St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church
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The Feast of Lights
The Epiphany, or
The Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles
January 5, 2006
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It is so good to be back with You –
Regret having been away – doing a brief Interim –
However – things must be pretty bad when -

They have the scrape the bottom of the barrel
when they have to call on an old 75 year old geeser –
to help out & to fill in -
things must be pretty rough around the Diocese.
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    “He looks like a used Priest to me.”

It is true-
 that I do have quite a number of miles on me-
along the way –  I’ve had a few flats –and a few blow-outs –
 but somehow – through God’s Grace –

I am still on the Road-
 not breaking any speed limits –
but still on the Road.



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“Arise, Shine;
 for your Light has come,
and the Glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”
Isaiah 60:1
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The Feast of Lights – the Epiphany –
the Twelfth Night of Christmas -


Is the Story of the Kings from the East –
 following the Star –

The Star that shined so bright –
that it led the way to the Infant King.

Indeed –
Isaiah’s word’s ring true –
For in the Birth of that Infant King –

The Light and the Glory of the Lord has risen among us –
And it continues to shine upon us even to this day.

It is that Seminal Event –
The coming of the Kings of the East -

which gives the Christian Faith –
its World-Wide Dimension and -
its Universal Scope.

The Coming of the Kings  to –
the Holy Infant of Bethlehem-
who was indeed a King in His own right –

Enlarges what might have been
Just an off shoot of the Jewish Religion –

To an event -
To an event which broadens and widens it to -
a Religion that extends and –
That reaches to bring all Mankind  back -
to the Embrace of a God & Father –

A God & Father -
who will not rest until –
all His Children are Reconciled to Him-
 and who are Reconciled to One another.

So could it be –
Could it be -
that the Kings from the East –
Might have been the first Missionaries –

Who returned to their own countries –
and shared the Good News of the coming into the World –
of the King of Kings and the Prince of Peace.
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This Event is Named:
“The Feast of Lights” –

because of the Light that this Infant Kings brings –
to a divided Human Race and –
to a World darkened by Disobedience & Sin -

A Human Race stumbling over War –
Ethnic & Religious Intolerance & Conflict –
and a World groping in the dark to find a better Way.

Story:
The Light Switch
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    The Light that Christ brings into the World –
opens the Way – His Way  –

that leads to that “Abundant Life” –
that God wills for all of His People.


And yet while that Light brings –
the Hope of Justice & Peace –

That same Light also exposes –
that dark side of Human Nature that-
Sets itself against God’s Holy & Righteous will –

Indeed that Dark Side from which Jesus Himself –
Came to save us and from which –
He came to Redeem us -


Hatred – Enmity- War – Greed –
Dishonesty & Religious Hypocrisy –
Injustice.

However –
Just as when I turned on the Light switch and –
It did good things for me –
Like saving me from many bumps and bruises -
 And saving me from groping in the dark -

Tonight –
Let us Focus on those Good Things –
Those Good Things -
by which the Light of Christ –
has Blessed us in so many Ways –

and which has enable us to see and to behold –
The Kingdom of God coming among us.

Such as –
Love and Forgiveness –
that allow for Relationships to be made –
to be nurtured and to continue –

to continue -
even when –
serious offenses against one another occur.

The Concept  & the Teaching –
to be able to Call –
the Great & the Almighty Creator and Ruler of the Universe –

Yes –
Jesus taught us the call the Great I Am -
FATHER –

To be able to realize –
that all the Peoples of the World –
are not meant to be divided and set against one another

but that they are One Family –
Bothers &s Sisters –
Made of One Blood by One God & Father.

On a Night such as this –
It is also an opportune time to remember –
to call to mind – to give thanks for all those –

All those -
who in our Lives have been Stars that have led us –
and who have enhanced and brightened –
our Way as we Journey through this troubled World:

Our Parents – A Spouse - a Relative –
a Grandparent –
a Soul Friend – a Teacher – a Mentor –
yes and even a Priest.
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The Story of Helen Keller and Ann Sullivan
“The Love and the Care and the Concern –
of Ann Sullivan –
has made all the difference in my Life.”

