Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord – Christmas Cycle C

Reflecting on Matthew 2:1-12

Respite on the Flight into Egypt -- Luc Olivier Merson, 1879

In the Boston Museum of Art there hangs a nineteenth century painting that is so stunning that one can only stand in front of it and pray.  Respite on the Flight into Egypt portrays an exhausted Joseph, sleeping on the ground next to a small campfire that only gives enough light for us to see his body stretched out on the sand.  But the light carries the eye upward, upward, and now we know that, yes, we are in Egypt, for there is a massive sphinx, staring out into the dark desert.  And―of course!―we see the source of that beautiful glow that has caught us and stopped us in our tracks.  There, in the massive arms of the granite guardian of the great Egyptian temple, sleeps Mary and her Child.  All are supremely at peace.  Joseph guards the scene as Mary cradles her baby, and the wondrous ancient lion/man cradles her.

Where do Mary and her Child sleep during their flight away from Herod?    Where else?  They sleep one hundred and fifty feet high, in the arms of the most powerful symbol of the most powerful nation on earth.

Herod should have taken a cue from the heavens.  When the Prince of Peace entered human history as a child, celestial beings, and wise foreigners, and the greatest wonders of the ancient world all did him homage.  If you look closely you’ll see that they still do.

Sharing God’s Word at Home:

In what ways can you discern all creation giving glory to God?

Christmas - Cycle C