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Posted by on Jan 6, 2008

The Feast of the Epiphany – The Three Kings

The Feast of the Epiphany – The Three Kings

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Epiphany – literally the shining forth – was traditionally celebrated on January 6 but is now observed on the second Sunday after Christmas. St. Matthew’s Gospel (2:1-12) is the only one to recount the story. This feast is of singular importance because it is the first manifestation of Christ to non-Jews. It is also remarkable in that the importance of Jesus is reflected in the stars and attracts the attention of Zoroastrian priest-astrologers in Persia who come to pay homage to the newborn king.

St. Matthew’s account does not tell us the number of Magi -literally magoi or “Great Ones” – and certainly they were not kings. For those familiar with current contemporary science fantasy books, the term in Greek for the visitors is Mages – magicians or sorcerers. The term is generally translated as Wise Men, softening the sense of black or destructive magic. The three gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh were seen as offerings for a god, according to St. John Chrysostom in the second century. Some scholars characterize this story as a non-historical account which has symbolic importance for the very special divine status of the Christ child.

Was there a star? Well yes and no. According to Ball State University astronomer, Ron Kaitchuck, contemporary astronomical research – which has its origins in this same priestly Zoroastrian caste – indicates that there were unusual conjunctions of key planets in significant constellations. The story is somewhat complicated because we are not sure of the actual month or year of the birth of Christ. (When the Christian calendar was being established, an error in arithmetic changed the count by 3 years. Christ was actually born in 3 B.C. – we think.) Astrophysicist Grant Matthews, at Notre Dame University, has found supernovae which he suggests as potential candidates.
Creationists who are also well credentialed scientists have come up with some interesting scenarios to explain the Christmas “Aster”. The Greek term we translate as star can be just about any light in the heavens. (You want to watch out for bad “asters” or “dys-asters”.)

Lambert Dolphin, an accomplished physicist, has published an updated account of the Christmas Star by Barry Setterfield, an Austrailian astronomer who has tried to reconcile literal biblical accounts of the young age of the earth with a novel approach to scientific dating that assumes the duration of atomic processes does vary over time. Needless to say, Setterfield’s ideas are not considered to be in the scientific mainstream. However, his account of the ancient night sky and the dating of Christ’s birth follow a rigorous logic. His approach is also shared by another noted astronomer, Craig Chester of the Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy.

While Setterfield and Craig issue the traditional warning against the practice of astrology and the occult, it is hard to see anything else in their analysis of the ancient star patterns other than ancient astrology. It is a curious contradiction that we are supposed to watch for signs and portents in the heavens and assign some religious predictive meaning to them by interpreting the scriptures but we are to avoid astrology. Clearly, the admonitions are meant to avoid pre-Christian and other earth based religions that attempt to manipulate the transnatural or “buy off” disasters with various types of animal sacrifice.

When the ancient night sky can be traced to certain historical events, such as the Roman census and the rise and fall of various rulers, it has a certain grounding. If we look at Setterfield’s and Chester’s analysis of sky charts to reveal the creation of the world or the coming of the apocalypse, there is really nothing to ground these speculations except for a string of assumptions that don’t seem to be supported by outside verifiable evidence.

Whether we believe it happened or see it only as a shining metaphor of the favor of Heaven, the Star and the Magi are portents of the coming of all people to faith.

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Posted by on Jan 4, 2008

The Feast of the Epiphany – The Three Kings

God and Evolution – Divine Design?

tortoises-galapagos.jpgDarwin’s Tortoises on the Galapagos Islands

On January 3, 2008, The National Academy of Sciences issued a new publication Science, Evolution and Creationism advocating the teaching of evolution as the primary scientific understanding underlying contemporary biology. Many religious conservatives advocate the teaching of Creation Science in the public schools as an alternative to evolution. The core of the controversy for those who interpret the Bible literally is the fact that the theory of evolution contradicts the creation account in Genesis, which states that God made all of creation in six days and rested on the seventh.

Many want Creationism, or at least the theory of intelligent design, to be presented to students along with evolution.

