Let me read to you a more complete text of today’s 2nd reading. I suppose, you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit, 3 namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation, …which was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, 6 that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel. Ephesians 3:1-6 

I suppose that today, as it was the case with St. Paul, back then, my priestly stewardship calls me to reveal to you the significance of the mystery of Christ’s Incarnation. 

We all know that the word “Epiphany” means manifestation. It is the feast of the manifestation of God’s global plan of salvation which includes all Gentiles along with the chosen people of Israel. 

Immediately, there is the need to remind us, limited, frail human beings, that God’s love is truly infinite.  His love is such that there is enough for all peoples and nations, across the millennia to the end of time. 

Today’s feast of the Epiphany demands that we accept and rejoice in the fact that the Blood of Christ, God’s only begotten Son, was shed on the cross to expand God’s global family, the New Jerusalem, the Church, to include everyone Jew and Gentile alike. 

This is the reason why today’s 1st reading (Isaiah 60: 1-6) is an invitation for the entire city of Jerusalem, to rise in splendor and rejoice because God’s infinite love will enrich her exceedingly.  

How? 

God’s children coming into the “New Jerusalem,” into the Church, from the four corners of the world, do not come empty-handed; but come bearing many gifts just as the Magi came to the newborn King, bearing precious gifts. 

Limiting our observation to the corner of the Church with which we are familiar, we can discover quite easily how many gifts we get to enjoy in it. 

There are many outstanding, invaluable gifts that enrich and benefit all of us members of this parish community.  

Then, widening our gaze to look at our Archdiocese, we can see how she has been enriched by priests and laity coming from distant lands to make her vibrant and productive. 

The feast of the Epiphany, therefore, compels us to rejoice in God’s decision to expand his global family and be deeply grateful that he made it without any boundaries.  

At this point, before anything else, I must stress the fact that the “New Jerusalem,” the Church, has been established by the Lord to reflect most accurately the boundlessness of his love for all peoples, all nations. 

As today for sure, but also oftentimes in the future, we are to pause and dwell with deep gratitude on God’s predilection and overwhelming flow of grace, we should feel compelled to share this incredibly Good News with many people around us. 

However, the Good News that we preach will be more effective if we desist from pushing our own personal rendition of what it means to be a Christian believer. We should not try to create replicas of ourselves.  

That would be presumptuous and disrespectful of God’s creativity. In his eyes not two of his children are alike. 

Indeed, the Gospel must be lived and preached in an unassuming, self-effacing fashion. 

Hence, as it is with anything else, to succeed in our faith-sharing we need to appreciate wholeheartedly our being the Father’s adopted children in the Blood of our older brother Jesus, and be filled with love for God, the Gospel and the Church. 

Once we are driven by love, and we are very proud of our divine adoption, knowing the immensity of the Father’s heart, we should keep no one who is in any way different from us from being in his ageless embrace. 

In our faith-sharing we would be undaunted because we would be firmly anchored in Christ’s resurrection.  

No obstacle, no difficulty, no setback would stand in the way of our working together for the establishment of God’s Kingdom in the unwavering certainty that Jesus’ victory over all evils is unstoppable and irreversible. 

We would do our work of faith-sharing with such enthusiasm and palpable pride that people must conclude that we are living out with deep gratitude what we intend to share with them because we consider it indispensable for experiencing lasting joy. 

On his part, the Lord will appreciate our efforts and reward us fittingly for making the Church radiant at what she sees, her heart throbbing and overflowing for the riches of so many new people shall be emptied out before her.  (cf. Isaiah 60: 5)