#jordan really be living my dream fr

[0bianidalas]

Jordan + shifting

#jordan li #jordanliedit #genvedit #genvgifs #genvsource #jordan really be living my dream fr #gifshit

[noirsfantasy]

𝕽𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖔𝖋 𝕯𝖊𝖘𝖎𝖗𝖊 | 𝖕𝖙. 1

𝔭𝔞𝔦𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔤 ➛ Michael B Jordan as Adonis Creed x Black!Plus-sized Reader

𝔯𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔫𝔤 ➛ Smut

𝔣𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔬𝔪 ➛ Creed

𝔴𝔬𝔯𝔡 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱 ➛3.4k

𝔰𝔶𝔫𝔬𝔭𝔰𝔦𝔰 ➛A chance encounter between you and Adonis at a label party turns into a passionate and intense romantic night.

𝔞/𝔫 ➛Guys, guys, GUYSSSSSS!!! Y'all are gonna love this one, I'M TELLING YOU! You won't be disappointed.

My heels click loudly as I make my way into a large bustling event. I had been invited by my best friend, Bianca to attend the label party she set up for one of her artists. As I walk in, my heart races with excitement as the buzz of the crowd fills my ears. I had been to a few of these exclusive events before and I knew how to dress the part. I'm dressed to impress, my black dress hugging my curvy frame and accentuating my hips. My hair, curled to perfection, falls gently onto my shoulders, and my red purse adds a touch of sophistication to my look.

I feel a buzz from my phone and smile, seeing a text pop up.

"Someone's looking sexy," It reads and I see that it's from Bianca. I scan around the room, looking for her as she's already spotted me. When we make eye contact, I smile and make my way over. She smiles at me and gives me a big hug, which I return.

"I'm so glad you made it!" She tells me as we part.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world, B. Besides I'm always down to support my bestie." I reply with a wink, causing Bianca to chuckle.

"You sure you not just tryna steal the show?" She questions playfully as she raises an eyebrow. I giggle and shake my head.

"No way, girl. I just threw something on that I thought would match the theme." I assure her but she purses her lips.

"Really? Cus from what I'm seeing all that ass is getting more attention than my artist." She says, gesturing to my outfit and the way it complements my body. I nudge her shoulder.

"Girl, whatever! That is not true." We share a laugh and I shake my head.

"Anyways, make yourself at home. There's an open bar and, you know, just enjoy yourself. I gotta go talk to these producers real quick." Bianca takes my hand and gives it a squeeze before letting go and walking over to do some networking. I sigh a bit, rubbing my glossy lips together as I look around for anyone familiar.

I'd always been a bit shy, but there's something about being in a room full of celebrities that makes me feel like I'm living a dream. I smooth out my skirt as I weave between people, smiling politely at acquaintances. That's when I see him - Adonis Creed, a famous boxer. I've been a fan of his for a while and, I must say, he's even more breathtaking in person. His brown skin gleams under the warm lights, his goatee and large stud earrings giving him a rugged yet sophisticated edge. And those dimples? Those lips? They can make anyone weak at the knees.

I realize I've been staring when our eyes meet and he holds my gaze for a moment. A smile tugs at his lips and I have to look away quickly to hide the blush that is forming.

As the evening progresses, I find myself crossing paths with him a few times. He'd always give me a charming smile and I'd smile politely back, before going back to what I was doing. Each encounter only serves to leave me feeling more intrigued and attracted to him.

I decide to get a drink from the bar and as I order from the bartender, someone appears next to me.

"I'll have what she's having." He says and I look up to see Adonis. I clear my throat nervously and I smile politely at him as I shift in my seat. He smiles back, taking in the way I cross my legs, my movements effortless and sexy. The heat starts to rise in my cheeks as I feel his eyes on me. "I gotta say," He starts, leaning against the bar. "You killing with that outfit." I meet his eyes once more and smile at the flattery.

"Thank you, glad to know my efforts haven't gone unnoticed," I reply as the bartender hands me my drink. I thank him and then look back at Adonis.

"Yeah, you caught my eye from across the room. But I don't think I've had the pleasure of meeting you before. What's your name?" He inquires, his eyes never leaving mine. I feel a blush creeping onto my face as I take a sip from my drink for courage.

"Y/N. It's nice to meet you." I introduce myself, holding my hand out. He takes my hand in his, giving it a gentle shake before lifting it to his lips and landing a soft kiss on my knuckles.

"The pleasure's all mine, Y/N. I'm Donnie." He replies, his grip on my hand lingering for a bit before letting go. The action sends butterflies through my body. "You a friend of Bianca's?" He asks.

"Yeah, her best friend, actually," I say with a chuckle, taking another sip of my drink and feeling the warmth rise through my chest. Adonis raises an eyebrow in pleasant surprise.

"I thought your name sounded familiar," He says with a smile, his eyes studying my face. "She mentioned you a few times. Said you were important to her." His gaze roams over me, enjoying how the alcohol visibly loosens me up.

"Really? That's sweet. I never knew she talked about me to other people." I hide a bashful smile, appreciating my friendship with the producer.

"Although, I've gotta admit, her descriptions of you don't do you justice at all." The compliment rolls off of his tongue easily, but it's clear he means every word. I find myself blushing again and laughing softly as I look away. There's an undeniable spark between us and, as we speak, my shy nature seems to dissipate. We find ourselves engaging in witty banter, my lips curling into a smile as I match his flirty tone.

"So, you a fan of boxing, gorgeous?" Donnie asks, leaning a little closer, his deep voice sending a shiver down my spine. His eyes seem to see right through me and I get the sense that he's just as interested in me as I am in him.

"Maybe," I reply with a playful grin, enjoying the game of cat and mouse. "It depends on the boxer," I say with a shrug.

"Ah," Donnie shoots back with a wry smile, leaning in even closer. "You've got a type, I see. Let me guess, you're probably into those pretty-boy fighters, the ones who don't get their hands dirty. Guys like Ryan Garcia, maybe?" I tilt my head as if I'm thinking.

"Hmm, no not really. I'm more into the dangerous ones." I say, my eyes locking on his. A wolfish grin spreads across Donnie's lips as I share my preference.

"Ah, so you're after someone who can bring the heat, huh? Someone who gives you that flutter in your chest just by being near them." A pause as Donnie lifts his drink to his lips. "You're not afraid to mix it up and get your hands dirty?" I raise an eyebrow, biting my lip slightly.

"I think getting dirty is part of the fun," I tell him with a knowing smirk.

"Oh, I can promise you, it always is," Donnie replies, his voice low and husky. Our eyes lock, the air between us feeling charged with a heat that wasn't there before. "But be careful, gorgeous," he adds. "Some games can end in a brutal knockout."

"Really? Well, good thing I'm always up for a challenge." A mischievous glint appears in Donnie's eyes as he leans even closer.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" Donnie muses, his gaze flickering with a predatory flash. We talk for a bit longer, flirting back and forth until the party eventually draws to a close. I find myself unable to resist the pull between us. With a boldness that surprises even me, I approach him, my heart pounding in my chest.

"So, Donnie," I begin, my voice having a suggestive edge, "are you going to ask for my number, or do I have to make the first move?" A flash of desire crosses his face, and he steps closer, his body radiating heat.

"I think we can skip the whole dating game charade," he murmurs, his lips inches from my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. "Why don't you come back to my place? I'll show you why they call me Big D." My breath quickens as I slowly nod, unable to speak past the lump of desire in my throat. Taking his hand, I let him lead me out of the event and into the night, a delicious anticipation building inside me.

The ride to his place is a blur of streetlights and adrenaline, my body tingling with eagerness. As soon as the door to his home shuts behind me, Donnie presses me up against it, his lips claiming mine in a passionate kiss. I melt into him, my hands roaming over his muscular back, feeling the definition of his powerful body.

His hands find my curves effortlessly, his touch a perfect balance of firmness and gentleness. My body presses against his as my hands caress his jaw and neck, the stubble on his face tickling my skin.

"Damn," Donnie curses under his breath as he pulls away briefly, his lips moving to explore the expanse of my neck. Each kiss leaves fire in its wake and I let out a soft moan, my eyes fluttering shut in bliss.

Breaking the kiss, he looks deeply into my eyes, running his thumb along my bottom lip. Our lips crash together sloppily as I tug at his shirt impatiently.

"Eager, are we now?" Donnie teases, his breath warm against my neck. He gently pushes my hands away and lifts his shirt, revealing chiseled abs and a defined chest. I trace the ridges of his muscles with my fingertips, feeling every contour, every line. I feel like I'm dreaming, but the heat of his body and the taste of his lust on my tongue are all too real.

He lifts me into his arms and my legs instinctively wrap around his waist. I feel small in his embrace, but also protected. The way he easily carries my weight and holds me, all while showering my neck with kisses, sends tingles through me. I moan softly, tilting my head to give him better access as my hand rests on the back of his head, my acrylics grazing his scalp. Donnie brings my lips to his once more, sucking on my bottom lip slightly. He carries me into the bedroom, never once breaking the kiss, and lays me down on the edge of the bed.

Donnie's hands slide down my body, tracing the curves of my thighs and legs as he gently slips my heels off. His hands travel up my back his fingers finding the zipper of my dress, slowly pulling it down.

I lift my hips to help him undress me, a playful thrill coursing through me as I expose myself to his hungry gaze. He strips away my clothing until the only thing left are my lacy panties. His eyes rake over my body, taking in every curve, roll, and stretch mark, before returning to my face, the fire in his eyes searing me to my core. He leans down, cupping my breasts and taking my sensitive nipple in his mouth, teasing it with his teeth as I whimper from the pleasure. He kisses the soft skin tenderly, before trailing his finger along my jaw, ghosting over my lower lip as I look up at him.

"You're so fucking beautiful," he whispers, kneeling before me and guiding my legs over his shoulders. His fingers run along my outer thighs as he presses a kiss to the damp fabric between my legs, his touch leaving goosebumps in their path. I bite my lip, watching him gaze upon me in a mix of awe and lust. "I've been dying to taste you all night."

A ripple of excitement runs through me as his eyes burn with desire. He pulls my panties off, discarding them somewhere in the room. Without another word, he lowers his head, his tongue lapping at my core, flicking my clit and driving me wild.

A strangled moan escapes my lips as his mouth sends shockwaves of pleasure through my body. His talented tongue works me over relentlessly, every lick and suck driving me wild with want. My hips buck against his face as I lose myself in the sensations, my hands on the back of his head, pressing him closer.

"Donnie~" I pant breathlessly, aching for more. A low growl rumbles in Adonis's throat as he hears his name fall from my lips.

"That's right, mama," He breaths against my slick folds, sending tingles through my core. His grip on my thighs tightens as he resumes his devouring assault, his tongue lapping and swirling with unyielding hunger. I can feel the vibrations of his moans against my sensitive skin, causing my back to arch off the bed slightly.

A wicked grin spreads across Donnie's face as he feels my body react to his stimulation. He sucks and swirls his tongue around my clit, intent on driving me wild with pleasure. My hands grip the sheets, fueling his desire as he moans against my core. Donnie's strong hands firmly hold me in place as I squirm beneath his grasp.

"Oh god, I'm so close~" I moan as I throw my head back, rolling my hips. Sensing my impending release, Adonis doubles down, his tongue working my swollen bundle of nerves with ruthless precision as he pushes me closer and closer to the edge. My thighs tremble against his grip as I feel my climax rising to the surface. With one final flick of his tongue, he sends me hurtling over the peak into a crashing wave of ecstasy.

My body tenses as my thighs grip his head, holding him in place as I come undone. Adonis laps up every last drop of my sweet nectar, groaning with unbridled satisfaction. When my tremors finally subside, he slowly pulls back, his lips glistening as he lightly kisses my inner thigh.

"You taste so good, babygirl," he purrs, his voice dripping with lust. I pant heavily as I start to calm down, my racing heart beginning to slow. I whimper softly as he moves up my body, pressing his hardness against my thigh.

Adonis's eyes darken with desire as he hears my whimpers and he leans in closer, his breath ghosting over my lips.

"Don't worry, gorgeous. I'm just getting started." His fingers trail up my outer thigh, his touch feather-light but electrifying. "I'm gonna make you feel so good," he whispers before capturing my mouth in a searing, passionate kiss.

My arms wrap around Donnie's neck as I whine into the kiss, tasting myself on his tongue and aching to feel him inside me. He teases me, grinding his clothed cock against my entrance, soaking the fabric. A groan emits from his throat as the delicious friction drives him wild with need. He pulls back just enough to swiftly rid himself of his remaining clothes.

Donnie's cock springs free, thick and throbbing as he positions himself at my entrance. "You feel that, baby?" He rasps, rubbing the tip teasingly against my slick folds.

"Yes-" I gasp as he prods my hole, just barely pushing in before pulling back again. I roll my hips to try and press you deeper, but you don't budge.

"Someone's impatient." He taunts, eliciting a whine from me.

"Please~" I beg, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment at how desperate I sound. A chuckle escapes him as he continues to tease me with his cock.

"Say it again," he demands, drawing his lower plump lip between his teeth while pressing into my heat, only allowing the tip to enter. I grunt with frustration.

"Please, Donnie," I whisper, my voice thick with desire. "I need you. Now." Without warning, he surges forward, burying himself to the hilt with a moan of ecstasy. I let out a yelp as I stretch around him, feeling his dick pressing against my cervix. Adonis's eyes widen as he feels me tighten around his hard length.

"Fuck, you're so goddamn tight," he growls, his fingers digging into my hips. Slowly, he begins to rock his hips, establishing a deep and steady rhythm as he fills me over and over.