Unfortunately, it is a false controversy. If we look at the issue from the standpoint of epistemology – the philosophical study of knowledge and truth – faith and science are looking at entirely different things. Science attempts to explain things in terms of matter and energy, based on experiments which can be repeated to produce the same results. The uses we make of science are called technology. The same methods that cause the light to turn on when we use the wall switch are the methods that indicate a very long history of planetary and biological development.

Holy Scripture is the inspired writing of believers for believers about the meaning and significance of God in our lives. Archaeologists and scripture scholars use the same methods of science that we depend on to design and operate cars, airplanes, and space ships. They use these methods to tell us how people lived at the times these documents were written and when they were probably written. These same scientific methods helps us understand the ancient languages and cultures of the time. Consequently we – as believers – understand the scriptures differently.

Much of the problem, as I see it, is the focus of Calvinism and the Anabaptist movement on “sola scriptura,” using the Scriptures as the sole authority for matters of faith and Christian living. This approach – barely 500 years old – is fairly new and radical in the history of Christianity. In order to re-create a church free of bishops, popes, and patriarchs, and to jettison many of the teachings contained in tradition, the reformers adopted a reformed version of the Bible.

It is interesting to note that from the very beginning, the fathers of the Church had two books: the collection of writings which the church assembled and approved in the fourth century and the book of nature.

I’ve had a radical thought. Why not teach philosophy in the public schools? We could teach the history and philosophy of science. Unfortunately, I give my bright idea slim odds, because many religious conservatives are wary of the liberal arts, including philosophy and theology, for the same reason many scientists are. From the standpoint of the liberal arts, the world is less certain and more open to questioning both scientific and biblical teaching.

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Posted by on Jan 3, 2008

The Feast of the Epiphany – The Three Kings

Feast of the Day January 3 – The Holy Name of Jesus

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Currently, January 3 is the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus. The feast has a long history and has been celebrated on different dates – most of which have been after the 8th day of Christmas and related to the naming of Jesus at his circumcision or bris. According to scripture (Mt. 1:25), St. Joseph was told to give him the name Yeshua -“YHWY (the Lord) saves,” because the child would save His people. (YHWY -Yahwey – God’s name is not pronounced by devout Jews and the term “Adonai “- the Lord – is used instead.) Joshua was actually the more common version of the name and was probably the name to which Jesus responded. To make a long story short, Yoshua got transliterated into Greek as Ioshua and Yeshua got transliterated as Iesus. Interestingly, if you reverse the order of the two elements you come up with Isaiah.

All of this was neatly summarized by a neon sign on a church in Ventura, CA where I grew up. The sign was made in the form of a cross. Running vertically downward was “God Saves,” interrupted by the cross bar emblazoned with “Jesus.” I used to attend Holy Name Society Masses, followed by breakfast in the parish hall with my father. (The pancakes and the hot cocoa were good and more than welcome in the days when we fasted from midnight, or at least three hours before Mass.) It was actually a fairly nice father-son affair, and although the focus was on devotion to Christ, there was a very clear focus on using clean language and carefully using the Holy Name.

Although my father was an oil field welder and we lived in a blue collar world, in which the Holy Name was just another throw away swear word, I noticed that men took note of my father’s language. It gave him a dignity without being sanctimonious or judgmental. Tony Pozos didn’t swear, was a man of his word, and his welding crews did not get injured on the job. What impressed me most was my father’s fidelity to the Holy Name pledge which we recited at the meetings. Like me, he was far from perfect. However, my Dad held himself to certain standards, which he passed on to me by example.

Later, as the result of my parents’ hard work and sacrifice, when I moved into the white collar world, I was surprised that gifted and talented men and women could be so coarse in language and cavalier with the name of Jesus. What struck me most is the lack of respect people showed for themselves and others. If we can take the wonder of “God Saves” and make it a curse, it reflects a profound despair and anger. To do this casually out of habit reflects a coarsening of the the soul and our relationships. It bespeaks a deep pessimism, far from hope. “What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.’ ” (Mt. 15:11)

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Posted by on Dec 28, 2007

The Feast of the Epiphany – The Three Kings

Feast of the Day – 12/28 – The Holy Innocents

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December 28 is the Feast of the Holy Innocents. This feast dates from the 6th century and commemorates the the slaughter of the boys under two years of age in Bethlehem as recounted in the Gospel of Matthew (2:16). The murders were occasioned by the visit of the Thee Wise Men to Herod, the Roman client king. When the Wise Men did not return to tell Herod of the boy shown to them by the Star, Herod estimated that the New King foretold by the Star would be two years old or less. As a result he ordered their wholesale murder.

