We have to be reminded that Christ’s work of human
redemption continues till the end of time, and this time he involves
us even if does not need help. That’s because being God’s image and
likeness in Christ, the mission of Christ is also ours. Just as Christ
went all the way to identify himself with us in all our possible
situations without committing sin, we are also meant to share what
Christ has and does.
In this celebration of the Solemnity of the Epiphany of
our Lord, we are somehow reminded of this directive of Christ. The
Epiphany tells us that we have received the greatest gift of all,
Christ himself, the Son of God who becomes man to save us and who has
given us everything we need for the salvation of mankind.
His intention is to save all men, though he respects
everyone’s decision to be saved or not. But insofar as he is
concerned, he wants all men to be saved. Thus, in the Epiphany, the
main message that is highlighted is that the newborn Savior is not
only for the Jews who were the chosen people in God’s economy of
salvation that has to go through stages, but for all people.
The 3 magi represent the people outside the chosen people.
That fact should make us realize that we need to develop a universal
outlook in our Christ-given mission to do apostolate. To his apostles,
and to us, he said: “Go therefore and make disciples of all
nations…teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.”
(Mt 28,19-20)
As long as we identify ourselves closely with Christ, we
can have the strength needed to adapt ourselves to everyone and to
love them no matter how different or even hostile they are to us. Like
Christ we would be willing to suffer, which is a clear manifestation
of the strength of divine love.
Remember St. Paul saying, “We then that are strong ought
to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.”
(Rom 15,1) The strong can bear the weak, not vice-versa. And the
categories of strength and weakness need not only in the area of the
physical, intellectual, social, financial, etc., but more so in the
spiritual and moral.
I had a funny verification of this truth recently when one
day I saw a hen with its newly-hatched chicks enter the garden where I
was holding a seminar. At first, I was pleasantly amused and started
to feed them. But when they entered the house and made some droppings
there while salvaging some crumbs on the floor, that’s when I started
to drive them away.
Initially, I was gentle in driving them away, but since
they would not follow, I started to use force. But the hen resisted
and even tried to attack me, since in my effort to shoo her away, she
was trying to gather her scattered chicks. Anyway, in the end, I gave
up and just let them have their way. In time they would go out, and
they did.
The lesson I got was that I can understand her ways, but
the hen could not understand mine. So, I should just suffer her. The
strong can bear the weak, but the weak cannot bear the strong.
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