"Oh my god- So big~" I manage to say between moans. I meet his thrusts, my legs locking around his waist, pulling him deeper. My long nails dig into his back, threatening to break, but I don't care. I groan as he fills me up completely, stretching me just barely past my limit.

Adonis's eyes flash with lust as I cry out, relishing the feel of every inch of him buried inside me. He groans throatily, driven wild by the sensations of my silky walls clenching around his throbbing length.

"That's right, take it all," he rasps, his hips rolling in a steady, punishing rhythm. His fingers dig into my hips, pulling me flush against him as his lips claim mine again. My tongue swirls around his as I pull him impossibly closer, my body melting against his. The kiss becomes more possessive Donni's large hands roam my body.

He tears his mouth from mine only to latch onto my neck as he starts rolling his hips against mine, nipping and sucking at the delicate skin. He uses one hand to turn my neck, exposing more of my skin, and the other to capture my nipple in his fingers, rolling the sensitive peak between his digits. His hips increase to a relentless pace, driving his thick shaft in and out repeatedly. The obscene sounds of our joined bodies fill the air, only rivaled by my mewls of pleasure.

"Fuck, I'm gonna wreck you." He whispers against my skin, his voice hoarse as the force of his thrust urges another moan out of me.

"Mhm, yes please f-" My breath hitches, unable to finish my sentence as he picks up speed. He shifts his weight to his knees, leaning his head back as his cock slams deliciously into my core. Donnie's powerful hips snap forward with relentless abandon, the bed creaking under our combined weight.

I press my hands to the headboard behind me for support as the force of his thrusts move me further up the bed. I look up at Adonis, but his eyes are screwed shut, his brows knitted together and jaw clenched as every muscle in his sculpted body strains with the effort. My whimpers and moans mutate into screams of pleasure as he chases his own release, his thrusts growing more erratic.

"Don- nie-" My words are stuttered as my brain turns to mush from his movements, his hands grip my hips bruisingly tight as he pounds into me, desperate to find his edge.

"Yeah, that's it, baby. Let me feel that sweet pussy milk my dick." He urges, his voice hoarse. His words send me over the edge, my body clenching around him as I climax, my back arching off the bed as a flood rushes from between my legs. I let out a whine as he continues to thrust, splashing my fluids back onto me as the feeling of me tightening around him sends him over the edge as well.

A strangled cry of pleasure tears from his throat as his hips stutter, losing their rhythm as he is enveloped in the throes of his own climax. He collapses forward, burying his face in the crook of my neck as his body shudders with the intensity of his release. Waves of blissful ecstasy washes over us, every nerve ending alight with sensation. When the tremors finally cease, he rolls to the side, pulling me flush against his sweat-slicked body.

"Damn, baby..." he breaths, placing a tender kiss on my forehead.

"That was... fuck, I don't even have the words." I reply softly as my cheek rests against his chest, listening to his rapid heartbeat slowing. Adonis chuckles breathlessly, his strong arms wrapped securely around me.

"Tell me about it. That was..." He trails off, shaking his head in disbelief. I smile to myself as we lie there in bed, basking in the bliss of our pleasure. At this moment, nothing else matters. It's just me and Adonis. Just two strangers, yet it feels like he knows every part of me. I sigh contently, feeling the lull of sleep falling over me.

#noirsfantasy #adonis creed #adonis creed x reader #adonis creed x black!plus sized reader #x reader #x black reader #x black fem reader #x black plus size reader #smut #adonis creed smut #michael b jordan #michael b jordan smut #michael b jordan x black fem reader #michael b jordan x reader #Creed 3

[digenova]

i was tagged by @novemberrules26 ! thank you thank you!

were you named after anyone? nope! i was almost a jordan but my parents and the nurses decided that that didn’t seem like me. it would have been weird to be a ‘jo’ instead of a ‘mo.’

when was the last time you cried? this morning, only because periods are lame and love to make people cry. as if they weren’t annoying enough!

do you have kids? i love kids! but will never see myself getting pregnant. maybe some day it would be really fun to adopt a kid or two in the further future! rn it seems kind of horrifying but in the future? maybe!

do you use sarcasm a lot? not really! and never in a malicious way. sometimes it goes right over my head when other people use it.

what’s the first thing you notice about people? their eyes, their smile, their voices, etc.!

what’s your eye colour? brown!

scary movies or happy endings? *insert why not both meme here* but genuinely, both are good, even though covering my eyes during horror movies is the only way i watch them.

any special talents? hoo boy this is a weird one; i can hear a bird singing somewhere and tell you exactly what sort of bird is singing and what it looks like. i also have been told that i’m good at ping pong and do play the piano!

where were you born? the state of kansas — just like dorothy from the wizard of oz fr 🦁🌪️

have any pets? miss harper is my little black cat and she is a hoot! i bottlefed her after she was found in a shed and stole her from my family when i moved out and she makes me so happy. her antics keep me entertained for hours and she always cuddles up to me in bed when i sleep or on the couch when i’m hanging out in the living room. she’s great company and tolerates my constantly picking her up to give her kisses. i fully acknowledge that i live in harper’s house and not the other way around.

what sports do you play/have you played? well! as a kid i played basketball, gymnastics, volleyball, tennis, golf, ran track, swam, and did diving at various points, but tennis was the one that stuck with me, and i played that from four years old and throughout high school until graduating. i swam laps throughout college when i had free gym access and worked in a gym!

how tall are you? 5′7

favorite subject in school? in grade school / high school - science and anatomy. i loved biology like a dear, dear friend, and in college my major was science-based so most of my classes were science / mathematics. there were a lot of business courses i liked too! but since my major was food science my favorite courses were all food science related and they were all incredibly interesting.

dream job? ideally? it would be wonderful if no one had to work at all and i could spend time having a hobby farm and chickens, and growing vegetables and berries and such, but it would be really cool to be a food scientist / researcher for nasa! but that’s such a hard question to answer because i could be happy in a lot of various applications but finding the right “niche” is always an adventure in itself. is the right answer to this question: whatever makes me happy? maybe so!

i’m tagging @billhaders, @ryangoslng, @binickmiller, and anyone else who hasn’t been tagged in this and would like to do it too! thank you again!

#tag game

[fangirls-just-want-to-have-fun]

My Thoughts That No One Asked For on Dancing With The Stars season 31 ep. 8: Halloween Week!

Taken down in very real time

(get comfy I have a lot of feelings)

okay honestly tho Tyra is kinda slaying

DEREK’S LOOK HELLO??? 🤩 

Oh I just KNOW Shangela and Gleb are gonna eat this up (update: they ate that shit up)

DANIEL AND BRITT LOOK SO GOOD AAHHHH

I’m gonna say this right now if Vinny Guadagnino does not go home tonight I’m gonna lose my shit (update: I have lost my shit)

20 seconds in and Jordin is ALREADY slaying love that for her 

WELL HI THERE CARRIE ANN 🤩 

Hell yeah four nines for Jordin!!!

Mark back injury?? 🥺 

I actually think Charli’s dance was well scored it wasn’t perfect but it was AMAZING

DANIEL AND BRITT YES YES YES IM SO READY

I’m sorry they’re doing a PASO DOBLE?? Oh god I’m nervous

Oh yay! They slayed!!!

They’re the FIRST paso doble this season???? Oh my GOD 

I’m terrified you guys (if you can’t tell they’re my favorites and I am PRAYING they do not go home)

YES TWO NINES FOR DANIEL!!!!

Okay these little segments where Derek breaks down the dances are like one of my favorite parts 

Derek and Bruno have one of the single greatest dynamics ever, I swear

Okay but Shangela and Gleb just absolutely SMASHED THAT are you KIDDING

*to Derek* “Ooh, I’ve always wanted to be in your dreams!” SHANGELA SPEAKING FOR THE PEOPLE

Tens for Shangela…? 👀 

TENS FOR SHANGELA PERFECT SCORE BITCHES 🙌🏻 AAAAHHHHHHHH

Trevor having absolutely NO reaction to the spider was HYSTERICAL

Jordan’s little “Hi!” when Sasha tried to scare her was SO funny I’m sorry

Koko I love you but Vinny you are testing me

WHY DO YOU ALL KEEP VOTING FOR HIM HE’S BAD

“Nice guys finish last. Literally.” dude I want to like you so bad but you are making it so hard

I’m sorry but Daniel and Britt’s paso doble was LEAGUES better then theirs

Okay but it is NOT Koko’s fault that Vinny is just NOT a good dancer I will start yelling if anyone blames her choreo (judges you are on thin fucking ice with me rn)

WHY DOES EVERYONE LIKE HIM AM I MISSING SOMETHING WHAT

Like the dance was NOT GOOD Y’ALL

If one more person starts saying “I don’t have any dance experience 🥺” I’m gonna go insane

There is no WAY he’s getting out of the bottom two tonight

Okay I’m gonna be honest Heidi D’amelio is kind of starting to get on my nerves

I cannot BELIEVE they got away with using the song “I wanna be your slave” on DANCING WITH THE STARS 

“Bondage becomes you. Me too actually. Tie me up, tie me down, put me there. I’ll do it.” BRUNO PLS THIS IS ON DISNEY PLUS

Okay the rope thing was very confusing I didn’t get it I really think it was kind of pointless but that’s just me

NO WHY THE TEN

Ugh I’m sorry Gabby Windey is like my least favorite right behind Vinny I’m sorry I don’t like her she’s so irritating 

It’s nice to see Alan back though (but fr my man keeps getting the WORST partners #GiveAlanBerstenAnActuallyNicePartner2023)

I HATE THAT SHE’S SO GOOD GODDAMNIT I don’t like her but I have to admit she’s an AMAZING dancer it’s infuriating 

Every time Gabby claps for herself I lose two months of my life

Derek’s got puns for DAYS I live for it

I know I should be paying attention to Gabby’s interview or whatever but if Daniel and Britt are on screen I am ALWAYS staring at them at any given moment 

“I’m scared of taxes.” Wayne Brady you are so real

Witney and Wayne slaying!!!! We love to see it!!!

Trevor Donovan you know I love you but I’m really praying you do NOT do well to keep Daniel and Britt out of the bottom two

(That being said I have no idea HOW he ended up in the bottom two last week)

Oh fuck it looks like their dance is gonna be really good oh god oh fuck

Motherfucker like ten seconds in I’m already crying

FUCK THAT WAS REALLY GOOD

I’m sorry no one touch me the parallel between this week’s “How do you feel about dancing?” “I guess I love it!” and week 1’s “You love dance!!” I’m crying 

Ten for Trevor…? 👀

Trevor shouting out the singer 🙌🏻 

TENS FOR TREVOR AAAHHHHHH GOOD FOR HIM

But oh god oh fuck Daniel and Britt are in the bottom two I’m fucking panicking guys I don’t think I’ll be able to handle them going home

PRAYING this team dance goes well for them 😭 🙏🏻 

Trevor doing ASL applause to show he chose Daniel I’m 😭 

“I definitely don’t want to be the weak link.” Heidi my love I hate to tell you but you were literally chosen last idk what to tell you

Alright I’m not gonna lie Team Wicked’s doing pretty good so far 

Okay damn that was pretty good

Team Scream I’m praying for y’all fr

Not referencing anything specific but my girl Koko Iwasaki has been fighting for her LIFE in every single episode like this is her first season as a pro could y’all like let her BREATHE??

“What was your strategy?” He literally just picked the best dancers what do you mean what was his strategy 

Okay 33/40 for Team Wicked PRAYING for nines across the board for Team Scream 😭 

GET OUT THEYRE DOING THE SIGN FOR SCREAM I’m gonna cry they’re so real for that

HEADS WILL ROLL??? OH HELL FUCKIN YEAH

All of them working hard cause they wanna keep Trevor in the competition 🥺

OKAY THIS IS A SLAY OH GOD

not to be biased but Daniel and Britt’s solo section >>>>>

CHARLI AS THE KILLER SLAY!!

They better be getting MINIMUM nines across the board 

DANIEL GETTING A CALLOUT I’M YELLING AND CRYING RN 😭 🙌🏻 

I’m sorry but they are CLEARLY the superior dance team if they don’t win I’m suing

Len’s callout to the hair makeup and costume department!!! 🙌🏻 🙌🏻 🙌🏻 

I don’t know why but there’s something so adorable about Charli calling Britt “Brittany” like it seems like Charli just respects her so much

“Well, Tyra-“ okay Trevor is absolutely growing on me

39 FOR TEAM SCREAM BABY!!!!!

Mark taking the blame for the misstep 🥺 

THE SECOND CALLOUT TO THE HAIR MAKEUP AND COSTUME CREW WE LOVE TO SEE IT 👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼 

Okay Vinny is literally at the bottom if he doesn’t go home I swear

DANIEL AND BRITT ROCKETING UP TO 4TH WE LOVE IT!!!!! 🙌🏻 

DANIEL AND BRITT BEING THE FIRST COUPLE TO GO HOME YES PLEASE!!!

HOW IN THE FUCK ARE VINNY AND KOKO STILL HERE MOTHERFUCKER

If Jordin Sparks goes home I’m gonna scream (update: I screamed)

THANK YOU DEREK AND BRUNO

Len pls I’m begging please pick Jordan 

NO LEN WHY FUCK

Screaming and crying on the floor rn Jordin sparks you own my heart I’ll miss you 💕😭 

Anyways closing thoughts on all the dancers in no particular order:

Yay Daniel and Britt are still here!!! Absolutely in love with these two and I hope they go even farther!! (And then I hope they get married or smth cause goddamn)

Little upset that Heidi is still around, she’s kinda falling out of my favor I’m not gonna lie

I cannot fucking BELIEVE that Vinny is still on the show America what the fuck are you doing

Not gonna lie Trevor is really growing on me I love him and Emma a lot and I would love to see them go far

TENS FOR SHANGELA!!! WHAT MORE IS THERE TO SAY?? (All I need now is a ten for Daniel and I’ll be happy)

I’m gonna miss Jordin and her like actual sibling relationship with Brandon so much 😭 

Nothing really new from Charli, she’s still kickin ass and she’s also really growing on me (I didn’t like her all that much before DWTS but like I said, she’s growing on me)

Gabby is still really irritating to me I’m sorry I know she’s a good dancer but like I really don’t like her 

It’s nice to see Wayne climbing his way back up from last week!