Some scholars say that this event never really happened. The story in Matthew and the infancy narrative itself were attempts to show the importance of Jesus and the prophecies and wondrous events that happened at his birth.  However, since Herod’s cruelty was legendary, scholars have not been able to rule it out.

The Coventry Carol brings to life the pathos of this remembrance. The first time I heard the Coventry Carol it was sung on a Christmas recording by Joan Baez as the Vietnam War was escalating. The commemoration and the carol are a timeless recollection of the victims of war, famine, and plague. People in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Fr. Raymond Brown, the scripture scholar, suggested that the narrative was written to recall the exile and return of Israel and Christ. Rachel mourning for her children recalls Jeremiah’s assurance that they would return from their capitivity in Babylon. The flight of Joseph, Mary and Jesus into Egypt to escape Herod parallels Israel’s own sojourn on the Nile. The slaughter of the children recalls the 10th plague which killed all of the first born human and animal males in Egypt and which resulted in the release of the Israelites, God’s people.

The message of hope in this time of darkness is echoed in the Prologue of St. John’s Gospel.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John1:5)

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Posted by on Dec 27, 2007

The Feast of the Epiphany – The Three Kings

Saint of the Day – 12/27 St. John the Evangelist

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December 27 is the feast day of the beloved disciple, St. John the Evangelist. St. John was one of the 12 apostles. He and his brother James had been followers of St. John the Baptist. They were fisherman who worked with their father Zebedee. Sts. Peter, James, and John have a special place in the Gospels. They are called away by Jesus to hear and witness things in which the other disciples are not included. St. John is presented in the Gospels as a young man and a very close friend of Jesus – the disciple whom he loved. As Jesus was dying on the cross and all of the other male disciples had fled, St. John was there with Mary the mother of Jesus and some other women. Jesus, in his dying words, entrusts His mother to St. John.

Tradition names St. John as the author of the fourth Gospel, the Book of Revelation and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd letters of John. Some scripture scholars in the last quarter of the 20th century have challenged this traditional notion of St. John as the common author of these works. Some scholars refer to the “Johannine school “- a group or a community of students of St. John – as the source of these works.

The Gospel According to John is unique. It bears very little resemblance to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. These three Gospels are called the Synoptic Gospels because you can line them up side by side in three columns and see that they are parallel documents, with elements from the same source and a great similarity of phrasing and story content. The Gospel According to John sees signs and wonders in the life of Jesus and has layer upon layer of symbolism and meaning. Yes, the basic story line is the same, but there are soaring heights of poetry in sections such as the Prologue – introduction – and the prayers of Jesus after the Last Supper.

Fr. Raymond Brown – one of the great scripture scholars of the 20th century – sees a weaving of the history of the Johannine community of believers within the Gospel. The conflicts and tensions of the early church are mirrored in those of the characters in the Gospel story. This is especially true of the conflict between Jews over the message and meaning of Jesus. As a book written by Jews for Jews, the Fourth Gospel has many very negative things to say about Jews. As family fights go, this one was no exception in its bitterness. Eventually, Jewish authorities saw quite correctly that the followers of Jesus, who proclaimed his resurrection from the dead, had stepped beyond the boundaries of the Jewish religion that they were attempting to preserve after the destruction of the Temple by the Romans and the obliteration of Jewish life in Palestine.

The Second Vatican Council, in its decree on Non-Christian religions – Nostra Aetate, In Our Age – makes it clear that using this and other material to justify attacks on Jews or anti-Jewish hatred is historically incorrect and cannot be justified morally. After the destruction of the Temple and Israel in 70 AD, Rabbinic Judaism came to the fore and those groups that would later be called Christian began to develop a separate identity.

