• Isaiah 60: 1-6. Gentiles come from distant lands, attracted by the splendor of Jerusalem, bringing gifts and the “wealth of nations.” They will be the sons and daughters of the Holy City.
• Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6. Paul preaches the mystery, hidden from all eternity until now, that gentiles are co-heirs and “co-partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”
• Matthew 2:1-12. The Magi from the east come with gifts seeking the newborn King of the Jews. Herod and all Jerusalem are upset by this.

Thoughts for your Consideration:

This weekend we celebrate Epiphany. The story in the Gospel of Matthew where the wise Magi from the east follow the star that leads them to the King of the Jews. This is the scripture event from which the Christmas tradition of gift giving originates with. The gifts of the Magi is very much relevant and meaningful to us as we celebrate the Christmas season, but for the moment let us reflect on two aspects of this story: where the Magi came from, and how was their visit and offerings received by Herod and all of Jerusalem.

Our tradition of offering gifts is often times done within the association of our family, friends and associates, intimate members of our lives. But the Magi where neither family, friends nor associates. They did not even share the same religious faith as Mary and Joseph. They were complete strangers from distant lands that followed a cosmological and universal symbol which lead them to a foreign country in search of a great truth.

All three readings for this weekend testify to an amazing aspect of the Gospel: that the promise of Jesus Christ does not belong to any one group of people. While the first covenant was defined as a contract between God and a chosen people this new covenant that was sealed through Christ is one that is made with all people. Isaiah prophesies about this when he describes Jerusalem as a Holy City by virtue that it belongs to all and it will be enriched by foreign nations. Its sons and daughters will be heralded from distant lands. Paul goes even further by declaring that the Gentiles will not come into this new covenant relationship as second class citizens, instead they are to be seen as “co-heirs” and “co-partners” through Jesus Christ. The gospel story compliments Isaiah and Paul by testifying to the celebrated birth of Christ by foreign Magi in pursuit of a truth that was a much relevant to them as it was to all of Jerusalem.

But Jerusalem, and Herod especially, was not at all thrilled with this outside exposure. As you can imagine, a chosen people were not too thrilled with the prospect of sharing their divine promise and hope with others. This was especially true for Herod and for those who ruled Jerusalem with him. Such external influences from the east was outside of Herod’s political power base (the Temple authority and of course, Rome) and as such they were a direct challenge to his political stability.         

It should be noted that this liturgical feast and these readings will be celebrated on the weekend of January 1^st which is observed as the World Day of Peace by the Catholic Church. This year’s World Day of Peace Message: “Religious Freedom, The Path to Peace,” is very much relevant to these three readings. With this message Pope Benedict XVI is again addressing a challenge from the East, although the challenge this time around is very different. The Magi symbolize strangers with different faith traditions who pursue the universal and divine truth, this pursuit leads them to a humble manger and the newborn savior of the world. In defending religious freedom Pope Benedict maintains that while the Church “is duty bound to proclaim without fail, Christ who is the way, the truth and the life … this in no way excludes dialogue and the common pursuit of the truth in different areas of life, since, as Saint Thomas Aquinas would say, “every truth, whoever utters it, comes from the Holy Spirit””.

The challenge from the east this time is religious fundamentalism. This challenge is seen very clearly in some of the atrocities in Iraq, the Middle East and Asia but the seeds of religious and anti-religious fundamentalism can also be found in the west. The goal of religion is to pursuit the universal truth and the common good and because of that Pope Benedict XVI is urging us all to pursue dialogue in hopes of coming to a common awareness our own truth and divine unity. According to the reading for this weekend the pursuit of the truth will result in unity and peace as it did with the Magi, not in division and conflict as it did with Herod.

Throughout this message the Pope is addressing two related issues. On the one hand, he is strongly condemning religious fundamentalism and any form of hostility to believers of any faith. These actions, whether done by individuals or by national juridical authorities, are an affront to religious freedom. At the same time the Pope also condemns what he calls secularism where a society’s actions reject any public form of religious expression. Our human dignity is grounded in God and our own American Declaration of Independence reminds us that our inalienable rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness are endowed to us by our Creator. Thus for us to truly observe the fullest expression of our dignity society should safeguard our public right to express our religious convictions in a way that fully respects the religious or secular belief of others.