Looking forward to 90’s week!!!

#y'all maybe it's the stress of college #but I have never been this invested in dancing with the stars in my LIFE #I blame daniel durant #anyways I'm VERY excited for next week #praying Britt and Daniel make it through again and that Vinny FINALLY goes home #daniel durant you own me #daniel durant #britt stewart #heidi d’amelio #artem chigvintsev #vinny guadagnino #koko iwasaki #trevor donovan #emma slater #shangela #gleb savchenko #jordin sparks #brandon armstrong #charli d'amelio #mark ballas #gabby windey #val chmerkovskiy #wayne brady #witney carson #dancing with the stars #dwts #tyra banks

[smokeybrandreviews]

Winds Over Neo-Tokyo

I just read that Taika Waititi's live action remake of Akira is still in the works and, f*ck, if I'm upset about it. his cat is the absolute wrong choice fr this film. And i say film because he wants to remake the anime classic, not re-adapt he manga it’s based on. This sh*t is devastating because Waititi doesn’t have the chops to deliver on the entire vision that is Akira. Mans doesn’t make epics. He makes cute little character dramas, wrapped in clever humor. That’s fine for, say, a There film or Jojo Rabbit but Akira? Bro, there is nothing “fun” about Akira. It’s an existential hellscape masquerading as a nihilistic, dystopian, nightmare. Nothing Taika has ever made, makes me believe he can deliver on such heady material. That said, there are several directors that i think could and i wanted to highlight them here.

Denis Villeneuve

I think, aesthetically, Deni is the best choice for this sh*t. He’d bring the spirit of  Katsuhiro Otomo’s masterpiece, but gift us a more epic and cinematic visual presentation. He’d do what he did with Blade Runner, i think, and give us something very special. That said, mans is busy finishing up the best Dune adaption to date so i get why he’s not tied to this picture. Such a goddamn shame, that.

Alex Garland

Ex Machina and Annihilation. That’s it. That’s the pitch. If I'm objective and not completely up Denis’ ass because of how goddamn gorgeous his films are, it’s Alex Garland. This man has proven he can do Cyberpunk with Ex Machina and delivered some uniquely grotesque body horror with Annihilation. he less said about Men the better but, even in that weirdly pretentious train wreck, you can see the potential to deliver on the existential trauma everyone suffers from in Neo Tokyo.

Robert Rodriguez

Book of Boba Fett aside, Rodriguez delivered Alita: Battle Angel and nailed that sh*t perfectly. Alita is, arguably, the best anime adaption we have o date and that was all thanks to Rodriguez respecting the source materiel. I think he could deliver a very solid, very faithful, Akira adaption, though, he wouldn’t be my top pick.

Neill Blomkamp

I don’t understand how this dude wasn’t the first one called for this project. I mean, have you seen his catalog? Elysium, alone, nails the emotional tone necessary to bring Tetsuo’s journey to the big screen and dude’s sci-fi sensibilities are unassailable. District 9. Chappie. Everything out of Oats Studios. He’d do Neo Tokyo mad justice. Blomkamp is the obvious choice and he didn’t get a meeting? Really?

Leigh Whannell

Leigh is probably the best fit for his film in terms of experience , availability, and budget. This man has worked wonders with nothing and all of his films feel tactile, like they use way more practical effects than they actually do. Plus, his background in horror will go along a way to delivering that Tetsuo meltdown in the Olympic Arena at the climax. If you’re not convinced, go watch Upgrade and tell me this man can’t deliver a fantastic Akira adaptions for pennies on the dollar of what it will take Taika.

Chad Stahelski

The other half of the brain trust that gave us John Wick, Stahelski has proven himself to be one of the best action directors in the business. I think that level of creativity lends itself to he stylized nature of an anime adaption but, specifically, Akira. Some of the brilliant set pieces he dreamed up in the John Wick series go a long way to lending confidence in his ability to capture the gritty, urban, feel of the Cyberpunk genre.

Michael B. Jordan

And the dark horse entry bringing up the rear! Jordan is a card-carrying weeb and he can actual direct his ass off. Creed III is dope as f*ck and that scrap at the end was brilliant. Mans literally said, out loud, he took from anime like Megalobox, Naruto, Hajime No Ippo, and Dragon Ball Z to make that happen. What that says to me is he knows his sh*t, that he would treat this adaption seriously and give us something a fan would want to see.

If i had my pick, i think Garland or Blomkamp should be directing this production. They definitely have the chops in terms of experience and vision to give us something really special. It’s insane to me that f*cking Taika Waititi is the guy in charge of bringing one of the most influential films, not just an anime classic, to live action. The same f*cking guy who sh*t the bed with Thor IV. The same f*cking guy who played a fat, brown, imaginary Hitler. Like, this man makes quirky comedies and you want him to helm the entire production to one of the bleakest films ever made? Really? I’m not trying to say Waititi is bad at his job because he isn’t. I love Jojo Rabbit. I love Thor: Ragnarok. I love What We Do in the Shadows and Reservation Dogs. None of this sh*t screams Akira to me. Dude’s out of his depth with that material and I'm terrified he’s going to make it some goofy, juvenile, chuckle-fest when it’s not supposed to be at all. Now, if we're talking a Bartkira adaption, Waititi might just be perfect for that...

[smokeybrand]

Winds Over Neo-Tokyo

I just read that Taika Waititi's live action remake of Akira is still in the works and, f*ck, if I'm upset about it. his cat is the absolute wrong choice fr this film. And i say film because he wants to remake the anime classic, not re-adapt he manga it’s based on. This sh*t is devastating because Waititi doesn’t have the chops to deliver on the entire vision that is Akira. Mans doesn’t make epics. He makes cute little character dramas, wrapped in clever humor. That’s fine for, say, a There film or Jojo Rabbit but Akira? Bro, there is nothing “fun” about Akira. It’s an existential hellscape masquerading as a nihilistic, dystopian, nightmare. Nothing Taika has ever made, makes me believe he can deliver on such heady material. That said, there are several directors that i think could and i wanted to highlight them here.

Denis Villeneuve

I think, aesthetically, Deni is the best choice for this sh*t. He’d bring the spirit of  Katsuhiro Otomo’s masterpiece, but gift us a more epic and cinematic visual presentation. He’d do what he did with Blade Runner, i think, and give us something very special. That said, mans is busy finishing up the best Dune adaption to date so i get why he’s not tied to this picture. Such a goddamn shame, that.

Alex Garland

Ex Machina and Annihilation. That’s it. That’s the pitch. If I'm objective and not completely up Denis’ ass because of how goddamn gorgeous his films are, it’s Alex Garland. This man has proven he can do Cyberpunk with Ex Machina and delivered some uniquely grotesque body horror with Annihilation. he less said about Men the better but, even in that weirdly pretentious train wreck, you can see the potential to deliver on the existential trauma everyone suffers from in Neo Tokyo.

Robert Rodriguez

Book of Boba Fett aside, Rodriguez delivered Alita: Battle Angel and nailed that sh*t perfectly. Alita is, arguably, the best anime adaption we have o date and that was all thanks to Rodriguez respecting the source materiel. I think he could deliver a very solid, very faithful, Akira adaption, though, he wouldn’t be my top pick.

Neill Blomkamp

I don’t understand how this dude wasn’t the first one called for this project. I mean, have you seen his catalog? Elysium, alone, nails the emotional tone necessary to bring Tetsuo’s journey to the big screen and dude’s sci-fi sensibilities are unassailable. District 9. Chappie. Everything out of Oats Studios. He’d do Neo Tokyo mad justice. Blomkamp is the obvious choice and he didn’t get a meeting? Really?

Leigh Whannell

Leigh is probably the best fit for his film in terms of experience , availability, and budget. This man has worked wonders with nothing and all of his films feel tactile, like they use way more practical effects than they actually do. Plus, his background in horror will go along a way to delivering that Tetsuo meltdown in the Olympic Arena at the climax. If you’re not convinced, go watch Upgrade and tell me this man can’t deliver a fantastic Akira adaptions for pennies on the dollar of what it will take Taika.

Chad Stahelski

The other half of the brain trust that gave us John Wick, Stahelski has proven himself to be one of the best action directors in the business. I think that level of creativity lends itself to he stylized nature of an anime adaption but, specifically, Akira. Some of the brilliant set pieces he dreamed up in the John Wick series go a long way to lending confidence in his ability to capture the gritty, urban, feel of the Cyberpunk genre.

Michael B. Jordan

And the dark horse entry bringing up the rear! Jordan is a card-carrying weeb and he can actual direct his ass off. Creed III is dope as f*ck and that scrap at the end was brilliant. Mans literally said, out loud, he took from anime like Megalobox, Naruto, Hajime No Ippo, and Dragon Ball Z to make that happen. What that says to me is he knows his sh*t, that he would treat this adaption seriously and give us something a fan would want to see.

If i had my pick, i think Garland or Blomkamp should be directing this production. They definitely have the chops in terms of experience and vision to give us something really special. It’s insane to me that f*cking Taika Waititi is the guy in charge of bringing one of the most influential films, not just an anime classic, to live action. The same f*cking guy who sh*t the bed with Thor IV. The same f*cking guy who played a fat, brown, imaginary Hitler. Like, this man makes quirky comedies and you want him to helm the entire production to one of the bleakest films ever made? Really? I’m not trying to say Waititi is bad at his job because he isn’t. I love Jojo Rabbit. I love Thor: Ragnarok. I love What We Do in the Shadows and Reservation Dogs. None of this sh*t screams Akira to me. Dude’s out of his depth with that material and I'm terrified he’s going to make it some goofy, juvenile, chuckle-fest when it’s not supposed to be at all. Now, if we're talking a Bartkira adaption, Waititi might just be perfect for that...

[basicshadowhuntersstuff]

This super-sized news roundup covers the past two weeks in Shadowhunters news, updates, sneak peeks, and behind the scenes. All the stuff you need to stay up to date.

Official Promotion 

Season 3B Sneak Peek: 3x12 Malec morning scene (part of the #MarchToThePolls promotion). [1]

For all the last minute planners. Happy #Halloween! #Shadowhunters

Getting spooky. Magnus behind the scenes of #Shadowhunters Season 3B. 

Behind the scenes: Us counting down to Friday. #TBT #Shadowhunters 

SAVE. THE. DATE. The final episodes of @ShadowhuntersTV begin Monday, February 25th. #ShadowhuntersLegacy 

Behind the scenes with Alberto (Simon) and Alisha (Maia):  Can't help smiling at these two. #Shadowhunters

Freeform releases a Ziploc ad with Kat (Clary). 

Isaiah (Luke) kicked off his tenure as Freeform Santa on November 1st.

Behind the scenes with Dom (Jace) and Kat (Clary):  Going up. #Shadowhunters [3]

Behind the scenes with Mimi Kuzyk (Imogen Herondale): When the boss asks if you can come in on Saturday. #Shadowhunters

Behind the scenes with Emeraude (Izzy) and Will Tudor (Sebastian Verlac):  Izzy & Sebastian's band name would be ______. #Shadowhunters // @EmeraudeToubia  & @willtudor1

Season 3B Air Date Revealed - February 25, 2019 

Freeform revealed that season 3B would premiere February 25, 2019. Here are some of the highlights related to that.

Isaiah (Luke) teased some upcoming Shadowhunters news.

Kat (Clary) shared a flashback behind-the-scenes photo while also teasing the upcoming news.

Kat (Clary) tweeted:  It’s official! Get ready angels... it all begins Feb 25th. Are you ready? #ShadowhuntersLegacy. @ShadowhuntersTV @FreeformTV

Emeraude (Izzy) tweeted:  Thrilled to FINALLY announce we have  a premiere date for season 3B – Monday, Feb. 25th !!!  #Shadowhunters #ShadowhuntersLegacy

Isaiah (Luke) tweeted:  That Final Episodes 😭  02.25.2019 💚🐺#Shadowhunters

Dom (Jace) shared the air date announcement on Instagram.

Matt (Alec) tweeted:  Final 12 episodes start Feb 25th!

Harry (Magnus) tweeted:  2.25.19 IT’S ON! @ShadowhuntersTV

TV Guide (article):  Here's When Shadowhunters' Final Episodes Will Air

TV Line (article):  Shadowhunters Return Date Revealed: What to Expect From the Final Episodes

Entertainment Weekly (article):  Shadowhunters final season gets February premiere date

Teen Vogue (article):  The Final "Shadowhunters" Season Will Premiere in February 2019

Sensacine (article):  'Shadowhunters' ya tiene fecha para su recta final

TV Insider (article): 'Shadowhunters' Legacy! Freeform Announces Premiere Date for the Final Episodes

ScreenSpy (article):  Shadowhunters Gets a Season 3B Premiere Date

Hypable (article):  ‘Shadowhunters’ final season officially has a premiere date

KSiteTV (article):  The Final Hunt: Shadowhunters Returns February 25 On Freeform

Matt Carter (video) :  Shadowhunters season 3 return date + 5 things to know!

#MarchToThePolls

Members of the Shadowhunters cast encouraged fans in the United States to vote in the mid-term elections. 