The other theme in the Fourth Gospel is the focus on the Incarnation – that Jesus is both human and divine. There was a very strong movement among some early followers of the Jesus movement who looked on him as a god masquerading as a human. Spirit would never truly be one with something so abject and base as matter in their way of thinking. Some of these early followers saw creation as a cosmic mistake by an errant creator figure. In broad terms, we can call this movement Gnosticism, based on the Greek word for knowledge. This true and secret knowledge came to the elect and enlightened them to the fact that they were spirits trapped in bodies. Granted, this is an over simplification of a very complex topic, but it is important to note that the Fourth Gospel uses many of the themes of light and darkness, of the mystical living word of God in Jesus, to convey a message and understanding of the meaning of Christ which enobled creation and our very humanity.

The letters of John, 1, 2, and 3 are exhortations to the followers of Jesus to live in love, peace, and mutual respect. Again, the theme of the human and divine reality of Jesus comes through loud and clear. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.”(I John 1)

Scholars differ on whether the Apocalypse (Revelation) of John was produced by the author or authors of the Fourth Gospel. We can spend years reviewing the direct and hidden meaning of the Book of Revelation but that will have to be the topic of several other posts.

It is hard to directly link the beloved disciple of the Gospels, the man to whom Jesus entrusted his mother, to the writings which bear his name. However, the voice of tradition cannot be discounted either in the case of such a favored and remarkable young man.

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Posted by on Dec 26, 2007

The Feast of the Epiphany – The Three Kings

Worn Out by Christmas Carols? – Try Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

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Christmas carols and secular “holiday” songs start assaulting us the day after Thanksgiving. The constant barrage on the radio, in elevators, shopping malls, and fast food outlets is a far cry from the caroling of my childhood and the joy my neighbors gave me and my family the other night as they came singing to our door.

For refreshment take three Palestrina and call me from heaven:

Here are three selections from Palestrina’s Christmas Mass – O Magnum Mysterium – O Great Mystery

The Introit or Opening: Puer Natus Nobis – A Child is Born to Us, A Son is Given to Us

The Kyrie Eleison – Lord Have Mercy – Penitential Rite

The Communion Motet – O Magnum Mysterium – O Great Mystery

As beautiful and soaring as the polyphony of the Kyrie and Communion motet are, it is important to remember that traditionalists at the time saw it as a vulgar deviation from the purity of the plain chant of the Introit.

The coming of God in the Flesh at Christmas and in the arts is ever new and startling.

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Posted by on Dec 26, 2007

The Feast of the Epiphany – The Three Kings

Christmastide – 12 Days of Celebration

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(Christmas Eve: Goa, India)

There can be a strange misconception that Christmas ends on the morning of December 26. Many people take down Christmas trees and other decorations and gear up for a secular New Year of parades and American football games. It does make some sense, because many people have been exhausted going to “Christmas” parties since early December, eating and drinking a lot, while chasing through the shopping malls.

Christmastide, however, from December 25 to January 6 – the former feast of the Epiphany when the Three Wise Men came to visit the infant Jesus – is actually the time for celebrating. In many Latin countries, gifts are exchanged on the Epiphany in honor of the gifts of the Magi.

The white fish recipes that are part of gourmet menus for Christmas Eve are actually an echo of a time when December 24 was the last day of Advent – a time of preparation. Christmas Eve was a day of fasting and abstaining from meat.

There is still time to reclaim the joys of Christmastide. Relaxation, reflection, some daily exercise and a slower pace – just spending time with each other – is the acceptance of the Gift beyond comprehension – Emmanuel – God with us.

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Posted by on Dec 25, 2007

The Feast of the Epiphany – The Three Kings

Christmas Day – December 25 – The First Day of Christmas

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There are many wonderful movies and stories associated with Christmas. Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” the famous Frank Capra movie, It’s a Wonderful Life,  starring James Stewart and Donna Reed, and other stories from around the world, depict the coming of grace and peace in the darkness of poverty, hunger, disillusionment and despair. They have happy endings but are very dark.

These stories and movies are an apt testimony to the theology of Christmas in its broader context. They are reminders of hope, joy, and peace. There is also the darker side of Christmas for billions around the globe lost in starvation, oppression, and loneliness.

