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Epiphany Sunday  Year C - 6/1/2013 - Gospel: Mt 2:1-12
Faith Journey
The history records show many famous and heroic trips achieved by a group of people. These trips are often made on behalf of a nation or being sent by a king with a specific mission. Before their departure they were endowed with a lot of celebration and showered with best wishes in the hope of achieving the mission assigned. Columbus set a world record for his adventure looking for the new land. There was the world record for the American astronauts successfully landing on the moon in the early 60's. There was the world record for the New Zealander Edmund Hillary who was the first person to conquer the highest peak of Mount Everest. These trips often received international recognition and as well as being recorded in the world book for their achievements but it becomes a reference when needed after the mission has been completed.

Events in the history of salvation received little publication from the civil societies but are highly praised by the faithfuls. The Church reminds her faithful to celebrate annually these holy journeys that are recorded in the Bible. They are praised for the sign of faith manifested through faith unlike word record events. A person who carried out the journey had no intention of making the world record but would rather it be private and had personal implication. Today we view them in the light of faith hidden behind, not heroic actions, but these simple daily actions. It was by and through faith in God that urged them to do what they did.

After the Annunciation by the angel Mary went to see Elizabeth, her cousin for a personal and a private visit, this visit reveals to us that she is the mother of God. Mary, Joseph and Jesus went to the temple for the feast of the Passover. Three days later the couple found Jesus in the temple and they learnt that Jesus had hidden business to fulfil. He was to do the will of God the Father. The Passion of Christ was the saving mission he had for mankind. The three wise men in the East went searching for the new baby born in Bethlehem we now know this as the revelation of God to people in the East.

These journeys are made in faith of God had no ending in our celebrations. They last as long as the existence of the human beings on earth because they are signs of faith. They are celebrated yearly wherever there are Christians, by Christians around the world and being passed on to the next generation.

For many Christmas is the celebration of the birthday of Christ and finishes at the same day. This is not what the three wise men and the Church believes. Christmas happened at the time of revelation for that person and it happened when the wise men meet the baby in the manger. Christmas was the time when they offered the baby Jesus: gold, frankincense and myrrh. In other words Christmas happened when God was revealed to them in the form of a baby in the manger. The true meaning of Christmas is not the actual the birthday of God but it is the revelation that God becomes one of us and lives amongst us and we should celebrate Christmas with that spirit- God is amongst us. The Christmas celebration continues as long as God continues to reveal himself to different people and at different times, at the presentation in the temple with the prophets Simeon and Anna, at the feast of the Passover, at the feast of the Holy Family, at the feast of Mary, Mother of God and at his own baptismal. The prefaces of Christmas continue to be said until the feast of the Baptism of the Lord which is next Sunday 13th January. After that Sunday Christmas is officially finishes and the prefaces of the mass change to ordinary time. Don't celebrate Christmas likes fireworks it takes a long time to prepare but when the time comes it shines and dies within seconds. Christmas celebration is a season and a season often lasts for weeks.

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