Shadowhunters TV tweeted a video about [t]he most important 11 minutes of your year. #MarchToThePolls featuring Kat (Clary).

Kat (Clary) tweeted a photo: In the name of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness - #Vote. Do your part. Make your voice heard. Choose the world you want to live in. [2]

Harry (Magnus) tweeted a photo: The day has come!  Don’t take your right to vote for granted! Also an excuse for millions of Americans to take a selfie and be proud of it!  Get out and #VOTE.

Dom (Jace) shared a photo on Instagram with the message: TODAY IS THE DAY TO VOTE. You have a wonderful ability to make you voice heard and shape a future. PLEASE don’t waste it. Don’t squander it. Don’t take it for granted. UNRELATED. Here a video of rajah drinking water from a people glass (mine).

ShadowhuntersTV tweeted a photo of Isaiah (Luke): @IsaiahMustafa did his part. Did you?

ShadowhuntersTV tweeted a photo of Emeraude (Izzy): Your words and your vote matter.

ShadowhuntersTV tweeted a photo of Isaiah (Luke): It’s Tuesday November 6th, 2018... Time to Vote!  #beheard #vote” - @IsaiahMustafa Tag us in your photos as you #MarchToThePolls. We’ll be reposting the #Shadowhunters fam throughout the day.

Just Jared (article): Lily Collins, Katherine McNamara and Nina Dobrev attend #TelethonForAmerica.

Shadowhunters In The News 

Bisexual Representation Awards 2018: Harry Shum Jr. wins for his portrayal of Magnus Bane.

BELLO (interview/photoshoot): Issue #117 Features Kat McNamara discussing Shadowhunters’ end and her upcoming role on Arrow.

ELLE (interview/photoshoot): Hollywood needs Harry Shum Jr.

GayTimes (article):  A definitive list of the 30 most iconic queer characters in TV history

Man About Town (cover): Will Tudor for Man About Town: The Game of Thrones actor wears Prada on the cover of the Winter 2018/Spring 2019 issue.

For, She is You (interview):  Katherine McNamara // #sheisjoyful

Fr Conventions (interview):  [1 Actor, 1 Word] : Will Tudor - Shadowhunters

TV Guide (video and article):  Shadowhunters: This Exclusive Malec Sneak Peek Will Melt Your Heart

The Series Regulars (article): New Malec Sneak Peek Has ‘Shadowhunters’ Fans Swooning

Film Daily (article): #SaveShadowhunters: The fans speak

E! Online (interview): Get as much scoop as Kat McNamara could share with us on Arrow and the end of Shadowhunters.

Cosmopolitan (article): You Need to Watch Cult Show 'Shadowhunters' Before It's Gone. 

OZY (video/panel): Harry Shum Jr. joins OZY for a #TakeOnAmerica discussion about being Asian-American. (Some twitter highlights: "How about stories from Asians we haven't heard from?", this audience is VERY excited to see him, "Seeing those images over and over again, for yourself, it's like, am I good enough? That is a really damaging thing.", "I was born in Costa Rica.")

Refinery29 (article): Everything We Know About Shadowhunters' Final Season.

Twitter & Social Media Stuff

Grand River Conservation Authority tweeted:  What do spooky TV series Hannibal, The Strain, and Shadowhunters have in common? Episodes for each were filmed at our very own Rockwood Conservation Area! The park is open for hiking year-round...if you dare  #HappyHalloween #Halloween

Todd Slavkin (showrunner) tweeted a photo:  Happy Halloween #beckysback #lewissiblingsstaystrong #microtrailer #3b #shadowhunters

Todd Slavkin (showrunner) tweeted a photo: Halloween party at the Hunters Moon #funinside #3b #iftheywontdoitiwill #shadowhunters

Jade Hassoune (Meliorn) shared a photo of himself taken by Chai Hansen (Jordan Kyle). 

Todd Slavkin (showrunner) tweeted:  312! A malec gem directed by @mattdirector written by  @AlexSchemmer and oh yeah, there’s Paris as well #showhasneverbeenbetter #3b #shadowhunters

Anna Hopkins (Lilith) shared her excitement over receiving her Teen Choice Awards surfboard.

MCM Comic Con announced Chai Hansen (Jordan Kyle) as a guest at their Birmingham convention.

Zarata Events announced that Jade Hassoune will be attending Pandemonium Con in London.

Alberto (Simon) shared photos of his Movember mustache on Instagram.

Brian Hui (makeup artist) shared a photo on Twitter:  Our trio of heroes with production Petey.

Harry (Magnus) was Eric Draven for Halloween.

Kat (Clary) dressed as Where’s Waldo? for Halloween.

Aisha Porter Christie (writer) tweets a Malec tease:  Um well... it’s ONE of the scenes I was talking about. There’s still... so so much more... Get your inhalers ready.  #malec #shadowhunters

Kat (Clary) tweeted about Harry (Magnus) being featured in People Magazine’s ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ issue.

Todd Slavkin (showrunner) tweeted:  He enjoys candles, long walks in the sand dreaming of the family he never had, sword play, and Earl Grey tea #Jonathanjustneedslove #dontweall #3b #shadowhunters

Todd Slavkin (showrunner) tweeted:  Of course. Alec is his partner who will always listen, especially about this loss that is so utterly life changing #whatloversdo #malec #alwaysthereforeachother #inspirationtousall #shadowhunters

People’s Choice Awards 2018

All 8 main cast members attended this year’s Peoples Choice Awards. Shadowhunters won 4 out of the 5 awards they were nominated for: The Show, The Bingeworthy Show, The Male TV Star (Harry Shum Jr.), The Female TV Star (Kat McNamara). Here are some highlights from the event.

Video of Harry (Magnus) accepting his award. 

Video of Kat (Clary) accepting her award. 

Video of the cast accepting their award for #TheShow. 

Video of the cast being interviewed on the red carpet (starts off with Kat and Harry, who are joined by the rest of the cast).

BBC News (article): Cancelled TV show sweeps People's Choice Awards.

Decider (article): Shadowhunters nabbed 4 major awards at last night's People’s Choice Awards.

TVLine (article): Shadowhunters Wins Big, Nicki Minaj Makes a Booty Call and More Major Moments. 

E! Online (article/video): Shadowhunters Cast Thanks Dedicated Fans After Winning TV Show of 2018 at People's Choice Awards.

Yahoo! Entertainment (article): This show took home the most People's Choice Awards, even though it's canceled. 

E! Online (article): 5 Biggest Jaw-Droppers at the 2018 People's Choice Awards.

Teen Vogue (article): Shadowhunters Stars Harry Shum Jr. and Katherine McNamara Won People's Choice Awards They Weren't Originally Nominated For. 

ExtraTV tweeted: The Shadowhunters squad basking in all the #PCAs love!, Shadowhunters stars Kat McNamara & Harry Shum Jr. pose with their awards at the #PCAs! 

Harry (Magnus) shares some photos: Y’all are really something else. THANK YOU! This belongs to ALL of US. Thank you for your votes for Male TV Star of the Year, Female TV Star of the Year and Show Of The Year! Let’s celebrate with love! [4]

Kat (Clary) shares a heartfelt message on her Instagram along with some photos: Oh what a night... I wish there was a way for me fully express how full of love and gratitude my heart is after #PCAs...

Personal: Harry Shum Jr. and wife Shelby Rabara are expecting their first child (a girl). 

Harry (Magnus) shares a photo announcing that wife Shelby Rabara is pregnant with their first child.

E! Online (article): Shadowhunters’ Harry Shum Jr. Expecting First Child With Wife Shelby Rabara.

E! Online (video interview): Harry Shum Jr. is having a baby girl with wife Shelby Rabara (interview from the People’s Choice Award’s red carpet).

Access (article): Daddy duty! Harry Shum Jr. dishes all about his wife's big pregnancy news!  Find out why they are so excited! 

Entertainment Tonight (article): Harry Shum Jr. and Wife Shelby Rabara Expecting First Child.

People (article): Harry Shum Jr. and Wife Shelby Rabara Are Expecting Their First Child — See the Adorable Reveal.

Other News 

Deadline (article): Katherine McNamara Boards Charlie Day’s ‘El Tonto.’

Just Jared Jr. (article): 'Crazy Rich Asians' Cast Is the Breakout Ensemble at Hollywood Film Awards 2018!

PopSugar (article): If You Thought Harry Shum Jr.'s Costume Was Good, Wait Until You See His Wife's Prince Look

Socialite Life (article):  Adam Lambert, Matt Bomer, Harry Shum Jr, The Weeknd, Jensen Ackles and More Kill It With Their Halloween Costumes

Just Jared Jr. (article):  Katherine McNamara, Darci Lynne Farmer & A Bunch Of The Best Celeb Halloween Costumes You Missed

#shadowhunters #people's choice awards #saveshadowhunters #bss news roundup

[romancatholicreflections]

8th January >> Fr. Martin’s Reflection on Today’s Gospel Reading (Matthew 3:13-17) - The Feast of The Baptism of the Lord (Ireland): ‘This is my Son, the Beloved’ & (Matthew 2:1-12) - The Feast of The Epiphany of the Lord (USA, UK, New Zealand, Australia, Canada & South Africa): ‘They did him homage’.