Generally, Christmas is a day reserved for family and close friends, but you might want to re-think that. Christmas miracles are something you can do on December 25th and other days. Remember that old acquaintance or friend with mental health problems? How about a quick call, a card, or a short letter? Do you know someone far from home? Someone in prison? In the hospital? Suffering from cancer or HIV/AIDS? How about doing something special like a card with a personal note? Mrs. Jones up the street with very few visitors probably wouldn’t mind a brief visit or a quick hello. A small celebration for international students can ease the pain of Christmas away. For non-Christian international students, it is a wonderful experience of joyous hospitality.

We have 12 special days of Christmastide to be miracle workers. As tiny Tim said “God bless us everyone.”

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Posted by on Dec 24, 2007

The Feast of the Epiphany – The Three Kings

Christmastide – Christmas Eve

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“In the twenty-fourth day of the month of December;
In the year five-thousand one-hundred and ninety-nine from the creation of the world, when in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth;
In the year two-thousand nine-hundred and fifty-seven from the flood;
In the year two-thousand and fifty-one from the birth of Abraham;
In the year one-thousand five-hundred and ten from the going forth of the people of Israel out of Egypt under Moses;
In the year one-thousand and thirty-two from the anointing of David as king;
In the sixty-fifth week according to the prophecy of Daniel;
In the one-hundred and ninety-fourth Olympiad;
In the year seven-hundred and fifty-two from the foundation of the city of Rome;
In the forty-second year of the reign of the Emperor Octavian Augustus;
In the sixth age of the world, while the whole earth was at peace —
JESUS CHRIST
eternal God and the Son of the eternal Father, willing to consecrate the world by His gracious coming, having been conceived of the Holy Ghost, and the nine months of His conception being now accomplished, (all kneel) was born in Bethlehem of Judah of the Virgin Mary, made man. The birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to the flesh.”

A reading from the Roman Martyrology for December 24.

This proclamation is often sung or recited when placing the Christ child in the manger in the home.

Peace to all in the great joy that God is in our midst.

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Posted by on Dec 23, 2007

The Feast of the Epiphany – The Three Kings

Holiday Grace Means Reducing Stress

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Christmas and New Years are times for that bane of all good people – temptation in the guise of Good. St. Ignatius Loyola is well known for this insight into the primary way good people fall from grace. One of the fool proof temptations is to get people so wound up in getting everything right, that they get it all wrong.

Here are some ideas:

Budget your time, money, and calories. Becoming exhausted, financially stressed, and sending your blood sugar into outer space are all great ways to make you feel down, miserable, and ready for a fight.

Prioritize you activities. Turn off the Christmas machine! It’s a time for celebration. Select activities you and your family really want to do. Get help. Delegate tasks. Indulge in just relaxing, breathing, praying.

Don’t try and solve family issues over the holidays. It can happen, but usually it only happens in greeting cards and holiday movies. Be peaceful and prayerful. Take care of yourself and avoid toxic people and situations. You have a much better chance of being successful in handling difficult relationships during less stressful times and occasions.

Decorations and “house beautiful” have nothing to do with a manger in Bethlehem. You and your loved ones will remember and cherish the warmth and the love that come from imperfect decor, meals, and people. The greatest gift you can give yourself and your loved ones is relaxation. Banish the junk food devil. Holiness is in simple slow food – nothing elaborate – just healthy and good.

Your daily examination of conscience should include rest, wholesome food, plenty of water, and exercise. Remember it’s supposed to be a holiday, not two weeks on a forced march. Make sacred time for yourself – alone with God or at least a good book.

Remember, the truest sign of grace and holiness is laughter. It is a time to have fun. Laughter brings us closer to our family and friends, boosts the immune system, and relieves stress.

Watch out for impulse anything — eating, spending, drinking, or decision making.

If you feel out of sorts, it is time to watch out for the four horseman of the holiday apocalypse: Hunger, Anger, Loneliness, Fatigue. Be peacefully aware of your moods and feelings. You determine how you will respond to people, situations, moods, and feelings. Live in God’s grace and so will the others around you.

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