Epiphany (B)

(Edited) Reflections (from:) Ephiphany, January 8, 2012

Liturgical readings

Isaiah 60:1-6
Psalm 72
Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6
Matthew 2:1-12

"They found the child with Mary his mother."

In many Catholic homes, the traditional Nativity decor would be complete if it included small figurines of the three wise men, the shepherds, some stable animals, and an angel atop the baby Jesus, the Blessed Mother, and St. Joseph. All those little statues representing the Holy Family were mentioned in the gospels: the shepherds in Luke 2:8ff; the wise men in Matthew 2:1ff; and the angels in Luke 2:13ff. The stable animals were made part of the manger scene in the traditional Nativity set as additional symbols to help the family cultivate that atmosphere of simplicity and tranquillity experienced in many villages of old - especially during the Christmas season.

From a contemplative look at that cute and attractive Nativity set, it is time to focus more seriously at the "three wise men". These men were termed "astrologers" in the New American Bible. In the Good News Bible, they are mentioned as "some visitors from the East who studied the stars". The NRSV Bible and the Jerusalem Bible terms them as "wise men from the East". There is mention of "Magi" in the subtitle of the gospel passage in the Jerusalem Bible. Whoever these visitors from the East were, the gospel reveals to its readers and hearers that they have knowledge too of the prophecy about the birth of Jesus. They saw the star that would lead them to the birth of a Davidic King. So, believing or wanting to verify the prophecy, they followed the star, and found themselves in the poor little town of Bethlehem. In the poverty of a manger, they prostrated themselves before the Christ-Child.

It was a star that let the astrologers to Jesus. It was not only Jewish prophets that knew of this prophecy, but also people from nearby Eastern countries - like these wise men. There have been many founders of world religions that have been born and entered human history and civilization. But it was only Jesus whose birth was pre-announced. In his book, "Life of Christ", Bishop Fulton Sheen wrote that this very reason which makes Christ's divinity certain. And the divinity of Jesus Christ was manifested to the world through the wise men from the East. As the wise men saw the child with his mother, they saw with their eyes of faith how that divinity is wrapped in the tender flesh of a baby, born of a humble virgin from Nazareth.

St. John Nepomucene Neumann, Bishop

St. John Nepomucene Neumann, Bishop: 1811-1860 A.D.

America's Unspectacular Saint - Feast, January 5

Birth, family background, education, and ordination
Born at Prachatitz, Bohemia, [in what is now the Czech Republic] on March 28, and the third of six children of Agnes and Philip Neumann [a Bohemian mother and a German father], John was early attracted to the religious life. He was a voracious reader and student of a wide variety of languages and sciences. He entered the diocesan seminary of Budweis in 1831 A.D., and two years later the archepiscopal seminary and theological school at Charles Ferdinand University at Prague. Unable to be ordained because of a surplus of priests in Bohemia, John went to the United States in 1836 A.D. and was ordained in New York later within the same year. He then devoted the next four years to missionary work, especially among German-speaking Catholics, in upstate New York.

Entered the Redemptorist Order
By 1840 A.D., John wanted to deepen his spiritual life, so he became a member of the few Redemptorists in the United States at Pittsburgh and was the first Redemptorist priest to be professed in the United States. At 29 years of age, John Neumann plunged into an unremitting round of pastoral work in Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. After four years as a Redemptorist missionary he became an American citizen and was named the provincial of the Redemptorists. He built St. Peter and Paul Church in Baltimore, and was appointed the rector of St. Alphonsus Church in that city in 1851 A.D.

Pope Pius IX had named him bishop of Philadelphia
A few weeks before his 41st birthday, John returned to his room one evening after a busy day of ministry and found on his desk the ring and pectoral cross which Archbishop Francis Patrick Kenrick had worn for twenty-one years as bishop of Philadelphia. (The archbishop had paid a visit that afternoon). Neumann was aghast. He realized that Pope Pius IX had named him bishop of Philadelphia - an area which had more Catholics than any other - many of whom were Irish immigrants and some of them the elite of Catholic society in the city. As the fourth bishop of Philadelphia, John now had the opportunity to make great inroads into what had become his passion: the education of poor German, French, Irish and Indian Catholics.

A busy reorganizer and very close to the people
\ During his eight years as bishop of Philadelphia, he reorganized the diocese, as well as opened eighty new churches and nearly one hundred schools. To staff these schools, John brought in many religious orders of priests and nuns. At the first national council of Catholic bishops, he helped to map out a plan of Catholic education for the whole United States.

Although active in his support of education and busy with the duties of leading a diocese, John Neumann was never far from his people. By the time he became a bishop, he spoke twelve languages and made it a point to address each of his people in their own language. At the time of his death, John Neumann was renowned for his holiness, charity, pastoral work, and his preaching. He was canonized in 1977 A.D. by Pope Paul VI, the first American male saint.