The call to religious freedom is a call towards mutual respect:

Freedom and respect are inseparable; indeed, “in exercising their rights, individuals and social groups are bound by the moral law to have regard for the rights of others, their own duties to others and the common good of all” -#3

In this message the Pope sees dialogue as a vehicle for us to promote a religious freedom through mutual respect. He suggests two forms of dialogue. First he suggests that civil institutions ought to engage in a healthy dialogue with religious institutions. Pope Benedict believes that “the great religions can serve as an important factor of unity and peace for the human family.” In a recent post I highlighted the current international movement to foster religious moral dialogue through the “Charter for Compassion.” This movement seeks to accomplish the very civil dialogue that Pope Benedict is promoting.

But he also suggest that “for the Church, dialogue between the followers of the different religions represent an important means of cooperating with all religious communities for the common good.” He reminds us of the famous 1986 World Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi where Pope John Paul II gathered with the leaders of great world religions and prayed for unity and peace. The Pope urges us to follow this example and to engage in ecumenical and interfaith dialogue with our all our neighbors.

CBS Morning News aired an amazing program over Christmas weekend titled “Finding a Religious Common Ground.” In this program they talked with many amazing individuals who started “Faith Clubs” throughout the United States. These clubs are local dialogue between people of faith that have successfully broken down stereotypes and assumption between people of different faiths. In dismantling these stereotypes people effectively put a halt to hatred and prejudice that are often times born out of ignorance. This CBS show also promoted a current exhibit at the NY Public Library called “Three Faiths” which can help us understand the similarities between the three great monotheistic faiths from their own sacred texts.

I encourage the readers to visit these links and to consider being Christian peacemakers through dialogue with people of other faiths for the purpose of promoting mutual respect and religious freedom. As Pope Benedict tells us at the conclusion of his message: 

Peace is the result of a process of purification and of cultural, moral and spiritual elevation involving individuals and people, a process in which human dignity is fully respected. … May all men and women, and societies at every level and in every part of the earth, soon be able to experience religious freedom, the path to peace! -#15

#1 - Respect for creation is of immense consequence, not least because “creation is the beginning and the foundation of all God’s works”, and its preservation has now become essential for the pacific coexistence of mankind. Man’s inhumanity to man has given rise to numerous threats to peace and to authentic and integral human development – wars, international and regional conflicts, acts of terrorism, and violations of human rights. Yet no less troubling are the threats arising from the neglect – if not downright misuse – of the earth and the natural goods that God has given us.

#6 - The world “is not the product of any necessity whatsoever, nor of blind fate or chance… The world proceeds from the free will of God; he wanted to make his creatures share in his being, in his intelligence, and in his goodness”… Once man, instead of acting as God’s co-worker, sets himself up in place of God, he ends up provoking a rebellion on the part of nature, “which is more tyrannized than governed by him”. Man thus has a duty to exercise responsible stewardship over creation, to care for it and to cultivate it.

#7 - The goods of creation belong to humanity as a whole. Yet the current pace of environmental exploitation is seriously endangering the supply of certain natural resources not only for the present generation, but above all for generations yet to come. It is not hard to see that environmental degradation is often due to the lack of far-sighted official policies or to the pursuit of myopic economic interests, which then, tragically, become a serious threat to creation. To combat this phenomenon, economic activity needs to consider the fact that “every economic decision has a moral consequence” and thus show increased respect for the environment. When making use of natural resources, we should be concerned for their protection and consider the cost entailed – environmentally and socially – as an essential part of the overall expenses incurred.

#8 - A greater sense of intergenerational solidarity is urgently needed. Future generations cannot be saddled with the cost of our use of common environmental resources… The ecological crisis shows the urgency of a solidarity which embraces time and space.

