The Christian Seeks Christ Wherever He Is to Be Found
The Epiphany of the Lord
Our eyes, by the way they’re made, are drawn to light; and our mind, by the way it’s made, is drawn to truth. A flash of light will not fail to catch our eye; and an outburst of truth will not escape our notice. Our eyes and our mind have proper objects toward which they tend and for which they search. A brighter light and a more certain truth will pull them away from the lesser, but they will not cease to look for still greater brilliance and clarity. Only perfect light – Light Itself – and perfect truth – Truth Itself – will give these powers of ours fulfillment and rest.
Christ is the Light and the Truth, the sole object which our eyes yearn to see and our minds pine to know. In him, and in him alone, does our searching spirit end its search, in him, the true light that enlightens everyone, who has come into the world.
Although we know that Christ is the one in whom we rest, we are still restless and seek after lesser lights and smaller truths. We know this tendency within ourselves all too well. Our eyes and our mind wander, our heart and our spirit stray. So, we put ourselves on guard against whatever tempts to lead us further away, and we take shelter where we know the Light shines and the Truth dwells. We know where to find him, and, for fear of losing him, we dare not step outside. We hear the prophet Isaiah this morning telling us to stay inside, where it is safe: See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory.
It is tempting to live the Christian life thus: considering ourselves in here enlightened by the truth and saved and the world out there confused by darkness and damned. To protect ourselves and safeguard our salvation, we close ourselves off from the world, from encountering those who do not believe, and from engaging the culture at odds with our own. We surround ourselves with people who agree with us, who share our values, who live like we do. We, together, have the Light and the Truth, what could anyone else offer that we do not already have?
It is tempting to live the Christian life thus. But the feast of the Lord’s Epiphany that we celebrate today challenges us to think and to live differently, for this feast teaches that Light and Truth do not fear darkness and ignorance, and neither should we.
The Magi from the east come to Jerusalem searching for the king of the Jews. These wise men are not Jews but Gentiles. These astronomers do not seek the Christ promised through the scriptures but the Christ revealed to them through the stars. The Magi have sought the Light and Truth through science, not faith, in Persia, not Israel. And they have found him, the same Light and Truth foretold by prophets and revealed by angels.
What God reveals through the Magi is that all light and all truth tends toward Christ. Whenever and however one searches for light and truth, the search will lead always to Bethlehem, to find Light and Truth Itself in the human flesh of Jesus Christ. For there is only one Light and one Truth, and whatever reflects this Light and this Truth reveals Christ. Every science and every art, every discipline of study and every cultural endeavor stands ready to show us the face of Christ. We should not be afraid to look for Christ elsewhere, for wherever the true light shines, we will find him.
But why should we go looking at all? If Christ is the fullness of God’s revelation, and we have him here in the Church, why should we go looking for him anywhere else? What does the world have to teach us about our Jesus? The reason we should search for Christ always and everywhere is this: Yes, the Church has the Light, but the Church learns more about the Light she possesses from how that same Light shines outside her, how that Light is reflected through other prisms, how it shines with other hues when it comes in contact with all that is out there. How the Light shines through history, science, and culture allows us, in the words of then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, to be led more deeply into the truth and perceive new dimensions of it that could not have been understood without these experiences.1
The world is clouded in darkness and riddled with error, but still the Light and Truth of Christ are to be found within it. We do not need to fear any loss in our search to find him there, so long as we remain rooted in the Light we see and the Truth we know. We should engage in all forms of learning and appreciate every aspect of culture, not afraid of what we will find, but eager to find Christ who dwells there, too. For, under the guidance of his Spirit of Truth, we will be led not away from but toward the fullness of Light and Truth in which we long to rest.
And when we have come to see the Light and know the Truth more fully ourselves, then the words of the prophet Isaiah will be fulfilled in us: 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. For the world will see in us the full and perfect Light, the complete and final Truth for which it has searched aimlessly without rest. Then the world will know its meaning and purpose, the end of its sciences and the pinnacle of its culture, fully revealed in Christ. And the world will come to him to do him homage: Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you. The world will pour itself out and lay before the King of Kings all it has of value. And his Light, the true light which enlightens everyone and everything, will shine brightly and eternally on all things.
The Christian life is about seeking Christ wherever he is to be found. Our eyes are drawn to light, our mind to truth and, thus, to him. We will not have rest until we have found him in the full. So, we cannot grow tired or weary, we cannot let fear inhibit our search. We must follow the light, as the Magi followed the star, wherever it goes, for it will lead us, as them, to Bethlehem. For the stars, in all their variety, point always to him who made them. Come, let us, with all creation, adore Christ the Lord.
Homily preached January 8, 2023 at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen
Joseph Ratzinger, Called to Communion, 20.