The Feast of The Baptism of the Lord Gospel (Ireland) Matthew 3:13-17 Jesus appeared: he came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John. John tried to dissuade him. ‘It is I who need baptism from you’ he said ‘and yet you come to me!’ But Jesus replied, ‘Leave it like this for the time being; it is fitting that we should, in this way, do all that righteousness demands.’ At this, John gave in to him. As soon as Jesus was baptised he came up from the water, and suddenly the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him. And a voice spoke from heaven, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on him.’ Reflection (1) (i) The Baptism of the Lord It is impossible for us not to have favourites. We invariably favour some people over others. It is normal and natural for us to do so. It is because we favour some and not others that we include some people among our friends and not others. Even among our friends we favour some over others; we have some friends who are especially close to us. Marriage between two people occurs because one man favours one woman out of other women and that woman favours that man out of other men. There are contexts in which showing favour to one over others is not appropriate. Politicians have got themselves into trouble because they used their influence inappropriately to favour someone. The human tendency to show favour sometimes needs to be kept in check. In today’s second reading, Peter, addressing Cornelius and his household, says: ‘The truth I have come to realize is that God does not have favourites’. It sounds as if Peter has only recently hit upon this truth. As a Jew, he would have understood that God did have favourites. The Jewish people were God’s favourites; they were the chosen people who had been blessed and graced by God in a unique way. However, since his meeting with Jesus, and his becoming a disciple of the risen Lord, Peter had come to realize that God does not have favourites. If God had chosen the people of Israel in the past, it was for the sake of all the other nations. God chose Israel not because God loved Israel more than all the other nations, but because God wanted Israel to be the messenger of God’s love to all the nations. According to today’s first reading, God chose Israel to be the light of the nations. Jesus reveals a God who favours all equally. He came as the servant of all people, to give his life as a ransom for all. At the very end of his gospel, Matthew portrays the risen Jesus telling his disciples to go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. All nations are to be favoured with the gospel. That is why we find Peter in today’s second reading preaching to the pagan centurion, Cornelius, and his household, and then going on to baptize them all. Our own baptism is the direct result of that command of the risen Jesus to baptize all nations. Baptism is God’s gift to us; it is a sign of God’s favour. On the day of our baptism God said to us what was said to Jesus on the day of his baptism: ‘My favour rests on you’. God not only spoke a word of favour to Jesus on the day of his baptism; God actively showed his favour by sending the Holy Spirit upon him. At our baptism God acted to show his favour to us by pouring the Holy Spirit into our hearts. Parents instinctively understand baptism as a sign of God’s favour. That is why they bring their children to be baptized. Today on the feast of Jesus’ baptism, we give thanks for our own baptism, for this very special sign of God’s favour. The baptism of Jesus was not only the day when he had a special experience of God’s favour; it was also the day when he publicly took on the role of God’s servant to all nations. Jesus’ baptism was both a grace and a commission. As Peter announced to Cornelius in today’s second reading, after his baptism Jesus went about doing good and curing all who had fallen into the power of the devil. Today’s first reading, although written long before Jesus was born, describes this mission of Jesus very well. He brings true justice to the nations. By his words and deeds, Jesus makes known God’s justice, the just or right way that God wants us all to take and that Jesus took to the full. In making known God’s just ways, that first reading also declares that Jesus ‘does not break the crushed reed, or quench the wavering flame’. Jesus’ mission was characterized by a heightened awareness of the weak and the vulnerable. Our own baptism, like that of Jesus, was both a gift and a commission. In bestowing favour upon us, God at the same time calls us to become his servants. On the day of our baptism, we are commissioned as servants of God, after the example of Jesus. As God endowed Jesus with the Spirit so that he could bring true justice to the nations, at our baptism we were endowed with the same Spirit for the same purpose. In the power of the Spirit we are called to live in that same just way that Jesus lived. In the words of the first reading, baptism calls us to ‘serve the cause of right’. That will involve for us, as it did for Jesus, taking care ‘not to break the crushed reed, or quench the smouldering flame’. Those who are crushed for whatever reason, whose flame is barely flickering, are deserving of our greatest care and attention. We show that we really appreciate the gift of our baptism when we support the vulnerable and strengthen the weak, in our families, our communities, in our society and our world. —————– The Feast of The Epiphany of the Lord (USA, UK, New Zealand, Australia, Canada & South Africa) Gospel (UK, New Zealand, Australia, Canada & South Africa) Matthew 2:1-12 After Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of King Herod, some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east. ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ they asked. ‘We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage.’ When King Herod heard this he was perturbed, and so was the whole of Jerusalem. He called together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, and enquired of them where the Christ was to be born. ‘At Bethlehem in Judaea,’ they told him ‘for this is what the prophet wrote: And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah,for out of you will come a leaderwho will shepherd my people Israel.’ Then Herod summoned the wise men to see him privately. He asked them the exact date on which the star had appeared, and sent them on to Bethlehem. ‘Go and find out all about the child,’ he said ‘and when you have found him, let me know, so that I too may go and do him homage.’ Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out. And there in front of them was the star they had seen rising; it went forward, and halted over the place where the child was. The sight of the star filled them with delight, and going into the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. But they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, and returned to their own country by a different way. Gospel (USA) Matthew 2:1–12 We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel. ” Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.” After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. 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. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way. Reflections (6) (i) Feast of the Epiphany of The Lord. On this feast of the Epiphany our crib scene is complete, with the arrival of the three visitors from the East. Tradition has made kings of these visitors, but the gospel passage which is the basis of this tradition speaks of magi. In that culture, magi were people with a certain set of skills, people possessed of some kind of specialized knowledge. The gospel passage suggests that the specialized knowledge of these magi related to the interpretation of the stars. They were not kings themselves but served the king with their skills. The gospel passage does not say how many of them there were. The number three was simply deduced from the number of gifts that were brought. The evangelist Matthew says they came from the east, without specifying from where. Magi were often associated with Persia, in particular, which corresponds to modern day Iran. They were clearly intended by the evangelist as representatives of the non-Jewish world. Their observation of the rising of a new star led them to believe that a new king of the Jews has been born. There was a widespread belief in that world that the birth of new leaders was marked by unusual events in the heavens. The natural gifts and acquired knowledge of these magi set them on a journey towards the child of Mary and Joseph whose name was Emmanuel, God with us. Their science was not in any way in conflict with their religious search. Rather, their study of the stars was the inspiration for their long journey towards a place of worship, ‘We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage’. Science is never in conflict with faith. Both are different and complementary paths to God. The story of the magi suggests that the study of creation, whether it is the heavenly world or some other dimension of creation, can serve the journey of faith, and help to bring us to the worship of the God who stands behind all created reality and who has become God with us in the child of Bethlehem. In the story we have just heard, the journey of the magi from the East did not bring them to Bethlehem initially. It brought them to the principal city of Judea, Jerusalem, some miles north of Bethlehem. When they reached Jerusalem, they asked, ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ Their expertise in reading the heavens did not make them think that they knew it all. The evangelist portrays these specialists as humble people. They did not have all the answers. They remained people who questioned. They knew they needed the help of others who had a different expertise to theirown if their question ‘Where?’ was to be answered. In the gospel reading it is the chief priests and the scribes, those who had studied the Jewish Scriptures, who provided the information that allowed them to complete the last short leg of their journey. According to the prophet Micah, the shepherd king whom God will provide for his people will come from Bethlehem, the birthplace of King David. The magi’s observation and interpretation of the skies brought them a long way on their journey towards God with us. However, they needed the Jewish Scriptures to complete the journey. Creation is a revelation of God the Creator, but the Scriptures are a fuller revelation of God. These pagan specialists from the east were open to both expressions of God’s revelation. They were receptive to the various ways that God can speak to us. We can learn from them to be attentive to God’s word, whatever form that word may take. There are times in our lives when God seems to speak most powerfully to us through the wonders and beauty of creation. There are other times when we feel the need to listen attentively to the Lord’s word as it comes to us in both the Jewish and Christian Scriptures. The magi speak to the seeker within each one of us, that deep core whose longing cannot be fully satisfied by anything in this earthly life. Genuine seekers are always open to the many and varied ways that God communicates with us and seeks us out. The long journey of the magi was finally crowned with an act of worship and an act of generosity, ‘they did him homage… they offered him gifts’. They surrendered themselves and their possessions to the Lord. We believe that our own life journey will be crowned in the same way. At the end of our lives, we surrender ourselves, all we are and have, into the hands of the living and loving Lord. Our own times of worship in the course of our life journey, our own acts of self-giving to the Lord, anticipate and prepare us for that final moment of self-surrender. One element of this inspiring story is the ominous presence of Herod. He too asked the question where the Christ was to be born. However, his motive in asking this question was very different to that of the magi. He wanted to eliminate a perceived threat to his throne. On our faith journey there will often be forces that are hostile to God’s purpose for our lives. Yet, this assures that, in the words of the fourth gospel, ‘the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it’. And/Or (ii) Feast of the Epiphany of The Lord The gospel story behind this feast is has inspired artists, story tellers, poets and musicians down the centuries. In Mater Dei Institute of Education the music department used to put on a musical event once a year. One year they put on an operetta called ‘Amahl and the night visitors’. It was composed by Gian Carlo Menotti. He was born and reared in Italy but had been living in the United States, in New York for some years. Amahl is a disabled boy who needs a crutch to walk. He lives with his mother in very poor circumstances. One night the three kings stop off at their house to rest the night on their way to Bethlehem. When the boy hears that they are going to visit this special child to bring him their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, he asks them to take his crutch as his gift to the child. When he gave his crutch to the kings to give to the child of Bethlehem, he was miraculously cured. He then begged his mother to allow him to travel to Bethlehem with the kings to give thanks to this child for his healing. The composer said he was inspired to write this operetta by his own experience as a child in Italy. In his childhood there was no Santa Claus who brought gifts at Christmas time. Instead, the three kings brought gifts to children on the 6th of January. In the booklet for the opening performance of the operetta he wrote, ‘I actually never met the Three Kings—it didn’t matter how hard my little brother and I tried to keep awake at night to catch a glimpse of the Three Royal Visitors, we would always fall asleep just before they arrived. But I do remember hearing them. I remember the weird cadence of their song in the dark distance; I remember the brittle sound of the camel’s hooves crushing the frozen snow; and I remember the mysterious tinkling of their silver bridles… To these Three Kings I mainly owe the happy Christmas seasons of my childhood’. When he came to live in the United States the presence of Santa Claus everywhere at Christmas time led him to forget about the three kings. In November 1951 he had been commissioned by the National Broadcasting Company to write an operetta for television for Christmas. He wrote in that booklet that he didn’t have an idea in his head. As he walked through the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City one gloomy November afternoon in 1951, he came across the wonderful painting of the Adoration of the Magi by Hieronymus Bosch. He wrote ‘as I was looking at it, suddenly I heard again, coming from the distant blue hills, the weird song of the Three Kings. I then realized they had come back to me and had brought me a gift’. Their gift was the inspiration he needed to write his operetta, ‘Amahl and the night visitors’. Perhaps we could ask ourselves, ‘What gift are the magi bringing us this feast of the Epiphany?’ How might their story speak to ours? The gospel story suggests that the magi were prompted to journey westward by the appearance of a bright star they had never seen before. The evangelist Matthew wants us to think of them as people who were used to studying the heavens. They looked upwards in amazement at the wonder of the star filled sky. There was a real contemplative dimension to their lives. They were absorbed by the beauty of the starry sky in all its radiance. Because they were attentive to this powerful and absorbing phenomenon, they noticed a new star when it appeared and were prompted to follow it. One of the gifts of the magi to us is perhaps that contemplative spirit which allows us to step back and really see what is before us. We can look without really seeing, just as we can hear without really listening. It is that contemplative spirit, that attentive looking and listening to the world around us, that can open us up to the signs of the Lord’s presence to us, those stars that leads us to the Lord. The Lord is always drawing us to himself. He is the light who enlightens everyone who comes into the world. We just need to be attentive to the presence of his light or the light of his presence. His light can shine upon us through a whole range of human experiences. For the magi, it took the form of the mysterious star, which launched them on a new journey. For Gian Carlo Menotti, it took the form of that painting in the Art Gallery in New York. His contemplative stance before this painting opened him up to the Lord’s light, launching him on the journey of creating his own work of art that would inspire many others. The Lord can also speak to us and inspire us to take some step through the people that cross our path in life, be it a close friend or even a stranger. The magi in the gospel reading teach us to be attentive to these signals from the Lord. The star that leads us to the Lord is there for all of us if we seek for it with an open heart, and with open ears and eyes. And/Or (iii) Feast of the Epiphany of The Lord Today’s gospel reading puts before us two very contrasting responses to the news that the long-awaited Jewish Messiah had just been born. Astrologers from the East were so excited by this news that they set out on a long journey to find the child so as to pay him homage. King Herod in Jerusalem was so perturbed by the same news that he sought to kill the child. Today on this feast of the Epiphany we are asked to identify with the response of the astrologers, the wise men, from the East. They were people who were very observant of God’s natural world, in particular that part of God’s natural world that came into view when darkness descended. They observed and studied the stars. They were fascinated by the stars. Yet, they recognized that the stars, for all their splendour, pointed beyond themselves to some more wonderful reality, to God. So, when they heard that God was visiting our world in a new way through a child who had just been born, they set out in search of that child. These exotic figures from the East show us how being attentive to God’s natural world can draw us closer to God. This can happen in different ways for different people. For the wise men it was their fascination with the stars that led them to the true light of the world. For others, the sea can have a similar impact, revealing in some mysterious way the depth and power of God. The redness of a rose spoke to Joseph Mary Plunket of the redeeming death of Christ. God can speak to us in a variety of ways through the world of nature. The wise men teach us to be attentive and observant of God’s world, so that in and through it we may experience the presence of the living God. There came a point on the journey of the wise men when they needed more that the signs of nature to find the child whom they were seeking. When they came to Jerusalem they had to ask, ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ To make the last short step on their long journey, they needed more than the light of a star. They needed the light of the Scriptures. The chief priests and the scribes who knew the Scriptures were able to point them in the direction of Bethlehem. On our own journey towards the Lord, we too need the light of the Scriptures as well as the light of nature. The Scriptures are a fuller revelation of God than the natural world. It is in and through the Scriptures that we meet God and his Son in a special way. Through the Scriptures God speaks to us in a privileged way. He asks us to listen and to allow our lives to be shaped by what we hear. The wise men allowed themselves to be guided by the Scriptures, as well as by the star. They showed something of that responsiveness to God’s word to which we are all called. Having been moved by the presence of God in nature and in the Scriptures, the wise men came face to face with God in a child. They did not worship the star; they did not even worship the Scriptures. But they did worship the child, because they recognised that here was Emmanuel, God-with-us. We too worship Emmanuel, and we do so in a special way every time we celebrate the Eucharist. As the wise men expressed their worship by offering the child their precious gifts, we express our own worship of the Lord in the Eucharist by offering him gifts, and our most precious gift is the gift of our lives. In the Eucharist we give ourselves to the Lord, in response to his giving of himself to us as bread of life, saying ‘Here I am’ in response to his ‘Take and eat’. The gospel reading tells us that, after worshipping the child, the wise men returned home by a different way. Their meeting with the infant king of the Jews somehow changed them. Our own worship of the Lord in the Eucharist will often prompt us to take a different path too. We come to the Eucharist open to being changed by our meeting with the Lord. We are sent forth from the Eucharist to follow the way of the Lord more closely. We pray on this feast of the Epiphany that we would be as open to the Lord’s path as the wise men were. And/Or: (iv) Feast of the Epiphany of The Lord There is a tradition in certain parts of Latin America that on the feast of the Epiphany a small plastic baby Jesus is hidden in a cake baked specially for the feast day. The hiding of the plastic figure signifies the efforts to hide the child Jesus from the evil intentions of King Herod. As the cake is cut, the slicing knife represents the danger posed to the infant Jesus by the cruel king. In some places the tradition is that whoever gets the piece of cake with the small figure of Jesus is obliged to host the next family gathering on February 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. In other places, the one who finds the plastic figure in his or her portion receives gifts from those present. These traditions make tangible both the dangers that threatened the child Jesus as soon as he was born and the excitement of discovering the child Jesus, the son of Mary and Joseph, to be Emmanuel, God-with-us. If the danger posed to the child Jesus is represented by King Herod the excitement of discovering the child Jesus is expressed by the magi from the East who, on arriving to Bethlehem, fell to their knees to worship the infant king of the Jews and then offered him their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Charles Dickens wrote a book entitled ‘A Tale of Two Cities’, based on the French revolution. One commentator has entitled the story we have just heard in the gospel reading, ‘A Tale of Three Cities’. There is Jerusalem, the city of Herod; there is Bethlehem, the city, or more the town, of David, where Jesus was born, and then the unnamed city in the East from where the visitors who sought the infant king of the Jews hailed. The word ‘Epiphany’ means a showing forth, a setting in the light. Today we celebrate the good news that God showed forth his Son to all the nations, Jews and pagans alike. It is the pagan visitors from the unnamed city of the East who reveal to us how to respond to God’s showing forth of his Son, God’s gift of his Son. Jesus was born into a Jewish world and these visitors from the East were strangers in that world; they were outsiders. It often takes strangers, outsiders, to show us how to respond to God’s gift of his Son, how to appreciate the great riches of our faith, the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and in the other sacraments, the life-giving message of the Scriptures, in particular, the gospels. In recent years there has been a huge increase in the number of people coming to live among us from abroad, many of them from the East, from Eastern Europe and from much further East, the Far East, others from the South, from Africa. They often bring an enthusiasm and appreciation for the treasures of the faith, that, perhaps, we have lost somewhat. They have enriched the church by their readiness to share their gifts and energies with the church here in their adopted homeland. Although in the emerging tradition of the church the visitors from the East have become kings and are portrayed as kings in our traditional cribs, they are not called kings in the gospel reading. They are called ‘magi’, translated as ‘wise men’. The term ‘magi’ referred to people who had special knowledge, experts in some field or other, and in the case of our magi, it would appear, experts in astronomy or astrology. The rising of a new star suggested to these ‘magi’ the birth of a new Jewish king, to whom they wished to do homage. They saw a new light and they chose to follow the light, wherever it led them. They represent all those, of whatever creed or persuasion, who seek to follow the light, the light of truth. The magi are the ancestors of all of us who seek the truth. It was their own natural skills of searching and interpreting the skies - their own natural knowledge and wisdom - that launched them on their search. Those natural gifts brought them to Jerusalem, but the gospel reading suggests that they needed the guidance of the Jewish Scriptures to direct them to Bethlehem where the infant king of the Jews would be found. Reason and the revelation of Scripture worked together to bring them to the Lord. Their profile in the gospels reminds us that our natural gifts of mind and reason need never be an obstacle to faith. The magi came to recognize that the brightest star of all was Christ the Lord; he was ‘light from light’, in the words of the Creed. Jesus is God’s gift to all who seek the truth; he is not a gift for a select few. The figure of Herod in the gospel reading can symbolize the forces that work to prevent us finding the one for whom we long. We can encounter many obstacles on our journey towards the Lord of light and truth. Yet, the gospel reading also suggests that the obstacles will not ultimately prevail if we are faithful to our search for the true light. We are about to witness the baptism of John. The light of Christ will shine upon him through this sacrament and the flame of faith will be kindled in his young life. And/Or: (v) Feast of the Epiphany of The Lord The planet Mars has been in the news in recent weeks, both for the apparent failure of the European mission to land a probe there and, in contrast, the great success of the American mission. You may have seen on the TV some of the pictures of the Martian surface that the American craft has started to send back. One of the scientists at NASA commented that it is remarkable to look up into the night sky at the planet Mars and to realize that we have now landed a craft on the planet that is sending back pictures from its surface. Men and women have always been fascinated by the night sky with its myriads of stars and planets. Once the Wright brothers took to the air a hundred years ago this year, it was only a matter of time before we succeed in landing on some of these planets. The wise men in our gospel reading today were star gazers. They were closer to modern-day astrologers than modern-day astronomers. It is difficult to look up at a brilliantly lit starry sky and not to be overawed by the wonder, the beauty and the mystery of the universe. That sense of awe in the face of our ever expanding universe can touch what is deepest and most spiritual in us. We can be opened up to the wonder, not only of creation, but of the creator. As one of the psalms puts it, ‘the heavens proclaim the glory of God’. According to our gospel reading, the star gazing of the wise men from the east launched them on a spiritual quest, a search for God’s anointed one, a king in whom God was present in a unique way. Their fascination with one particular star brought them west to Jerusalem and eventually to Bethlehem, where they found the one for whom they were searching. Having found him, they worshipped him and left him their gifts, before returning home by another way. There is something of the searcher in all of us. There is a restlessness in us for what is ultimate and absolute, for what is good and beautiful and true. The busyness of our lives can sometimes cut us off from that restlessness within. We can loose touch with the searcher within ourselves. It often takes a period of enforced inactivity to help us make contact again with the deeper longings within us that get silenced by the pace of life. It was while recovering from the wounds of battle that Ignatius of Loyola began to notice his deepest desires for God, his longing to serve God and to do God’s will. When he recovered from his wounds, he set out, like the wise men, by a different way. Sometimes an opportunity for quiet retreat can do the same for us. We take an opportunity that comes our way to step back from our usual comings and goings, and to focus on those deeper voices within us that can so easily get silenced. In a prayerful atmosphere, perhaps with some guidance, we get in touch with the searcher within ourselves again. We begin to attend to the Lord and his call. Having met the Lord anew, we return home again by a different way, somehow changed. A pilgrimage can have the same effect on us. We find ourselves joining a group that are travelling together to some holy place, some place that has been touched in some way by God, by people of God. There, in this special place, something deep within us is touched. We are helped to see ourselves and others in a different light, in God’s light. We are helped to take a different way, a better way. Today’s feast speaks to the searcher in all of us. We are invited to identify with these wise men from the East who invested time, energy and resources in seeking out the one whom God sent to us. Their search was very much in response to God’s initiative. They came to Bethlehem because God had already visited that place. God had spoken a word which they were alert enough to hear. Our search is always a response to God’s initiative towards us. God seeks us out before we seek out God. Over the Christmas period we have been celebrating the wonderful way God has sought us out in the person of his Son, who became flesh, taking on a human life like yours and mine. God sent his Son to seek out and to save the lost, and that includes all of us. We are already the objects of God’s search. God’s searching love continues to call out to us, and to draw us. Our search is always only a response to that greater search, the search of a love that is greater than any human love. Today’s feast invites us to pause and allow ourselves to be touched by God’s searching love, so that, like the wise men, we can set out on our own search for the Lord who seeks us out. As we set out on that journey, the Lord will provide us with stars to guide us. Those stars will often take the form of people who themselves have been true to their own deepest longings and whose lives are pointing towards God. We need to be alert to the signals the Lord gives us to guide our way towards his great light. As we enter that light and allow that light to shine on us, we too will find ourselves setting out by a different way, one that corresponds more to the Lord’s way. And/Or (vi) Feast of the Epiphany of The Lord The story of the magi from the East that we have just heard has inspired artists and poets down through the centuries. In the last century, the poet TS Eliot wrote a poem entitled, ‘The Journey of the Magi’. It begins, ‘A cold coming we had of it, Just the worst time of the year For a journey, and such a long journey: The ways deep and the weather sharp, The very dead of winter’. We celebrate this feast in the very dead of winter, when the days are short and dark. Yet the feast of the Epiphany is very much a feast of light. The word ‘Epiphany’ means ‘manifestation’ or ‘showing forth’. Today’s feast celebrates the shining forth of Emmanuel, God with us, to all who are seeking the face of God, who are searching for truth, looking for meaning and purpose in their lives. The feast of the Epiphany announces that the Christ child is the journey’s end for all such seekers. The magi from the East are patrons of all who are searching for a greater light and a fuller truth. They are symbols of hope for all who struggle to God by strange routes. The writer Evelyn Waugh wrote a prayer to the magi for one of his fictional characters which catches something of this hope: ‘You are my especial patrons, and patrons of all latecomers, of all who have a tedious journey to make to the truth, of all who are confused with knowledge and speculation’. It is likely that by using the term ‘magi’ Matthew intended scholars who studied the stars, and who, in contemplating the heavens, sought the God of heaven and earth. They hoped that the language of the stars would speak to them of God. So it was that when one unusual star appeared, they followed it, believing it would lead them to a new born child who was the long awaited King of the Jews, God’s anointed one. Their journey was driven by a question, which they put to the inhabitants of Jerusalem on arriving in that great city, ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ Often it is our questions that bring us closer to the Lord. The question, ‘Where is Jesus to be found?’ is one of the deeper questions of life. People have always asked that question. They may not ask it in that form, but they ask ‘Where is truth to be found?’ ‘Where is light and life to be found?’ They are, in reality, seeking the one who said of himself, ‘I am the truth; I am the light; I am the life’. The magi are their patrons. They are patrons of us all because we all remain seekers until that day when we pass over from this life and come to see the Lord face to face. As Saint Augustine said, ‘our hearts are restless, until they rest in God’. The magi were led to Bethlehem by a star. There is always a star that guides us towards Bethlehem. The Lord will find ways of drawing us towards himself, if we are genuinely searching for him. The Lord drew the magi to himself from within their own experience; they were stargazers and it was through the stars that he spoke to them. The Lord will speak to us too from within our particular set of experiences, if we have ears to hear. Yet, as the Lord draws us towards himself, there will be other forces that seek to draw us away from the Lord. The magi discovered this for themselves. As they came closer to their final destination, they encountered people who were not genuine seekers after truth, Herod, the representative of the political power, and his allies, the chief priests and scribes. When Herod asked, ‘where is Jesus to be found?’, where the King of the Jews was to be born, it was out of fear that here was someone who might threaten his own status as King of the Jews. His hypocrisy is evident is his invitation to the magi to return to him and tell him all about the child so that he may worship him. On our journey towards the Lord, we will inevitably encounter our own version of Herod and his entourage. That is why Jesus teaches us to pray, ‘lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil’ When these strangers from the East finally reached the child whom they had been seeking, they worshipped him, and they placed at his service their most valuable treasures. They invite us to ask of ourselves, ‘Before whom do we kneel in worship?’ ‘Do we live worshipping the child of Bethlehem?’ ‘Do we place at his feet our own possessions, our resources and gifts?’ It is said of the magi that, having encountered the child, they returned to their country by a different way. The treasure they received from this child was more precious than the gifts they brought and it changed their lives forever; they went home different people. Any genuine encounter with the Lord will always change us in some fundamental way. The conclusion of Eliot’s poem captures this truth, ‘We returned to our places, these kingdoms, But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation, With an alien people clutching their gods’. Fr Martin Hogan, Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland. Parish Website: www.stjohnsclontarf.ieJoin us via our webcam. Twitter: @SJtBClontarfRC. Facebook: St John the Baptist RC Parish, Clontarf. Tumblr: Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin.

