Sunday, January 4, 2015, 9:00 AM - 11:30 PM
Today we celebrate Epiphany. For many nations it is the day for gift-giving, not Christmas. Our Hispanic community will be giving gifts to the children after the 9:00am Mass. The original meaning was the focus on the Magi representing the nations of the non Jewish world. The early Christian communities struggled with the baptism of Gentiles. Did Gentiles have to first become Jewish before they became Christians? The story of the Magi helped them understand that the Christ child had come for all people. Today one of the challenges for our church is how do we relate to the billions of people of the world who are not Christians. The best approach is to emphasize what we have in common, not our differences. Pope Francis seems to have found the right approach. People of all faiths (even atheists) look to him for guidance and healing; he has become the spiritual leader of the world. May God grant him many more years!