2 nd SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS - YEAR A

2 ND January 2005

S: Good morning. And a very happy New Year to each and every one of you listening in this morning. I’d like to start this New Year by saying thanks to all of you who tune in to us each Sunday morning and look forward to this little short reflection.

Anyway, during the coming week we keep the Feast of the Epiphany. Now you might well wonder where does that word Epiphany come from. Well the word is Greek and it means manifestation – so there!

B: Well to dazzle you more – this feast sees us putting the three wise men into the crib. The next time you look at the crib take a close look at these three characters and you will see that they represent different nationalities and backgrounds. So God is now made manifest or revealed not just to the little group in Bethlehem but to the whole world. The spirit of Christmas which is the spirit of God With Us, is not just for a select few but for the whole world.

S: Our World of Life for today comes from the Gospel of St. Matthew - “opening their treasures they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh”. These gifts were significant - Gold for a King, Frankincense for God and Myrrh for a man who would die. So these gifts were foretelling something of what was to happen in the future. What’s also interesting is that these are described as wise people. And wise people have always gone in search of the truth. For all of us our quest for God, our thirst for Christ is a search for the truth. The adventure that was part of the wise men’s lives is also the adventure that we are being invited to be part of as well.

B: Our Reflection this morning is simply entitled Christmas.

The story goes that it was this night over 2000 years ago

that wise people from all over the world began to see a star.

A light that has been shining since,

attracting people from all over the world.

The story goes that it was this night over2000 years ago

that some took their gold, their talents

blessed moments and friends;

that others took their myrrh and their falling out with others

and that still others took their incense

the prayers rising up from their lives

to bring them to the child newly born.

The story goes that it was this night over 2000 years ago

that they came together where the star stood

beckoning them to the newborn babe,

who collected their gifts, the gold, the myrrh and the incense

strengthening, healing and accepting them,

just as he will accept the gold, the myrrh and the incense

in the life of each one of us, Alleluia.

Amen.

S: Just before we go – we would like to let you know that starting this the New Year the text of our ‘Just a thought’ slot will be available on the limerick Diocesan Website the following day – Monday. So if you would like a copy of this thought you can get it tomorrow on the web at limerickdiocese.org. You’ve been listening to Just a thought with Seamus Madigan

B: And Brenda Cribbin, we wish you all a very Happy and peaceful week ahead and New Year.

S: We look forward to your company again next week, in the meantime, take care.

S & B: BYEEE

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