Fr. Mike's Communication for the January 3, 2021

The Epiphany of the Lord
3 January 2021

“They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
They saw the child with Mary, his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

-Matthew 2:10-11

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and a joyful Feast of the Epiphany!

Who were the Magi, the central figures at the heart of today’s feast? Far from home, these exotic travelers were on a search to find the King of the Jews with only the light of a star arising from the East to guide them. As the famous hymn echos, we typically refer to these men as royalty or “Three Kings.” The bible also helps us establish the trio by the number of gifts they carried on their journey, gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Likewise, the word magi’s Latin entomology lets us know these three weren’t on some random road trip. No, these men were educated, “Persian priests or wise men,” on an intentional search to find someone extraordinary — JESUS.

Some two-thousand years later, let’s ask ourselves, are we willing to step outside of the familiar and commit our lives to find our savior? Though we might not have a star to guide our quest, God in his goodness has offered us tangible signs and tools to show our path. For instance, the organic world and natural sciences all point back to our creator, with the “fingerprints” of Jesus visible in all its beauty. Likewise, philosophical and intellectual pursuits lead us to the Lord when, in humility, we discover that only the Salvation Story can make sense of our existence and offer purpose to our lives. But if I had any advice or “directions” to provide my fellow searchers with, it would be the following. Like in the days of the magi, our Lord Jesus will always dwell directly in our midst. Remember, Christ is with us when we decide to make a conscious decision to BELIEVE and learn about the life of Jesus by taking up scriptures or attending a group such as Discovering Christ. Our Lord is with us when we step outside of our comfort zone and go BEYOND in service by ministering to the neediest among us through the works of our Parish’s Salt and St. Vincent ministries. Christ walks beside us when in our pain; we reach out and ask for help, BECOMING healthier individuals. Friends, there is real healing waiting through the care and support found in OLPH’s Bereavement, Celebrate Recovery, and Stephen Ministry offerings. Perhaps the most life-affirming is when we meet Jesus in the spirit of another person, such as when we welcome others to BELONG. Like at parish events that celebrate all people’s dignity, such as Night to Shine, or when we invite a fellow neighbor to worship at OLPH. Though I will admit, our search to find Jesus is never complete. Still, I promise you this, our commitment to finding our Lord will be the only endeavor that genuinely will offer purpose to our existence, and that is a gift more valuable than gold, frankincense, and myrrh!

So friends, let us keep searching together as a parish and invite others to accompany us. The pursuit is worth the time (and the treasure!). And, moms and dads, be sure to take your kids along too. In that spirit, blessing your home in celebration of the Epiphany is a great first step.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, pray for us.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
Live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

In the Child Jesus,
Rev. Michael S. Triplett

Some of the key considerations for this week.

Please reserve your seat for Mass on January 9-10 the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Our Weekend Mass Schedule is Saturdays, 4:30 pm in the Church and Sundays, 7:30 am in the Church, 9 am in the Church and livestream, 11 am outside, and 5 pm in the Church.
You are encouraged to come back, visit our campus often to deepen your relationship with Jesus. Our church is open for Daily Mass, personal prayer, Eucharistic Adoration and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Visit our parish website HERE, for the complete schedule and more information about our upcoming Festival of Praise.
Looking for additional ways to keep the Christmas celebration going? Check out FORMED for audiobooks, podcasts, videos and studies for the Season of Christmas. Parishioners of OLPH can access all that FORMED has to offer for free by using the parish code, DW4G29.
Could God be calling you to become a Deacon? The Deacon, through the grace of ordination, bears witness to Christ the Servant.In these unprecedented times of the pandemic, the Lord is still calling forth and equipping men and women for ministry. How is God calling you to follow as a disciple? Please pass on this information to others you feel may be called to this vital ministry as well. If you are discerning, or simply willing to consider, becoming a deacon, attend an information session as a next step. Information sessions will be held:
- Thursday, January 7 at 7 pm at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Ellicott City,
- Sunday, January 10 at 3 pm at St. Ignatius in Ijamsville,
- Wednesday, January 27 at 6 pm at St. Bernadine in Baltimore, and
- Wednesday, February 10 at 7 pm on Zoom.

Registration is required. Please assist the formation team by registering with Kristine Arata, Kristine.Arata@archbalt.org. To ensure an understanding of the commitment of formation, applications are only available to those who attend an information session, or after special consideration with a member of the formation team: Fr. Mike Triplett (mtriplett@archbalt.org), Deacon Larry Matheny (lmatheny@e-stignatius.org), and Deacon Scott Lancaster (slancaster1@stlouisparish.org).