“The Little Church”
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
January 7-8, 2023
Gospel: Matthew 3:13-17
13 Then Jesus appeared: He came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John. 14 John tried to dissuade Him, with the words, ‘It is I who need baptism from You, and yet You come to me!’ 15 But Jesus replied, ‘Leave it like this for the time being; it is fitting that we should, in this way, do all that uprightness demands.’ Then John gave in to Him. 16 And when Jesus had been baptised He at once came up from the water, and suddenly the heavens opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him. 17 And suddenly there was a voice from heaven, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on Him.’
Today is the Epiphany which is a Greek word that means manifestation and revelation. There are many of them in Scripture. Next week we will commemorate another epiphany – the baptism of our Good Lord. Today is also called the “Little Christmas” because this is when gifts were given to Christ. It is also a day in which people start taking down their Christmas decorations although some people probably have already taken them down. The Sacristans will soon remove the Manger, but the poinsettias will stay for a while until they start dropping petals which really drives me nuts. But it’s sad when they take all that stuff away, especially the Manger or the creche because it calls to mind a lot of things. However, the highest act of love did not happen on Christmas. It happened at His Passion, death, and resurrection. And that is why He came.
Church is a “what” but it is also a “Who.” Remember in the Book of Acts, Christ said, “Paul, why are you persecuting Me?” He didn’t say, “Paul, why are you persecuting the people who tithe and who helped build the buildings.” He said, “Why are you persecuting Me?” The Church is Christ. Therefore, the Manger is the “Little Church.” By the way, according to Scripture, the family lived in a house. They were not poor – they had a house. The Manger scene is visible scripture and visible theology. Because Christ is present, it is Christology (the study of Who Christ is). Because the Manger is the Little Church, it is also Ecclesiology (the study of what the Church is). It teaches us about the Church.
More is revealed through the gifts given by the Magi (the wise men and kings from the East). They gave Him gold because He is king. They gave Him frankincense because He is God. Remember the Jews used incense at the altar in the temple. In Revelation, incense is present before the throne of God. So, using incense is scriptural. I use it sparingly and not like in a military gas chamber. But if you have a cold, get near the incense and it will clear you right up. Incense portrays that our Lord is visibly present. And finally, the Magi gave our Lord myrrh, a burial spice, because of why He came.
Who do you find around Jesus? They were all gathered around and looking at Jesus. They weren’t talking about the latest political scandals. They prostrated themselves…they didn’t stand and pray… they prostrated themselves as you do before God. Their faces were in the dirt. But who was there? You find the pure – the Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph who are pure of heart. You find the simple – the shepherds who knew they were ignorant and knew nothing. They were humble and followed God’s directions like Saint Joseph did. And you find the wise men who were astrologers and kings from the East. They were truly educated. What is the best fruit of an education? Is it having a bunch of initials after your name? Is it having a Mensa card in your wallet? The best fruit of an education is realizing that you don’t know everything. Even with everything you have learned in the past, there is so much more to learn. You have just scratched the surface. The more you learn the more you realize how ignorant you are. The wise men realized how ignorant they were, and that’s why they came. They came to be in the presence of Christ. And that is who you will always find around Christ – the holy, the simple, and the wise.
The Manger is the Church, and it is a beautiful thing to have in your home. Everything is right there in the Manger and very teachable. So, as you put the Manger scene away for the next 48 weeks or so, remember that you have a beautiful library stashed away. It is a beautiful meditation on what our Faith is.
How will you apply this message to your life? ________________________________________
You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” then “Sermon Notes.” On a cell phone: click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories.” Sermon Notes are also available on the church Facebook page at facebook.com/ola.catholic.church. Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”