#9 - I would advocate the adoption of a model of development based on the centrality of the human person, on the promotion and sharing of the common good, on responsibility, on a realization of our need for a changed life-style, and on prudence, the virtue which tells us what needs to be done today in view of what might happen tomorrow.

#10 - At present there are a number of scientific developments and innovative approaches which promise to provide satisfactory and balanced solutions to the problem of our relationship to the environment. Encouragement needs to be given, for example, to research into effective ways of exploiting the immense potential of solar energy. Similar attention also needs to be paid to the world-wide problem of water and to the global water cycle system, which is of prime importance for life on earth and whose stability could be seriously jeopardized by climate change. Suitable strategies for rural development centered on small farmers and their families should be explored, as well as the implementation of appropriate policies for the management of forests, for waste disposal and for strengthening the linkage between combating climate change and overcoming poverty.

#11 - It is becoming more and more evident that the issue of environmental degradation challenges us to examine our life-style and the prevailing models of consumption and production, which are often unsustainable from a social, environmental and even economic point of view. We can no longer do without a real change of outlook which will result in new life-styles, “in which the quest for truth, beauty, goodness and communion with others for the sake of common growth are the factors which determine consumer choices, savings and investments”.

#12 - The Church has a responsibility towards creation, and she considers it her duty to exercise that responsibility in public life, in order to protect earth, water and air as gifts of God the Creator meant for everyone, and above all to save mankind from the danger of self-destruction.

#14 - Christ, crucified and risen, has bestowed his Spirit of holiness upon mankind, to guide the course of history in anticipation of that day when, with the glorious return of the Savior, there will be “new heavens and a new earth” (2 Pet 3:13), in which justice and peace will dwell for ever. Protecting the natural environment in order to build a world of peace is thus a duty incumbent upon each and all. … For this reason, I invite all believers to raise a fervent prayer to God, the all-powerful Creator and the Father of mercies, so that all men and women may take to heart the urgent appeal: If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation.

BBC NEWS | Europe | Pope laments global instability.

Lamenting all the violence that exists in our world but particularly in Africa and the Middle East the Pope has rightfully identified “self-interest” as one of the most harmful causes that has led to many of these current tragedies. The United States, for its part, has also been culpable of exerting a foreign policy based on self-interest, specifically economic self-interest.

In a couple of days the Pope will issue a message on World Day of Peace which is January 1st. I invite you take time to read this message and perhaps you can use it as a reflective document for the Christmas season. In it the Pope highlights five areas of concern:

1. Campaigns that promote the extermination millions of unborn because of the demographic situation.
2. The spread of pandemic diseases especially of AIDS and the lack of accessibility of medicines that can treat these diseases
3. The ongoing growth of child poverty and the lack of services that promote education, healthcare and opportunities for children and families.
4. Promoting disarmament and using those funds to increase development.
5. A global policy to address the current global food crisis.

After the Pope mentions these issues he goes on to say:

One of the most important ways of building peace is through a form of globalization directed towards the interests of the whole human family. In order to govern globalization, however, there needs to be a strong sense of global solidarity between rich and poor countries, as well as within individual countries, including affluent ones. A “common code of ethics” is also needed, consisting of norms based not upon mere consensus, but rooted in the natural law inscribed by the Creator on the conscience of every human being (cf. Rom 2:14-15). Does not every one of us sense deep within his or her conscience a call to make a personal contribution to the common good and to peace in society? Globalization eliminates certain barriers, but is still able to build new ones; it brings peoples together, but spatial and temporal proximity does not of itself create the conditions for true communion and authentic peace. Effective means to redress the marginalization of the world’s poor through globalization will only be found if people everywhere feel personally outraged by the injustices in the world and by the concomitant violations of human rights. The Church, which is the “sign and instrument of communion with God and of the unity of the entire human race” will continue to offer her contribution so that injustices and misunderstandings may be resolved, leading to a world of greater peace and solidarity.

This again leads us to celebrate, as members of a Catholic religious community, our commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I invite you to examine our reflection on the declaration in one of my earlier posts or if you like, visit our email archives and read our reflection on Passionist Spirituality and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Peace,

John