>>A guy’s got a cat that he can’t stand. Puts the cat in the car, drives out in the country, shoves the cat out the window, races back home. Who’s waiting by the front door? The cat.

Put’s the cat back in the car and he drives further out in the country, shoves the cat out the window, races back home. Who’s waiting by the front door? The cat.

Puts the cat back in the car, he goes way out in the country. He makes lefts and rights and zig zags and circles, more left-rights. Shoves the cat out the car, window of the car. On the way home the guy gets lost.

He calls the house and says, “Put the cat on the phone. I need directions.”

[laughter]

I really like that one! Good way to start the year.

The story of the magi; their journey and search is really our journey and our search for life’s deepest meaning and purpose.

It occurred to me the Feast of the Epiphany speaks of three moments: the direction in our lives, the busyness in our lives, the convictions of our lives. What about the direction of our lives?

As most of you know, epiphany means ‘appearance,’ ‘manifestation,’ or ‘revelation.’ It means that showing a direction for the search. And interestingly enough, the scriptures imply it’s a search that everyone must make.

Luke in his gospel, has the poor searching in the form of shepherds. Matthew in his gospel, has the learned and the rich search in form of the magi. So the message is that there is room for everybody in this search for life’s deepest meaning and purpose- from no degrees to PhD, from shepherds to executives.

And so, to the magi. They are three searchers who did not find the answer to life in their horoscopes, but took a long journey -a difficult journey- to another country in search of the Christ.

But first, for all believers as for the three wise men, there must be a search. Pascal once wrote this, “There’s three kinds of people in the world. Those who have sought God and found Him. Those who are seeking Him and still have not found Him. And thirdly, those who neither seek God nor find Him.” The direction of our lives includes searching and questioning. It’s okay to question life.

I’d like to share with you the question a four year old girl wrote me about 15 years ago:

‘Dear Father Greg, happy new year! This is my first letter ever. I wonder if you were Jesus’ dad? Signed, Katie’

No, Katie. I wasn’t Jesus’ dad. I’m not that old.

John the Baptist points to Jesus and the magi point to the Christ-child. Jesus points to God. In and with my life, who am I pointing to?

Busyness can so focus us on making a living, we forget about making a life. The direction of our lives and the busyness of our lives will determine the convictions of our lives. Our beliefs lead to choices and our choices determine our convictions.

As we start another new year together, Christ reveals Himself in so many different ways. The challenge for us as part of the direction, busyness, and conviction of our lives. And so, let the Lord lead and find us. And the Feast of the Epiphany means finding Christ is not a one-time thing, rather finding the Lord is a lifelong quest, journey, and search.