[slushonem]

Sawyer Lee

An upcoming artist from Jasper, Alabama who currently resides in California making his dreams come true. 

“I love the way I can express myself and my words through music. God has given me the ability to sing and a humble soul to spread wisdom. I feel like that is apart of his purpose for me.”

When did all of this start? 

 "My brother... shoutout to C4. I started up a studio in his room w/ just his laptop & a crack’d version of Pro Tools. No mic no interface not even any speakers just singing into the laptop haha but we loved it bc it was ours. At first it was just a hobby but our county really started supporting. Big shot out to walker county!" You're from Jasper, Alabama right? "Yea, I was actually born in Birmingham at the St. Vincent’s but raised in Jasper on 9th Ave. 205." I started in LA but I actually moved to the bay in june & live in Santa Cruz (about an hour from SF & Oakland).  Honestly I just needed a change of scene & pace. I am very young in my artistry & feel the importance of starting new beginnings that will create new stories that in return will create new music.”

“Jasper is one of those small towns where everyone knows everyone. Whether good or bad it’s my home and I love it. It’s very old fashioned but our millennium is different and I see such a positive change happening. I have noticed since I started my musical journey that more and more people are becoming appreciative of my music. I love it when they give me feedback like.. wow people actually listen.”

Sawyer is now, currently recording in San Jose.

“Shout out to sound cave.”

He is working towards his degree as a student while also working as a music therapist for non nerotypical individuals. “If you know me you know that I have a soft spot for that population and always will.”

How do you feel when you’re performing? 

“I take the stage very serious. If I don’t know you then sorry you can t be on the stage. no hard feelings just a respect thing.. its otf over here. but fr when I step on stage my alter ego comes out of me *lauhgs* what can I say? I go from sawyer to sawyer lee real quick. I pride myself on my stage presence though and always try keep the energy up. mosh pit, stage dive, whatever we r turning up though.”

What projects are you currently working on? 

“I recorded a lot of material in Nashville before I moved- Shout out to Tha Underground Stu and @prodbyjminor, I was going to make it into my debut EP which I had named "ANGLES”. After many listening sessions  with the crew I decided to release them for free on soundcloud as singles and continue working on ANGLES in Cali. I picked up a different wave since I have been out here. I kept my roots & added a west coast feel to it. I can’t wait to finish it. I named it ANGLES because I want to show my versatility through this EP. You will just have to wait and see...”

What collaborations have you had thus far?

 “Gotta shout out my bro Kenny Loften doing it for Hoover! Whenever we hop in the stu it’s like we are riding the same wave. Shit is ill. Also, shout out to Missle another dope Birmingham artist on the rise... got a couple features with him. DJ Redd is dropping his own exclusive tape too! I fuck with the socially awkwrd gang as well. As far as my collabs on the west side go wellllll.. you will just have to wait and see.”

What else do you do besides sing and song- write? 

“I love playing the keys and having jam sessions with friends. Also just locking myself in my personal zone and steadily working on my production skills. I also have a girlfriend. Her name is Mary Jane and she’s pretty loud but she takes the pain away... ya feel me?”

What inspires your music?

“My family, it’s all for them. They’ve been with me through it all, they motivate me to be myself, and be myself to my fullest potential. Also, I have made it through a lot of relatable trials and tribulations. Just the power to share my story and connect with someone who has been through a similar situation is all the inspiration I need.”

“I know this sounds clique but money really is the motive. I mean I would love the opportunity to share wisdom through fame but seeing the face on my mom when I buy her whatever she wants. Yea dat way.”

What are some artist you look up to?

 Off the top of my head:     *Alice in Chains          Nirvana       Led Zeppelin       *Goodie Mob          OutKast         *Lil Wayne  *Chance The Rapper      PartyNextDoor       Majid Jordan          Yelawolf     Sebastian Cole

“Another point I would like to add is racial tension is very high at this time especially in the south. I think if I could pass anything on to my fellow caucasian Americans is that just try to be more accepting. I am a supporter of the black lives matter movement bc what is so wrong about a race wanting to ‘matter?’ That’s it.. Just accept that even though we didn’t live during the troubling times of slavery and segregation doesn’t escape the fact that it still happened. We have to respect, recognize and act accordingly.

Also my friends are like family to me bc at one time they were the only family I had. I will never forget that and forever be in there debt. Shout out to medina, jaiquan, phat, shields, matt, charlie, hall, Nic & nick, and the whole 205.”

Check me out on soundcloud: @SawyerLeeMusic Twitter or IG: @sawyerleemusic

#music #rap #singer #songwriter #jasper #alabama #birmingham #california #sanjose #sawyerlee #slushonem #liveyourpassion #chaseyourdream #slushthrough

[frmartinshomiliesandreflections]

8th January >> Fr. Martin’s Reflection on Today’s Gospel Reading (Matthew 3:13-17) - The Feast of The Baptism of the Lord (Ireland):  ‘This is my Son, the Beloved’ & (Matthew 2:1-12) - The Feast of The Epiphany of the Lord (USA, UK, New Zealand, Australia, Canada & South Africa): ‘They did him homage’.

