“Even Superman Gets Sick”
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
January 1 – 2, 2021
Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12
As you may already know, the word “epiphany” means a manifestation or revelation. There have been other epiphanies which are a revelation of who God is. By our own reason, we can come to the knowledge of God through natural law and reason, but that only gets us so far. God has to reveal Himself as He did in Genesis so that we can come to love Him. We cannot gain knowledge of Him without His help. He made prudent use of the Wise Men to reveal Who His son was.
Remember who Jesus is…the second person in the Blessed Trinity. He was one “Who” but He was also two “What’s.” He was one person which is the “Who,” and two “What’s” which are His two natures, human and divine. We only have a human nature. That’s all we have; it doesn’t get any better than that. Jesus had both a human and divine nature. His human nature He took from the Blessed Mother and is the one He suffered with and that was assumed and lost in His divine nature. This is shown in the Mass. I put one drop of water in the chalice of wine, not more and not less. If I don’t put just one drop of water into the chalice, the Mass is invalid because that is a symbol of Christ’s humanity being assumed and lost in His divinity. Our eventual goal is to know who He is…King of the Universe. The Jews worshiped God and offered incense in the Temple. We use frankincense which symbolizes God. Read the Old Testament. Read Revelation in the New Testament. Incense is the prayers of God’s holy people. That’s why we use it in church. It is scriptural prayer. He was presented with myrrh because He was God. Myrrh was used in burials and represented His coming into the world to die so that we may have an opportunity to get to Heaven. So, this is a Christological feast.
Our good Lord reveals Himself so that you can know His Son. The Wise Men revealed our response to His great love. They came from a far distance. We don’t know how far they came or from where. It could have been from Aquadale, but it was a long distance. Travel back then was very dangerous. When the Wise Men came, they left everything to find Jesus. They risked everything to find Him. They came to worship and knelt in His presence. The Wise Men were in the presence of the King, and they knelt in a posture of prayer. This is our response, whether convenient or inconvenient, to come see God’s great presence. The Wise Men were no more blessed than we are. We have God made present. Yes, the Wise Men saw God in the guise of a child. We see God in the Blessed Sacrament in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. But we see the same God. How do I love Thee, God?
Father’s Afterthoughts:
I am still very, very tired, and the nurses tell me this could last for a while. One of the symptoms of my illness has been insomnia. I have been blessed to have so many wonderful people in my parish and also family and friends. They have all been concerned and called to ask how I’m doing. And I may not have handled that very well. I had a beautiful chance for long-suffering patience, and I think I blew it most of the time. Well, think about it. A couple of people would call and ask how I’m doing and then want to chat. Shut up! My cousin called and asked, “How are you doing?” I told her I was resting at which point she wanted to chat. Shut-up! I’m sick! I do this for a living, trust me. You don’t stay long; it’s not a discussion. Eventually, one of my cousins by-passed me and asked Lori how I was doing. One of my chaplain friends at the hospital who I’ve known for 33 years and served with overseas was asked by the nurses if he had called me. He told them he texted me every few days. He’s sick. He’s a soldier – just leave him alone. They occasionally walk by the house and if there’s no smell, they know he’s okay. So, if I have been short with anyone and been in anything but perfect character, I do apologize and ask for your forgiveness. Illness is not an excuse, nor does it develop character. It reveals it. So, please forgive me.
How will you apply this message to your life?
You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to https://annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com/ and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.” Sermon notes can also be found on the church Facebook page by searching for “Facebook Our Lady of the Annunciation Albemarle”