Worshiping the Lord, Walking on new Way

The birth of Jesus Christ attracts people who are seeking good and eternal life. The three magi who saw the star of Jesus Christ came from afar to worship him. After the birth of Jesus Christ, Mary, Joseph and the shepherds who represent the Jewish people, worshipped Jesus. The three magi, who represent other nations came from afar to worship Jesus Christ. We understand then that Jesus is a savior and the incarnated God for all.  These three magi represent all the good people among all nations who seek truth and new life. The magi brought the best gifts from their hometown, gold, frankincense and myrrh. these gifts are also significant in Jesus’ life. Gold for the King, Frankinsence to honor God and  Myrrh as a reminder that this savior would also suffer death.

                The magi are smart people, they used their knowledge to  seek what would be best for them. When the magi saw the new star of a new King, they came from different places without delay to worship. When they saw the baby Jesus who was in the manger, they recognized Jesus as the new King and worshipped him. Today, you may also ask yourself, “what I am seeking in this world?”  health, riches, power, happiness?  All these are not bad things, but none of these will quench the hunger of the human heart. About 1500 year ago, a famous person, St. Augustine of Hippo in his book, Confession, stated " O Lord, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you." Now Jesus Christ, the incarnated God, is among us, can you recognize him in the powerlessness of human life?

                What do you bring to Jesus as a gift when you come to him? Or what do you think Jesus would like as a gift? What we can give to Jesus is a unselfish and humble heart. Actually, Jesus does not need anything from us, he just wants us to receive his gifts. The gift that Jesus gives to us is God himself.         

                God loves everyone and invites everyone to come to receive the gift from heaven. But for the ones whose hearts were polluted by sin, they thought the Good News of Jesus Christ was "bad news".  When King Herod heard the news of a new King from the magi, he and all of Jerusalem were greatly troubled. Jewish people were the chosen ones of God. In their history, God prophesied the coming of a Messiah: “you, Bethlehem, from you shall come a ruler, who is the shepherd of my people Israel."  King Herod thought the good news of this new born king was  "bad news". Good news is good news for all, for each and everyone. If it is just a good news for some people, actually, it is not a good news. The birth of Jesus Christ is good news and the good news was for everyone. Herod judged this good news in a selfish and self-profitting way. When people are selfish and self centered, the whole world becomes the enemy. King Herod and some of the Jewish people missed the opportunity to worship the incarnated God Jesus Christ. The magi came from afar and because of their faith they were given the opportunity to worship Jesus Christ.

                Although Jesus Christ was born as a Jew, he brought salvation for everyone. In accepting the Good News of Jesus Christ, everyone, Jews and gentles, will become the members of the same body and coheirs of Jesus Christ. Today, the good news of Jesus Christ permeates all over the world, have you received the good news of Jesus Christ for yourself? Many people spend a lot of time seeking the good news through Newspapers, TV and internet every day, but they do not realize the good news of Jesus Christ is from Heaven.  We had a brother among us, his friends told him about the good news of Jesus Christ, he refused to believe. One day, when he was watching TV, he suddenly realized: "I believe in the news from TV and Newspaper every day, why do I refuse to believe in the good news of Jesus Christ which my good friends tell me about many times!" He then called the Church immediately and asked for baptism.

                After worshipping the baby Jesus, the magi went back home another way. The magi did not return home by their old way, but a new way. The other way is a way by  which they meet the new born King Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Everyone who meets Jesus Christ has a transforming experience and walks on a new way of life. This new way of life is a life with Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ, everyone has a new life, a life of Jesus Christ, a life of God. With this new life, people will go through all the situations of life and walk on a way of fulfilling their responsibilities and toward eternal life.

 

Your Family is also Holy

1. The life of the Holy Family

            Mary, Joseph and Jesus Christ they are the three persons in this smal Nazarene family. Actually, it is not three persons in the holy family of Nazareth, but five persons, God the Father, the Son, the holy Spirit and Mary and Joseph. Holy Family is a love in communion of persons. The holy family is God and humans---male and female, live together as a communion. This family is a family of God's expectation in the beginning of creation; this family is a new creation which God and humans live together as a family

            Holy family is a new way of being human and being family. Jesus Christ the incarnated God enters into human life in order human persons entering into the life of the Trinitarian God. So, being human is being with God in communion. In Jesus Christ, human beings find the whole meaning of life. The holy family is the model of being family. Family is two persons in love, male and female, to enter into the communion of the Trinitarian God, Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. So, even you do not marry and live by yourself, you are not along, you have other three persons of God with you.

            Traditionally people emphasized the role of Jesus Christ in the holy family. It is true that Jesus is the reason of holy family. However we need to understand that holy family is a new way of being in communion with God and human persons. This holy family is also a symbol or foretaste of our future life in Heaven. Holy family is a communion of persons on earth but anticipate the life in Heaven. In the view of holy family, we can understand the meaning that Jesus said that some of them have already tasted the kingdom of Heaven.      

2. Why is this family called holy?

            This family of Nazarene is holy because not only three of them are full of God's grace, but also because they seek God's will on every things. Two thousand years ago, life for Mary, Joseph and Jesus was not easy, everyone of them had special challenges. Mary and Joseph had to do something which was beyond their understandings. They had to escape to Egypt for avoiding being killed. Life for them was full of difficulties. But they sought the will of God and practiced God's teachings.

            The life of holy family in Nazareth is just like all our families here in our time. Comparing with the holy family, our family life is much easier than them. So, being holy is not because of time or situation, being holy is because people listen to the teachings of God and practice it. For Christian, being and doing always walks hand in hand. The meaning of holy in the holy family is to listen to the word of God and practice it.

3. Your families are also holy family

            Can our families become holy family? Many of you will say, no way! We  are sinners, we have our problems, we have our difficult situations. Today, we have a group of people who call themselves, families of Christ. They want to live a life as holy family in our time.

            As Christians, our families are also invited to becoming holy. Our children do not need to be born as homeless; we do not need to escape to other land because of persecution. We have a much easier life comparing with the holy family. As Christians, we have the life of Jesus Christ, we can receive the grace of God every day. So we can and should becoming holy family.

            Becoming holy is an invitation from God, it is also your decision. For us, in any situation, we still can choose to seek the will of God and to love. Although each and every one of us has different difficulties, we have God's grace. With God's grace, we can choose to walk on the way of holiness. Mary and Joseph made this decision. All of us can also make this decision of becoming holy at our family and in this world.

            Holy family is a communion of love with God and humans. Holy family is because every member seeks the will of God and practice it. You and your family are also invited to become holy and to live a life of holiness.