A NEW CHURCH YEAR, A NEW BEGINNING.

 Matthew 2: 1-12. Epiphany: a new church year, a new beginning. We celebrate the arrival of 3 wise men or 3 kings from very different parts of the world (ergo, 3 very different cultures). The word "epiphany" means "a sudden understanding." This season is 7 weeks long, this year; a festival season that lasts through Fat Tuesday and ends on Ash Wednesday. This is the time when God reveals Himself to us. The 3 travelers were not Jewish: they represented the world at large. Christianity was expanding in the 2nd century; a religion for all people, the Word for the World. This certainly applies to our world today. If you look at all the countries in the world, immigrants abide there. We humans are a mix of people and churches are a sanctuary for those immigrants seeking a new life, even survival. We are one race, one community in the same body of believers. Paradoxically, we welcome diversity! Matthew says, "Make disciples of all nations." That means us - today, as it was in Matthew's day. 

Amen!