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January 7, 2024: Feast of the Epiphany - Cycle B
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How far would you travel to see Jesus in Person? I refer not to the traveling our soul will do at the end of our lives. That’s the sort of travel we cannot prevent. We’re going to see Jesus one way or another when we close our eyes from this world.
I refer to the Magi traveling a lengthy distance, arriving from the East, traveling over hill and dale, with a sandstorm or two along the way. They didn’t know Jesus’ name as we do, but they knew something earth-shattering was waiting at the other end of the voyage.
This journey of the Three Wise Men puts forth the question for us, “How far would we travel if we knew Jesus in Person was waiting for us at the final stop?” Taking some poetic license with the Magi, who did not know what we know, they packed their bags in case this star-leading journey was longer than a safari vacation. We know it’s Jesus on the other end. We know it’s our Savior and Lord. We know God sent his Son into the world to save us, to bring us to our everlasting home.
We know the outcome of this child’s life. That the victory over sin and death has been won. We know all about him.
How far are we willing to travel, spiritually and physically, to meet him in Person? And how many obstacles are we willing to deal with along the way to ensure we finish this race? How many King Herod’s would we face on such a bonanza?
If the trip to see Jesus in Person was 100,000 miles, having to complete four trips around the earth before the star finally stopped over the place where Jesus was, would you do it? Would you last that long in your search for him? Would you be up for it? Or would you pack your bags for the long journey, then right before starting, say, “That’s too long a journey for me. I’ll never make it. My camel is going to run out of gas.”
We can get a sense of how the Israelites felt in the desert after coming out of Egypt. “We’re never going to make it. I want to go back from where we came.” With God’s help, they made it all the way to the Promised Land. And so can we.
Truth be told, the measurement used to answer the question, “How far would you travel to see Jesus in Person?” can be measured in different ways. We would think that someone dealing with a serious illness would measure by the day (I think of Deacon Peter’s wife Gail, and the battle she put up with cancer which took her life last Sunday. She had the great joy of entering eternal life on the day of the week our Lord was raised from the dead. Her Eucharist that day was received on her part by Jesus himself. Which is pretty good).
I suspect Gail measured her journey to see Jesus in Person one day at a time.) “Let’s get through this day, and draw a little closer to reaching him. One day at a time, to wherever and whenever that star is going to stop.” There are many good folks presently in this “mode of travel,” the “suffering” travel, as they move closer to Bethlehem.
Another measurement used for drawing closer to Jesus in Person is “the big picture.” This is the Magi. They took their journey one day at a time, but they kept the big picture in mind and heart. Even when they entered the presence of Herod, their journey remained centered on the big picture. They said to each other, “We have a destination, and we need to get there.”
Again, we know the Jesus story. We know Who our life journey is centered on. Christ is the center. He’s waiting to welcome us in a whole new way at the end, which is really the new beginning. And what makes our faith in him worth all the present storms. The big picture.
One last measurement, which I call “the Sunday measurement,” or, “the right in your face measurement,” is our reception of the Person of Jesus in the Eucharist. An up close and personal measurement that leads to Jesus. The star of God leads us to this house of worship every Sabbath. And every day for those who enter this house often.
Wherever it is we started from today, mostly from our earthly homes like the Magi, our Sunday journey leads to this house. Why? Because this is where we find Christ. This is Bethlehem on Sundays. He receives all of us, wherever we are spiritually, into his house. And this is where we receive him for real into our bodies and souls. A nice measurement it is.
So, how far would you travel to meet Jesus in Person? Coming to Mass? Or four times around the world? A short distance from your home to God’s house? The day-by-day measurement? The big picture measurement? Or a combination of a few, depending on our personal circumstances?
What matters most is our desire to want to travel to meet Jesus. A virtue all of us seem to have. My advice? Keep raised high your desire to want to see Jesus. It’s our ticket to Paradise, where the star to come rest.