The Feast of The Baptism of the Lord

Gospel (Ireland)

Matthew 3:13-17

Jesus appeared: he came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John. John tried to dissuade him. ‘It is I who need baptism from you’ he said ‘and yet you come to me!’ But Jesus replied, ‘Leave it like this for the time being; it is fitting that we should, in this way, do all that righteousness demands.’ At this, John gave in to him.    As soon as Jesus was baptised he came up from the water, and suddenly the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him. And a voice spoke from heaven, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on him.’

Reflection (1)

(i) The Baptism of the Lord

It is impossible for us not to have favourites. We invariably favour some people over others. It is normal and natural for us to do so. It is because we favour some and not others that we include some people among our friends and not others. Even among our friends we favour some over others; we have some friends who are especially close to us. Marriage between two people occurs because one man favours one woman out of other women and that woman favours that man out of other men. There are contexts in which showing favour to one over others is not appropriate. Politicians have got themselves into trouble because they used their influence inappropriately to favour someone. The human tendency to show favour sometimes needs to be kept in check.

In today’s second reading, Peter, addressing Cornelius and his household, says: ‘The truth I have come to realize is that God does not have favourites’. It sounds as if Peter has only recently hit upon this truth. As a Jew, he would have understood that God did have favourites. The Jewish people were God’s favourites; they were the chosen people who had been blessed and graced by God in a unique way. However, since his meeting with Jesus, and his becoming a disciple of the risen Lord, Peter had come to realize that God does not have favourites. If God had chosen the people of Israel in the past, it was for the sake of all the other nations. God chose Israel not because God loved Israel more than all the other nations, but because God wanted Israel to be the messenger of God’s love to all the nations. According to today’s first reading, God chose Israel to be the light of the nations.

Jesus reveals a God who favours all equally. He came as the servant of all people, to give his life as a ransom for all. At the very end of his gospel, Matthew portrays the risen Jesus telling his disciples to go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. All nations are to be favoured with the gospel. That is why we find Peter in today’s second reading preaching to the pagan centurion, Cornelius, and his household, and then going on to baptize them all. Our own baptism is the direct result of that command of the risen Jesus to baptize all nations. Baptism is God’s gift to us; it is a sign of God’s favour. On the day of our baptism God said to us what was said to Jesus on the day of his baptism: ‘My favour rests on you’. God not only spoke a word of favour to Jesus on the day of his baptism; God actively showed his favour by sending the Holy Spirit upon him. At our baptism God acted to show his favour to us by pouring the Holy Spirit into our hearts. Parents instinctively understand baptism as a sign of God’s favour. That is why they bring their children to be baptized. Today on the feast of Jesus’ baptism, we give thanks for our own baptism, for this very special sign of God’s favour.

The baptism of Jesus was not only the day when he had a special experience of God’s favour; it was also the day when he publicly took on the role of God’s servant to all nations. Jesus’ baptism was both a grace and a commission. As Peter announced to Cornelius in today’s second reading, after his baptism Jesus went about doing good and curing all who had fallen into the power of the devil. Today’s first reading, although written long before Jesus was born, describes this mission of Jesus very well. He brings true justice to the nations. By his words and deeds, Jesus makes known God’s justice, the just or right way that God wants us all to take and that Jesus took to the full. In making known God’s just ways, that first reading also declares that Jesus ‘does not break the crushed reed, or quench the wavering flame’. Jesus’ mission was characterized by a heightened awareness of the weak and the vulnerable.

Our own baptism, like that of Jesus, was both a gift and a commission. In bestowing favour upon us, God at the same time calls us to become his servants. On the day of our baptism, we are commissioned as servants of God, after the example of Jesus. As God endowed Jesus with the Spirit so that he could bring true justice to the nations, at our baptism we were endowed with the same Spirit for the same purpose. In the power of the Spirit we are called to live in that same just way that Jesus lived. In the words of the first reading, baptism calls us to ‘serve the cause of right’. That will involve for us, as it did for Jesus, taking care ‘not to break the crushed reed, or quench the smouldering flame’. Those who are crushed for whatever reason, whose flame is barely flickering, are deserving of our greatest care and attention. We show that we really appreciate the gift of our baptism when we support the vulnerable and strengthen the weak, in our families, our communities, in our society and our world.

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The Feast of The Epiphany of the Lord (USA, UK, New Zealand, Australia, Canada & South Africa)

Gospel (UK, New Zealand, Australia, Canada & South Africa)

Matthew 2:1-12

After Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of King Herod, some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east. ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ they asked. ‘We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage.’ When King Herod heard this he was perturbed, and so was the whole of Jerusalem. He called together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, and enquired of them where the Christ was to be born. ‘At Bethlehem in Judaea,’ they told him ‘for this is what the prophet wrote:

And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah,for out of you will come a leaderwho will shepherd my people Israel.’

Then Herod summoned the wise men to see him privately. He asked them the exact date on which the star had appeared, and sent them on to Bethlehem. ‘Go and find out all about the child,’ he said ‘and when you have found him, let me know, so that I too may go and do him homage.’ Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out. And there in front of them was the star they had seen rising; it went forward, and halted over the place where the child was. The sight of the star filled them with delight, and going into the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. But they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, and returned to their own country by a different way.

Gospel (USA)

Matthew 2:1–12

We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet:

And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;since from you shall come a ruler,    who is to shepherd my people Israel. ”

Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.” After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. 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. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

Reflections (6)

(i) Feast of the Epiphany of The Lord.

On this feast of the Epiphany our crib scene is complete, with the arrival of the three visitors from the East. Tradition has made kings of these visitors, but the gospel passage which is the basis of this tradition speaks of magi. In that culture, magi were people with a certain set of skills, people possessed of some kind of specialized knowledge. The gospel passage suggests that the specialized knowledge of these magi related to the interpretation of the stars. They were not kings themselves but served the king with their skills. The gospel passage does not say how many of them there were. The number three was simply deduced from the number of gifts that were brought. The evangelist Matthew says they came from the east, without specifying from where. Magi were often associated with Persia, in particular, which corresponds to modern day Iran. They were clearly intended by the evangelist as representatives of the non-Jewish world. Their observation of the rising of a new star led them to believe that a new king of the Jews has been born. There was a widespread belief in that world that the birth of new leaders was marked by unusual events in the heavens. The natural gifts and acquired knowledge of these magi set them on a journey towards the child of Mary and Joseph whose name was Emmanuel, God with us. Their science was not in any way in conflict with their religious search. Rather, their study of the stars was the inspiration for their long journey towards a place of worship, ‘We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage’. Science is never in conflict with faith. Both are different and complementary paths to God. The story of the magi suggests that the study of creation, whether it is the heavenly world or some other dimension of creation, can serve the journey of faith, and help to bring us to the worship of the God who stands behind all created reality and who has become God with us in the child of Bethlehem.

In the story we have just heard, the journey of the magi from the East did not bring them to Bethlehem initially. It brought them to the principal city of Judea, Jerusalem, some miles north of Bethlehem. When they reached Jerusalem, they asked, ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ Their expertise in reading the heavens did not make them think that they knew it all. The evangelist portrays these specialists as humble people. They did not have all the answers. They remained people who questioned. They knew they needed the help of others who had a different expertise to theirown if their question ‘Where?’ was to be answered. In the gospel reading it is the chief priests and the scribes, those who had studied the Jewish Scriptures, who provided the information that allowed them to complete the last short leg of their journey. According to the prophet Micah, the shepherd king whom God will provide for his people will come from Bethlehem, the birthplace of King David. The magi’s observation and interpretation of the skies brought them a long way on their journey towards God with us. However, they needed the Jewish Scriptures to complete the journey. Creation is a revelation of God the Creator, but the Scriptures are a fuller revelation of God. These pagan specialists from the east were open to both expressions of God’s revelation. They were receptive to the various ways that God can speak to us. We can learn from them to be attentive to God’s word, whatever form that word may take. There are times in our lives when God seems to speak most powerfully to us through the wonders and beauty of creation. There are other times when we feel the need to listen attentively to the Lord’s word as it comes to us in both the Jewish and Christian Scriptures. The magi speak to the seeker within each one of us, that deep core whose longing cannot be fully satisfied by anything in this earthly life. Genuine seekers are always open to the many and varied ways that God communicates with us and seeks us out.

The long journey of the magi was finally crowned with an act of worship and an act of generosity, ‘they did him homage… they offered him gifts’. They surrendered themselves and their possessions to the Lord. We believe that our own life journey will be crowned in the same way. At the end of our lives, we surrender ourselves, all we are and have, into the hands of the living and loving Lord. Our own times of worship in the course of our life journey, our own acts of self-giving to the Lord, anticipate and prepare us for that final moment of self-surrender. One element of this inspiring story is the ominous presence of Herod. He too asked the question where the Christ was to be born. However, his motive in asking this question was very different to that of the magi. He wanted to eliminate a perceived threat to his throne. On our faith journey there will often be forces that are hostile to God’s purpose for our lives. Yet, this assures that, in the words of the fourth gospel, ‘the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it’.

And/Or

(ii) Feast of the Epiphany of The Lord

The gospel story behind this feast is has inspired artists, story tellers, poets and musicians down the centuries. In Mater Dei Institute of Education the music department used to put on a musical event once a year. One year they put on an operetta called ‘Amahl and the night visitors’. It was composed by Gian Carlo Menotti. He was born and reared in Italy but had been living in the United States, in New York for some years. Amahl is a disabled boy who needs a crutch to walk. He lives with his mother in very poor circumstances. One night the three kings stop off at their house to rest the night on their way to Bethlehem. When the boy hears that they are going to visit this special child to bring him their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, he asks them to take his crutch as his gift to the child. When he gave his crutch to the kings to give to the child of Bethlehem, he was miraculously cured. He then begged his mother to allow him to travel to Bethlehem with the kings to give thanks to this child for his healing.

The composer said he was inspired to write this operetta by his own experience as a child in Italy. In his childhood there was no Santa Claus who brought gifts at Christmas time. Instead, the three kings brought gifts to children on the 6th of January. In the booklet for the opening performance of the operetta he wrote, ‘I actually never met the Three Kings—it didn’t matter how hard my little brother and I tried to keep awake at night to catch a glimpse of the Three Royal Visitors, we would always fall asleep just before they arrived. But I do remember hearing them. I remember the weird cadence of their song in the dark distance; I remember the brittle sound of the camel’s hooves crushing the frozen snow; and I remember the mysterious tinkling of their silver bridles… To these Three Kings I mainly owe the happy Christmas seasons of my childhood’. When he came to live in the United States the presence of Santa Claus everywhere at Christmas time led him to forget about the three kings. In November 1951 he had been commissioned by the National Broadcasting Company to write an operetta for television for Christmas. He wrote in that booklet that he didn’t have an idea in his head. As he walked through the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City one gloomy November afternoon in 1951, he came across the wonderful painting of the Adoration of the Magi by Hieronymus Bosch. He wrote ‘as I was looking at it, suddenly I heard again, coming from the distant blue hills, the weird song of the Three Kings. I then realized they had come back to me and had brought me a gift’. Their gift was the inspiration he needed to write his operetta, ‘Amahl and the night visitors’.

Perhaps we could ask ourselves, ‘What gift are the magi bringing us this feast of the Epiphany?’ How might their story speak to ours? The gospel story suggests that the magi were prompted to journey westward by the appearance of a bright star they had never seen before. The evangelist Matthew wants us to think of them as people who were used to studying the heavens. They looked upwards in amazement at the wonder of the star filled sky. There was a real contemplative dimension to their lives. They were absorbed by the beauty of the starry sky in all its radiance. Because they were attentive to this powerful and absorbing phenomenon, they noticed a new star when it appeared and were prompted to follow it. One of the gifts of the magi to us is perhaps that contemplative spirit which allows us to step back and really see what is before us. We can look without really seeing, just as we can hear without really listening. It is that contemplative spirit, that attentive looking and listening to the world around us, that can open us up to the signs of the Lord’s presence to us, those stars that leads us to the Lord. The Lord is always drawing us to himself. He is the light who enlightens everyone who comes into the world. We just need to be attentive to the presence of his light or the light of his presence. His light can shine upon us through a whole range of human experiences. For the magi, it took the form of the mysterious star, which launched them on a new journey. For Gian Carlo Menotti, it took the form of that painting in the Art Gallery in New York. His contemplative stance before this painting opened him up to the Lord’s light, launching him on the journey of creating his own work of art that would inspire many others. The Lord can also speak to us and inspire us to take some step through the people that cross our path in life, be it a close friend or even a stranger. The magi in the gospel reading teach us to be attentive to these signals from the Lord. The star that leads us to the Lord is there for all of us if we seek for it with an open heart, and with open ears and eyes.

