It is remarkable how far and wide Christianity spread in such a short amount of time. Within about 70 years after the death of the last living apostle, St. John, the faith had reached India, Africa, and Europe. St. Thomas traveled to India, St. Matthew went to Ethiopia, and St. Peter and St. Paul brought the Gospel to Rome. Several apostles ministered in Asia Minor and the Greek-speaking regions, while St. James the Greater was martyred in Jerusalem. If it weren’t for these men, we would not be sitting in this church today. Our ancestors may have never known about Jesus. The good news spread because the apostles took their mission seriously, obeying Jesus’ command to make disciples of all nations—a dramatic shift from the exclusivity of Judaism.
In the Old Testament, God gradually revealed Himself to the people of Israel through a series of covenants. These covenants were exclusive, offered only to the Jewish people. Those outside this covenant were referred to as Gentiles. Over time, God’s self-revelation unfolded, culminating in Jesus Christ. In Jesus, this relationship with God is no longer exclusive to a specific nation. As St. Paul says in today’s second reading: “The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.” In Jesus, God’s relationship with humanity, once limited to Israel, was extended to all nations. The Feast of the Epiphany celebrates the beginning of this universal revelation which is marked by the visit of the magi to the child Jesus.
The magi were not Jewish. They were Gentiles. They came from the East, likely from present-day Iran. Since they were scholars and wise men, the magi studied the stars and served as advisors in royal courts. Their journey to Bethlehem was prompted by their astronomical observations, but their destination led them to something far greater than the stars. Upon finding Jesus with Mary, His mother, they prostrated themselves and worshipped Him. They recognized who lay before them.
This act of worship by Gentiles underscores the prophecy from today’s first reading: “Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance. Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you.” The glory of Israel, a relationship with the true God, draws all nations. And this gathering foreshadows the Church, the new Israel. Israel’s role as a witness to God’s favor is fulfilled in the Church’s mission to bring the light of Christ to the world and to draw all people to that light. God desires that all people come to a relationship with Him, and He accomplishes this possibility for a relationship through His Church.
The question we must ask ourselves is this: do we desire that all come to know and love God? Do we desire the salvation of all just as our Lord does? There is this tendency to only care about our own salvation and not care about the wellbeing and salvation of others. We privatize our religion and make it only about myself and God. In the words of Monsignor Ronald Knox,
Even in our own lives, how fond we are of making a little enclave, a little Bethlehem that just has head room for our set, and leaving the rest of the world unshepherded! But Epiphany signals to us that all men have rights, have duties, are dear to Christ. We have seen his Star, and our sympathies must be no narrower than his planet (Knox, Stimuli, 21-22).
To privatize our relationship with God is a problem that we must try to avoid. And yet many of us sadly do privatize our religion. But look at history and you will see many saints who worked tirelessly to bring the good news of Jesus to others, to offer a light to others just as Mary presented Jesus to the wisemen. Look at the apostles who carried out the Gospel to the East and West as far as they could go. Look at our own Bishop Baraga who left the comfort of his home in Slovenia to bring the Gospel to the people of the Upper Peninsula. Do we have that same courage and zeal for souls? Do not make the mistake of thinking you must go across the world to bring Jesus to the Gentiles. There are unbelievers in our own families. There are unbelievers next door to us, across the street from us. There are fallen away Catholics among our friends and coworkers. Do we sympathize with our Lord and desire their salvation? Will we show the light of the Gospel to them? Everyone is searching restlessly for God although they might not know it. Their hearts will not rest until they rest in God, until they reach that stable where God has entered the world, until they realize that God has become man. What role will we play in their search and in their journey?