Yes –
Each and everyone one of us can look –
to at least one or two or even three People –
who have made all the difference in our Lives –

for each of us stands of the shoulders of -
Another who has helped us along the Way.

Each one of us is indebted –
not only to the Grace of God –
but also we are indebted to those special People –
that God has placed in our Lives.
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Surely the Light of Christ –
Is meant to illuminate and to bring –


And to call to our hearts and minds –
such People as these without which –
our Lives would not be the same.
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Having a Mother who died –
when I was only two years of age-
and a Father with whom I did not live –
alone & bereft of Parental love & nurture-

I only had an Aunt– a Loving Aunt –
Who Loved me & Raised me
Who loved me more than she Loved her own –

Who if there is anything –
Anything -
at all worth while in me whatsoever -


Next to our Lord Himself –
she is totally & solely responsible.
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As we look back on a very difficult year –
for this World and for so many, many People –

not just beyond us- but all around us –
even in our own midst -

We also look to those good things –
for which if we sincerely look –
the Light of Christ illumines our Sight –

for us to be able to see manifold opportunities –
to give thanks for
God’s many, many Blessings:

Our Church – our Parish Family –
One of the greatest Blessings in the entire world:
 Christian Fellowship -

Christian Fellowship -
Knowing that what we cannot bear alone –
we can bear together

Special & Understanding Friends –

Even with all of its shortcomings –
this wonderful Nation of ours –

Sufficient resources –
that God has bestowed upon us –
yes –
even enough resources to share with others –
and with those in need.

Acknowledging
Each & every day of our lives as a Gift –
From the God of Life.

Yes –
with all of our problem, disappointments and misfortunes -
When we stop to count our Blessings -



Surely we can acknowledge –
We can gratefully  proclaim and –
we can thankfully testify -

that God has Blessed each one of us beyond measure.

So at the beginning of this New Year –
Before we look forward –
 we have the opportunity to look back -

to look back and to acknowledge –
all those Blessings that we missed or -
 that we took for granted –

So that we can begin the year ahead with –
“The Attitude of Gratitude.”

For -
The Light of Christ while it illumines –
 it also works in mysterious ways –
Oftentimes allowing us to see –

Allowing us to see -
God working even in and through –
our failures & heartaches -
To bring about His Good and His Perfect Will.

Someone has called this:
“The Magna Mysterium Deus”
The Great Mystery of God.

How many, many times –
As I have  – as I know that you have  too -

How many times have we claimed-
 from the deepest part –
of our heart and our soul –



that Scripture verse from-
 the eighth chapter of Romans  –
 that gives us so much hope and so much courage:

“In all things –
Yes -
even in the worst of things –
 God works together for Good –

God always, always works together for Good -
for those who Love Him.”

In our most difficult times –
We are encouraged and strengthened by –
This powerful scripture verse.

Looking back on the past year -
with all of it difficult challenges and-
 also it many Blessings
We face the New Year in Faith –
Knowing –
as one man of Faith courageously proclaims:
“All I know of Tomorrow is –
that Providence will rise before the Sun.”

To be sure -
that is a Statement of Faith -
 that each of us can hold on to 24-7 -
 throughout the New Year.

For-
 we travel and we journey not alone –
but One Travels with us –
One travels with us –
who bears the greatest part of our burdens-

who doggedly stands with us and beside us –
come what may.


Whose glorious Light –
makes all the difference in our Lives –
and we know that we can always count on that.

Text:
“Arise, Shine –
 for your Light has come.
And the Glory of the Lord –
has risen upon you.”

A M E N  &  A M EN !!!


jdp+


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Holy & Gracious Father –
Whose Glorious Light
Shines to the uttermost parts of the Earth –
Enable us to see Your Redemptive Hand-
 in the affairs of the World –

And enable us –
to be able to see all the Nations of the World –
as Brothers and Sisters of one Family –
of One God and Father.
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in the Name of the Father –
and of the Son –
and of the Holy spirit.
Amen.
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