Reflection on the Feast of Epiphany, 6 January 2019
By Michael Whelan SM
Living is epiphanic
Our English word, Epiphany, has its roots in the Greek verb, phainein meaning ‘to show’ or ‘to appear’ or ‘to be seen’. The English word ‘phenomenon’ shares the same roots. The German philosopher, Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), describes that branch of philosophy known as Phenomenology, as the process whereby we endeavour to ‘let that which shows itself be seen from itself in the very way in which it shows itself from itself’ (Martin Heidegger, Being and Time, translated by John Macquarrie and Edward Robinson, Harper & Row, 1962, 58).
With the foregoing in mind, we may be better placed to approach the people, events and things of our daily lives with more respect, with an increased capacity to hear what is actually going on, with the prospect of being struck by awe at what comes to light when we refrain from imposing our assumptions, prejudices, idealizations and stereotypes. These are typically born of anxiety and fear and contribute to a thicket of unreality that prevents us from experiencing and affirming what is.
Gospel for the Fourth Sunday of Advent (23 December 2018)
Gospel Notes by Michael Whelan SM
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” (Luke 1:39-45 – NRSV)
Gospel for the Third Sunday of Advent (16 December 2018)
Gospel Notes by Michael Whelan SM
And the crowds asked (John), “What then should we do?” In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. (Luke 3:10-18 – NRSV)