>>This burglar breaks into a house at midnight, completely dark, walks in, and all of a sudden the burglar hears, “Jesus is watching you.” Looks with the flashlight doesn’t see anybody. He takes a few more steps and he hears again, “Jesus is watching you.” Takes a flashlight. Looks around. Doesn’t see anyone. Keeps taking two more steps and says, “Jesus is watching you.” He has a flashlight and he sees a parrot on a stand. He says, “Oh, you just a dumb parrot. And what’s your name?” He says, “I’m Polly, the parrot. The pit bull is Jesus.” 

[laughter] 

I like that one, too. The story of the Magi. Their journey and our journey is really a search together. It occurred to me the Feast of the Epiphany speaks of three movements: the direction of our lives, the busyness of our lives, the convictions of our lives. What about the direction of our lives? As many know, epiphany means appearance, manifestation or revelation. It means a showing, a direction of our search.  

And very interestingly enough, the scripture implies it’s a search and journey that everyone must make. Luke, in his gospel, has the poor searching in the form of the shepherds. Matthew in the today’s gospel, has the learned and the rich search in the form of the Magi. So the message is that there is room for everybody in the search for life’s meaning and purpose from no degrees to Ph.Ds, from shepherds to executives. But first, for all believers, as for the wise men, there must be a search. Pascal once wrote, There are only three kinds of people in the world. Those who have sought God and found him. Those who are seeking him and have not yet found him. And those who neither seek God nor find God. The direction of our lives includes searching and questioning for all of us. 

I would like to share with you the question of a four year old, who wrote me about 10 years ago. ‘Dear Father Greg ~ Happy, happy New Year. This is my first letter ever written. I wonder, are you Jesus’ dad? Love Katie.’ 

John the Baptist points to Jesus and the Magi point to the Christ child. Jesus points to God. In and with my life, whom am I pointing to? Busyness can so focus on making a living that we forget about life.  

The Feast, the epiphany means finding Christ is not a one-time thing. Rather, finding the Lord is a lifelong quest and search. The direction of our lives and the busyness of our lives will determine the conviction of our lives. Our beliefs lead to choices. Our choices will determine our convictions. As we start a new year together; the challenge for us as part of the direction, busyness and convictions of our lives is to let the Lord find and lead us.