them. The Lord will speak to us too from within our particular set of experiences, if we have ears to hear. Yet, as the Lord draws us towards himself, there will be other forces that seek to draw us away from the Lord. The magi discovered this for themselves. As they came closer to their final destination, they encountered people who were not genuine seekers after truth, Herod, the representative of the political power, and his allies, the chief priests and scribes. When Herod asked, ‘where is Jesus to be found?’, where the King of the Jews was to be born, it was out of fear that here was someone who might threaten his own status as King of the Jews. His hypocrisy is evident is his invitation to the magi to return to him and tell him all about the child so that he may worship him. On our journey towards the Lord, we will inevitably encounter our own version of Herod and his entourage. That is why Jesus teaches us to pray, ‘lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil’ When these strangers from the East finally reached the child whom they had been seeking, they worshipped him, and they placed at his service their most valuable treasures. They invite us to ask of ourselves, ‘Before whom do we kneel in worship?’ ‘Do we live worshipping the child of Bethlehem?’ ‘Do we place at his feet our own possessions, our resources and gifts?’ It is said of the magi that, having encountered the child, they returned to their country by a different way. The treasure they received from this child was more precious than the gifts they brought and it changed their lives forever; they went home different people. Any genuine encounter with the Lord will always change us in some fundamental way. The conclusion of Eliot’s poem captures this truth, ‘We returned to our places, these kingdoms, But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation, With an alien people clutching their gods’. Fr Martin Hogan, Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland. Parish Website: www.stjohnsclontarf.ieJoin us via our webcam. Twitter: @SJtBClontarfRC. Facebook: St John the Baptist RC Parish, Clontarf. Tumblr: Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin.