Shine Jesus, Shine!

Reflections on the Readings

January 3, 2015 - Year C

The Epiphany of the Lord

Dennis S. Hankins

Isaiah 60:1-6

Shine Jesus, Shine!

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come,

the glory of the Lord shines upon you.

See, darkness covers the earth,

and thick clouds cover the peoples;

but upon you the LORD shines,

and over you appears his glory.

Nations shall walk by your light,

and kings by your shining radiance.

Raise your eyes and look about;

they all gather and come to you:

your sons come from afar,

         The Church  understands it is the Holy Spirit who reveals to us the gift of God's love in the incarnation of Christ in the womb of the Virgin Mary. By the Holy Spirit we understand that the Baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger is God wrapped in humanity. The same Holy Spirit who came upon Mary led the Wise men by the light of a Star to Him whom John the Baptist would declare to be the Light of the world!  There is no darkness in Christ because the one who reveals Christ, the Holy Spirit, leads us to him who is the way, the truth and the life. I suggest that the life of the believer is one of continual Epiphany, for we are always  growing in grace and  in the knowledge of our Lord and  Savior Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3:18).    

  Some embrace the anonymity of darkness because their deeds are evil. (John 3:19) But today we rejoice that Christ our light delivers us from darkness and makes us citizens of Christ's Kingdom of Light and Life; even Jesus in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. ( Colossians 1:13)  What the world learned 2,000 years ago is that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. John, the Apostle, in his Gospel said this of his Lord: "In Him was life and the life is the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and  the darkness has not overcome him!( John 1: 4 & 5)

As the song proclaims Shine , Jesus, Shine!

And we, too, are invited to let our light shine to the glory of God, the Father.  Amen!

Dennis Hankins is a parishioner at Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral, of the Diocese of Knoxville, TN.  Prior to uniting with the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil 2006, Dennis served as a priest in the Charismatic Episcopal Church. E-mail Dennis at: dennishankins@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter: @dshankins or visit him at: www.dennishankins.com