Dear Parish Family,

This Sunday's Feast of the Epiphany celebrates the revelation of God's glory shown in the face of Jesus Christ. The word epiphany simply means appearance or revelation in the sense of an "Aha!" moment where something was made present and apparent that was formerly unknown. All of God's creation is a kind of epiphany of His truth, goodness, beauty, and love. The word glory captures the radiance of God's presence manifested in epiphany moments. The most glorious epiphany of God is shown in Jesus Christ, who is God Incarnate, the fullness of God's revelation for what it means to be a human person sharing the life of God.

The epiphany for the Magi in today's Gospel was similar. It began by the appearance of a star in the Western skies. Captivated by the star's beauty, the Magi saw it as a sign that a wondrous thing has occurred. They saw the star as God's invitation, a gracious welcome that stirred a deeper desire in their hearts to meet the King of Kings. As they approach the house at Bethlehem, the visible sign of the star gives way to the invisible reality of the fullness of the glory of God resting on the face of Jesus Christ. The Magi could not have anticipated this glorious experience. Their openness to God's direction in their lives helped them follow the signs of God that led them to Jesus. We hear that they go home "by another way" indicating that this epiphany of God's glory changed them in their love for God and for others.

God continues to give epiphany moments to His faithful followers. Like the star, everything true, good, beautiful, noble, and worthy of love can be employed by God to draw us to Christ. God loves to lead us by visible signs of His creation to the invisible mysteries of His love. Thus, the Sacraments of the Church (most especially the Eucharist), the power of the Scriptures, the wisdom of the Church and her saints, and the transcendental beauty of creation are all ways that God reveals His presence and leads us to see the glory of God in the face of Christ. We cannot anticipate these epiphany moments. Science cannot identify or explain them away. God simply requires us to remain open and aware to His presence and guidance so that every moment of our lives may be marked by the weight of His glory. 

New Rectory Proposal Feedback
Back in November, I hosted two town hall presentations regarding the new rectory proposal. These sessions were well attended and overwhelmingly positive! The presentation I gave as well as the feedback form are available now on the website. Visit https://stmarychardon.org/new-rectory-project to learn more about the dynamics of this exciting project, and to submit an online feedback form to the rectory building committee. Updates will be posted on this web page and in the bulletin as we progress with the new rectory project. Thank you for your prayers and support!

I am yours in Christ,
Fr. Scott Goodfellow