Unspectacular but simplicity performed with constant perfection amidst difficulties spell heroism
St. John Neumann was almost overlooked as a serious candidate for sainthood for many years; in fact, the case was put on hold in 1912 A.D. because, they said, they doubted whether he had the necessary "heroic virtue"; he was "too ordinary" a man to be a candidate. However, there were persistent pleas for his cause. And Pope Benedict XV finally came to the conclusion that even the most simple works, when performed with constant perfection amidst difficulties, already spells heroism. Pope Paul VI made the same point in his homily at the ceremony on October 13, 1963 A.D., the day he beatified Bishop John Neumann. He referred to the "ancient biographers" of saints who sought the unusual and miraculous aspects of the lives of the saints, perhaps too much. The Pope admitted that they too had to understand that the life of a Christian who is really moved by faith and grace cannot but be wonderful.

The sainting of Bishop John Neumann was a triumph and a model for the millions of men and women who live unspectacular lives in persistent patience and quiet virtues every day before God whose will they strive to follow.

References of this article

• Dictionary of Saints, by John J. Delaney
• Saints for Our Time, by Ed Ransom
• The Who's Who of Heaven: Saints for All Seasons, by Msgr. John P. Kleinz

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, America's First Native-Born Saint

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious: 1774-1821 A.D.

America's First Native-Born Saint - Feast, January 4

Birth and family background

Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton was born in New York City on August 28, 1774 A.D., just two years before the Declaration of Independence was signed. She might be truly be called a daughter of the American Revolution.

Elizabeth's father, Dr. Richard Bayley, was a prominent physician and professor of anatomy at King's College (now Columbia University). Her mother, and later, her stepmother, were staunch Episcopalians who instilled in her an appreciation of prayer and the Scriptures. She was the stepsister of Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley of Baltimore.

Elizabeth was educated by her father. Then at nineteen, she married a wealthy businessman named William Magee Seton, with whom she had five children. In the first years of her marriage, Elizabeth plunged into social work and in 1797 A.D. helped to found the Society for the Relief of Poor Widows with Small Children. A few years later, in 1803 A.D., her husband's business failed, and William contracted tuberculosis. The couple went to Italy in hopes of effecting a cure but William died shortly after they arrived.

Back in the United States and conversion to Catholicism

In her stay in Italy for some months, she observed the Catholic Church in action. She became convinced that the Catholic Church was rooted back to the apostles and to Christ. After her return to the United States in 1805 A.D., she became a Catholic. Her Episcopalian family and friends were outraged and turned on her savagely, cutting themselves off from her completely. Her sister told her that Catholics were "dirty, filthy, red-faced". Elizabeth however did not change her faith when she was ostracized, but she was eventually driven to Baltimore, where she was warmly welcomed by the Catholic community.

Apostolic work and foundation of a religious community

At the suggestion of a Sulpician superior, Father Louis DuBourg, she opened a school for girls in Baltimore. Soon her sisters Cecilia and Harriet, who had become Catholics, joined her. With other women they formed a religious community. Elizabeth took private vows before Archbishop John Carroll of Baltimore. He encouraged her to form a new community. So Elizabeth founded a religious community along with four companions. They opened a school for poor children in Emmitsburg, Maryland, which was the beginning of the Catholic parochial school system in the United States.

Approval of her community's Rule and its growth

Archbishop Carroll of Baltimore approved the rule of Elizabeth's community in 1812 A.D., and in 1813 A.D., Elizabeth and eighteen other women took vows in the new religious order, the Sisters of Charity - the first American religious society. The religious order spread throughout the United States and numbered some twenty communities by the time of her death at Emmitsburg on January 4. She was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1975 A.D., the first American-born saint.

"Our daily work is to do the will of God"

St. Elizabeth expanded the principle that "our daily work is to do the will of God" in a conference she gave her spiritual daughters. It is printed as the Second Reading of the Office of Readings for her feast day of January 4:

I know what his will is by those who direct me; whatever they bid me do, if it is ever so small in itself, is the will of God for me. Then do it in the manner he wills it, not sewing an old thing as if it were new, or a new thing as if it were old; not fretting because the oven is too hot, or in a fuss because it is too cold. You creeping like a snail because no one pushes you. Our dear Savior was never in extremes. The third object is to do his will because he wills it, that is, to be ready to quit at any moment and do anything else to which you may be called...

Be above the vain fears of nature and efforts of your enemy. You are children of eternity. Your immortal crown awaits you, and the best of Fathers waits there to reward your duty and love. You may indeed sow here in tears, but you may be sure there to reap in joy.

With her elevated to the honor of sainthood, the faithful now pray, "St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us."

References of this article

• Dictionary of Saints, by John J. Delaney
• Saints for Our Time, by Ed Ransom
• The Who's Who of Heaven: Saints for All Seasons, by Msgr. John P. Kleinz