Full radiance of glory in darkness

We seem to think that Christmas is on the ebb at this time, Feast of the Three Kings – we call today in our popular religiosity – is the story of three kings by the name of Melchor, Gaspar and Baltazar, their images placed with shepherds and angels, sheep and oxen and their camels in front of the belen in the church or in houses of families who have this custom in their tradition. Depicted in drama, children sing, "We three kings of Orient are, bearing gifts we travel afar." That they were bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to pay homage to a newborn king is the keynote of the ancient story which highlights the feast, so movingly recounted by Matthew in the Gospel of today.

However, the feast seems to be losing much of its significance, what with the way Filipinos are taking to modern ways of Christmas celebration. While I write this by way of sharing my reflections on the blessed season, let me quote some inviting suggestions to get every pleasure out of Christmas: "There is no tsokolate that does not go well with Suman, puto-bumbong, or bibingka . . . divinely sweet, thick and rich tsokolate . . . the yuletide omnipresence of queso de bola. . . Christmas is just not complete without the ubiquitous red ball of cheese rolling. . . a flurry of activities and a case of frazzled nerves; this is your standard prelude to the Christmas feast. "’Tis the season to be jolly. . .let’s drink and be merry. . . What’s more, come Christmas, when everyone makes that decision to simply be merry. . . we certainly keep the tradition alive and drink ourselves silly this Christmas". There we are making merry this Christmas with food, drink, dance, song, barkada, clandestine trysts with queridas, revelry. We begin with all this and end up giddy with pleasure and wearily sleep it out. By the time when the feast of the three kings comes around we are just about ready to strip off all Christmas decor which did not mean anything to us except that these tinsel and multi-colored lights and lanterns blink during all the merry-making that we have been up to.

We simply miss out on the one star which points the way to the new-born King, the Savior of the world, because in our mad pursuit of pleasure, we did not hear the voice of the prophet’s prophecy: "Nations shall walk by Your (the Savior’s) light and kings by Your shining radiance" (Is 60-3). The coming of the three kings from the East seeking the Infant Savior by the leading of a star, is the greater manifestaton promised. It is the peak of Christmas. All who have celebrated in faith, hope and love the birthday of the Savior, all families who have gathered together in prayer and Eucharistic celebration to manifest the Christmas spirit in faith and sincere belief of the meaning of the birth of Jesus, all who have hoped and loved in spite of the darkness of evil which covers the earth, to them God shows the radiance of His Word today, the Word who is life, the life who is light which no darkness can overcome.

Let us always walk in the direction towards which the star followed by the three kings leads at the feat of Jesus, our Savior, the Savior who "rescues the poor, saves the oppressed from extortion and violence, for precious they are in His sight" (Ps 72:12-14). The prophet enjoins us to be one with this great manifestation, this epiphany of our Savior, Jesus Christ, with the prayer: "Rise up in splendor! Your light has come; the glory of the Lord shines upon you" (Is 72:1).

Epiphany of the Lord, Matthew 2:1-12