The chosen city of god

THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD
January 3, 2021

The Prophet Isaiah addresses Jerusalem, the chosen city of God, in the first reading. It was a city ruined by their sinful ways and decimated by Godless nations. The people of God’s right hand lay in a heap of ruins when, behold, the Almighty hears their cries and promises restoration. You and I are the new Jerusalem, His chosen ones. At the dawn of a new year, the Lord God of hosts invites us to arise and shine for His glory shines upon us. Your radiance and your brilliance shall be a light upon which kings rely. Riches and good   fortune shall be the good news at your door posts  because the Lord delights in you. This is a message of eternal significance for all of us God’s children as we step into the New Year, 2021. This past year has been an incredibly difficult one by every measure. It is indeed reinvigorating to hear this good news at the beginning of a new year with such a message of hope and grace. Saint Paul speaks of his stewardship of God’s grace in the second reading. That same grace is extended to all of us in a measure that is super abundant and to the extent that we can share them with others. Only requirement on our part is that we are a people of goodwill for, as the song of the angels at the birth of the Savior reminds us, His peace and blessings shall rest on a people of good will. The three wise men from the East represent such good men, such seekers of goodness upon whom God’s blessings rest. In their quest to find and to honor the new born king, they were guided by the star of Jesus until they reached their destination. As this year’s journey begins, may we be guided by His star: guided to safety and to freedom, guided to healing and wholeness, guided to prosperity and to peace, and above all   guided to love and to joy without end with Him in heaven, Amen.

Once again, Happy New Year.