And/Or

(iii) Feast of the Epiphany of The Lord

Today’s gospel reading puts before us two very contrasting responses to the news that the long-awaited Jewish Messiah had just been born. Astrologers from the East were so excited by this news that they set out on a long journey to find the child so as to pay him homage. King Herod in Jerusalem was so perturbed by the same news that he sought to kill the child. Today on this feast of the Epiphany we are asked to identify with the response of the astrologers, the wise men, from the East. They were people who were very observant of God’s natural world, in particular that part of God’s natural world that came into view when darkness descended. They observed and studied the stars. They were fascinated by the stars. Yet, they recognized that the stars, for all their splendour, pointed beyond themselves to some more wonderful reality, to God. So, when they heard that God was visiting our world in a new way through a child who had just been born, they set out in search of that child. These exotic figures from the East show us how being attentive to God’s natural world can draw us closer to God. This can happen in different ways for different people. For the wise men it was their fascination with the stars that led them to the true light of the world. For others, the sea can have a similar impact, revealing in some mysterious way the depth and power of God. The redness of a rose spoke to Joseph Mary Plunket of the redeeming death of Christ. God can speak to us in a variety of ways through the world of nature. The wise men teach us to be attentive and observant of God’s world, so that in and through it we may experience the presence of the living God. There came a point on the journey of the wise men when they needed more that the signs of nature to find the child whom they were seeking. When they came to Jerusalem they had to ask, ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ To make the last short step on their long journey, they needed more than the light of a star. They needed the light of the Scriptures. The chief priests and the scribes who knew the Scriptures were able to point them in the direction of Bethlehem. On our own journey towards the Lord, we too need the light of the Scriptures as well as the light of nature. The Scriptures are a fuller revelation of God than the natural world. It is in and through the Scriptures that we meet God and his Son in a special way. Through the Scriptures God speaks to us in a privileged way. He asks us to listen and to allow our lives to be shaped by what we hear. The wise men allowed themselves to be guided by the Scriptures, as well as by the star. They showed something of that responsiveness to God’s word to which we are all called. Having been moved by the presence of God in nature and in the Scriptures, the wise men came face to face with God in a child. They did not worship the star; they did not even worship the Scriptures. But they did worship the child, because they recognised that here was Emmanuel, God-with-us. We too worship Emmanuel, and we do so in a special way every time we celebrate the Eucharist. As the wise men expressed their worship by offering the child their precious gifts, we express our own worship of the Lord in the Eucharist by offering him gifts, and our most precious gift is the gift of our lives. In the Eucharist we give ourselves to the Lord, in response to his giving of himself to us as bread of life, saying ‘Here I am’ in response to his ‘Take and eat’. The gospel reading tells us that, after worshipping the child, the wise men returned home by a different way. Their meeting with the infant king of the Jews somehow changed them. Our own worship of the Lord in the Eucharist will often prompt us to take a different path too. We come to the Eucharist open to being changed by our meeting with the Lord. We are sent forth from the Eucharist to follow the way of the Lord more closely. We pray on this feast of the Epiphany that we would be as open to the Lord’s path as the wise men were.

And/Or:

(iv) Feast of the Epiphany of The Lord

There is a tradition in certain parts of Latin America that on the feast of the Epiphany a small plastic baby Jesus is hidden in a cake baked specially for the feast day. The hiding of the plastic figure signifies the efforts to hide the child Jesus from the evil intentions of King Herod. As the cake is cut, the slicing knife represents the danger posed to the infant Jesus by the cruel king. In some places the tradition is that whoever gets the piece of cake with the small figure of Jesus is obliged to host the next family gathering on February 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. In other places, the one who finds the plastic figure in his or her portion receives gifts from those present. These traditions make tangible both the dangers that threatened the child Jesus as soon as he was born and the excitement of discovering the child Jesus, the son of Mary and Joseph, to be Emmanuel, God-with-us. If the danger posed to the child Jesus is represented by King Herod the excitement of discovering the child Jesus is expressed by the magi from the East who, on arriving to Bethlehem, fell to their knees to worship the infant king of the Jews and then offered him their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Charles Dickens wrote a book entitled ‘A Tale of Two Cities’, based on the French revolution. One commentator has entitled the story we have just heard in the gospel reading, ‘A Tale of Three Cities’. There is Jerusalem, the city of Herod; there is Bethlehem, the city, or more the town, of David, where Jesus was born, and then the unnamed city in the East from where the visitors who sought the infant king of the Jews hailed.

The word ‘Epiphany’ means a showing forth, a setting in the light. Today we celebrate the good news that God showed forth his Son to all the nations, Jews and pagans alike. It is the pagan visitors from the unnamed city of the East who reveal to us how to respond to God’s showing forth of his Son, God’s gift of his Son. Jesus was born into a Jewish world and these visitors from the East were strangers in that world; they were outsiders. It often takes strangers, outsiders, to show us how to respond to God’s gift of his Son, how to appreciate the great riches of our faith, the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and in the other sacraments, the life-giving message of the Scriptures, in particular, the gospels. In recent years there has been a huge increase in the number of people coming to live among us from abroad, many of them from the East, from Eastern Europe and from much further East, the Far East, others from the South, from Africa. They often bring an enthusiasm and appreciation for the treasures of the faith, that, perhaps, we have lost somewhat. They have enriched the church by their readiness to share their gifts and energies with the church here in their adopted homeland. Although in the emerging tradition of the church the visitors from the East have become kings and are portrayed as kings in our traditional cribs, they are not called kings in the gospel reading. They are called ‘magi’, translated as ‘wise men’. The term ‘magi’ referred to people who had special knowledge, experts in some field or other, and in the case of our magi, it would appear, experts in astronomy or astrology. The rising of a new star suggested to these ‘magi’ the birth of a new Jewish king, to whom they wished to do homage. They saw a new light and they chose to follow the light, wherever it led them. They represent all those, of whatever creed or persuasion, who seek to follow the light, the light of truth. The magi are the ancestors of all of us who seek the truth. It was their own natural skills of searching and interpreting the skies - their own natural knowledge and wisdom - that launched them on their search. Those natural gifts brought them to Jerusalem, but the gospel reading suggests that they needed the guidance of the Jewish Scriptures to direct them to Bethlehem where the infant king of the Jews would be found. Reason and the revelation of Scripture worked together to bring them to the Lord. Their profile in the gospels reminds us that our natural gifts of mind and reason need never be an obstacle to faith. The magi came to recognize that the brightest star of all was Christ the Lord; he was ‘light from light’, in the words of the Creed.

Jesus is God’s gift to all who seek the truth; he is not a gift for a select few. The figure of Herod in the gospel reading can symbolize the forces that work to prevent us finding the one for whom we long. We can encounter many obstacles on our journey towards the Lord of light and truth. Yet, the gospel reading also suggests that the obstacles will not ultimately prevail if we are faithful to our search for the true light. We are about to witness the baptism of John. The light of Christ will shine upon him through this sacrament and the flame of faith will be kindled in his young life.

And/Or:

(v) Feast of the Epiphany of The Lord

The planet Mars has been in the news in recent weeks, both for the apparent failure of the European mission to land a probe there and, in contrast, the great success of the American mission. You may have seen on the TV some of the pictures of the Martian surface that the American craft has started to send back. One of the scientists at NASA commented that it is remarkable to look up into the night sky at the planet Mars and to realize that we have now landed a craft on the planet that is sending back pictures from its surface. Men and women have always been fascinated by the night sky with its myriads of stars and planets. Once the Wright brothers took to the air a hundred years ago this year, it was only a matter of time before we succeed in landing on some of these planets.

The wise men in our gospel reading today were star gazers. They were closer to modern-day astrologers than modern-day astronomers. It is difficult to look up at a brilliantly lit starry sky and not to be overawed by the wonder, the beauty and the mystery of the universe. That sense of awe in the face of our ever expanding universe can touch what is deepest and most spiritual in us. We can be opened up to the wonder, not only of creation, but of the creator. As one of the psalms puts it, ‘the heavens proclaim the glory of God’. According to our gospel reading, the star gazing of the wise men from the east launched them on a spiritual quest, a search for God’s anointed one, a king in whom God was present in a unique way. Their fascination with one particular star brought them west to Jerusalem and eventually to Bethlehem, where they found the one for whom they were searching. Having found him, they worshipped him and left him their gifts, before returning home by another way. There is something of the searcher in all of us. There is a restlessness in us for what is ultimate and absolute, for what is good and beautiful and true. The busyness of our lives can sometimes cut us off from that restlessness within. We can loose touch with the searcher within ourselves. It often takes a period of enforced inactivity to help us make contact again with the deeper longings within us that get silenced by the pace of life. It was while recovering from the wounds of battle that Ignatius of Loyola began to notice his deepest desires for God, his longing to serve God and to do God’s will. When he recovered from his wounds, he set out, like the wise men, by a different way. Sometimes an opportunity for quiet retreat can do the same for us. We take an opportunity that comes our way to step back from our usual comings and goings, and to focus on those deeper voices within us that can so easily get silenced. In a prayerful atmosphere, perhaps with some guidance, we get in touch with the searcher within ourselves again. We begin to attend to the Lord and his call. Having met the Lord anew, we return home again by a different way, somehow changed. A pilgrimage can have the same effect on us. We find ourselves joining a group that are travelling together to some holy place, some place that has been touched in some way by God, by people of God. There, in this special place, something deep within us is touched. We are helped to see ourselves and others in a different light, in God’s light. We are helped to take a different way, a better way.

Today’s feast speaks to the searcher in all of us. We are invited to identify with these wise men from the East who invested time, energy and resources in seeking out the one whom God sent to us. Their search was very much in response to God’s initiative. They came to Bethlehem because God had already visited that place. God had spoken a word which they were alert enough to hear. Our search is always a response to God’s initiative towards us. God seeks us out before we seek out God. Over the Christmas period we have been celebrating the wonderful way God has sought us out in the person of his Son, who became flesh, taking on a human life like yours and mine. God sent his Son to seek out and to save the lost, and that includes all of us. We are already the objects of God’s search. God’s searching love continues to call out to us, and to draw us. Our search is always only a response to that greater search, the search of a love that is greater than any human love. Today’s feast invites us to pause and allow ourselves to be touched by God’s searching love, so that, like the wise men, we can set out on our own search for the Lord who seeks us out. As we set out on that journey, the Lord will provide us with stars to guide us. Those stars will often take the form of people who themselves have been true to their own deepest longings and whose lives are pointing towards God. We need to be alert to the signals the Lord gives us to guide our way towards his great light. As we enter that light and allow that light to shine on us, we too will find ourselves setting out by a different way, one that corresponds more to the Lord’s way.

And/Or

(vi) Feast of the Epiphany of The Lord

The story of the magi from the East that we have just heard has inspired artists and poets down through the centuries. In the last century, the poet TS Eliot wrote a poem entitled, ‘The Journey of the Magi’. It begins, ‘A cold coming we had of it, Just the worst time of the year For a journey, and such a long journey: The ways deep and the weather sharp, The very dead of winter’. We celebrate this feast in the very dead of winter, when the days are short and dark. Yet the feast of the Epiphany is very much a feast of light. The word ‘Epiphany’ means ‘manifestation’ or ‘showing forth’. Today’s feast celebrates the shining forth of Emmanuel, God with us, to all who are seeking the face of God, who are searching for truth, looking for meaning and purpose in their lives. The feast of the Epiphany announces that the Christ child is the journey’s end for all such seekers.

The magi from the East are patrons of all who are searching for a greater light and a fuller truth. They are symbols of hope for all who struggle to God by strange routes. The writer Evelyn Waugh wrote a prayer to the magi for one of his fictional characters which catches something of this hope: ‘You are my especial patrons, and patrons of all latecomers, of all who have a tedious journey to make to the truth, of all who are confused with knowledge and speculation’. It is likely that by using the term ‘magi’ Matthew intended scholars who studied the stars, and who, in contemplating the heavens, sought the God of heaven and earth. They hoped that the language of the stars would speak to them of God. So it was that when one unusual star appeared, they followed it, believing it would lead them to a new born child who was the long awaited King of the Jews, God’s anointed one. Their journey was driven by a question, which they put to the inhabitants of Jerusalem on arriving in that great city, ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ Often it is our questions that bring us closer to the Lord. The question, ‘Where is Jesus to be found?’ is one of the deeper questions of life. People have always asked that question. They may not ask it in that form, but they ask ‘Where is truth to be found?’ ‘Where is light and life to be found?’ They are, in reality, seeking the one who said of himself, ‘I am the truth; I am the light; I am the life’. The magi are their patrons. They are patrons of us all because we all remain seekers until that day when we pass over from this life and come to see the Lord face to face. As Saint Augustine said, ‘our hearts are restless, until they rest in God’.

The magi were led to Bethlehem by a star. There is always a star that guides us towards Bethlehem. The Lord will find ways of drawing us towards himself, if we are genuinely searching for him. The Lord drew the magi to himself from within their own experience; they were stargazers and it was through the stars that he spoke to them. The Lord will speak to us too from within our particular set of experiences, if we have ears to hear. Yet, as the Lord draws us towards himself, there will be other forces that seek to draw us away from the Lord. The magi discovered this for themselves. As they came closer to their final destination, they encountered people who were not genuine seekers after truth, Herod, the representative of the political power, and his allies, the chief priests and scribes. When Herod asked, ‘where is Jesus to be found?’, where the King of the Jews was to be born, it was out of fear that here was someone who might threaten his own status as King of the Jews. His hypocrisy is evident is his invitation to the magi to return to him and tell him all about the child so that he may worship him. On our journey towards the Lord, we will inevitably encounter our own version of Herod and his entourage. That is why Jesus teaches us to pray, ‘lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil’

When these strangers from the East finally reached the child whom they had been seeking, they worshipped him, and they placed at his service their most valuable treasures. They invite us to ask of ourselves, ‘Before whom do we kneel in worship?’ ‘Do we live worshipping the child of Bethlehem?’ ‘Do we place at his feet our own possessions, our resources and gifts?’ It is said of the magi that, having encountered the child, they returned to their country by a different way. The treasure they received from this child was more precious than the gifts they brought and it changed their lives forever; they went home different people. Any genuine encounter with the Lord will always change us in some fundamental way. The conclusion of Eliot’s poem captures this truth, ‘We returned to our places, these kingdoms, But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation, With an alien people clutching their gods’.

Fr Martin Hogan, Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland.

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