WHERE IS THE NEWBORN KING?
January 3, 2021: A Reflection for the Feast of the Epiphany
Matthew 2:1-12
Where is the newborn King of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage? (Mt 2:2)
Where is the newborn king? That is the question that lies in the depths of every person. You have hardwired us to desire to find you in our depths and in all creation, Jesus. In the Gospel we hear it said, “Everyone is looking for you.” Indeed, everyone IS looking for God. God is the ‘true north’ on the compass of our hearts, if we really look into it. Some may not recognize this ‘true north’ as God, but every time we seek good, beauty; every time we are loving or compassionate; every time we are servants of one another, we are responding to the deepest part of our truest self. We are looking for God. And you abide in all creation, Jesus. There is no place where you cease to reach out to each of us.
People of wisdom, sages from the east, arrived in Jerusalem searching for the newborn king. The course of a star led them on their physical journey, and their inner compass, always pointed to true north, led them on their spiritual journey to recognize this Child to whom they sought to do homage and offer gifts. This is the great feast of God’s answer to the question at the bottom of every heart: Where is God? And in the tiny child lies God’s great act of communication. God in human flesh. God who came to dwell with us and reveal throughout his life the answer to the yearning of every human heart. Ultimately, God is everywhere. We don’t have to travel to a special place to make the discovery. We don’t have to associate only with certain people to find God. All that is necessary is to go deep into the stillness of our own heart to hear the heartbeat of God. We can experience God’s presence in whoever comes into our lives at any moment. Every particle of creation bears within it the living God.
On this great day of the Father’s manifestation in Jesus–“Philip, whoever sees me sees the Father” (John 14:9)–let us be still, and in the Spirit, offer our treasures. From our own inner depths, the sanctuary of our deepest self, in the stillness of union, let us offer the treasure of ourselves. Where is God? He is here.