Epiphany

Intro

finger detached from the body

What do all 3 readings have in common?

Gentiles coming to join the community

world becomes part of Israel

Greatest commandment is love God [the life of body] and neighbor [parts of the body]

true, God foremost (not love your neighbor w/ all)

not just you and God, second half to commandment

see others as other selves

how often do we think of ourselves as a community?

often our faith individually like a finger moving around without connection to the rest of the body

personal relationship

this is not the Catholic teaching

identity

what we are, and what anything on earth is is known by relationships. You have no identity without it.

tree vs air and ground

set of relation life of body

number 1, quantity, limited, positive, whole, etc

but it is not quantity, limit, positivity, only has it by relation

without it, its meaningless

part find use in whole

ear, eye, finger

utterly pointLESS

as humans even our physical body only makes sense in body of humanity

speech

facial expressions

male or female

to think of self as just individual is empty those things into a depressing void of meaninglessness and irrationality

as humans we find some most imp INDIVIDUAL identity by relation to a COMMUNITY

cannot fully define what is a

woman

man

child

citizens

Christian

except by relationships

God who made us in His image (relational Trinity), made us part of community

study social relation happiness

Basic Christianity

anyone followed the tradition, read bible knows

not just about personal relation with God

like finger detached from a body expecting life

OT

prays half the time about israel and city jerusalem

pledge is to the state

NT

continues more truly into Christ

about new Jerusalem

heavenly state, city, citizens

Church

community of believers under Christ

made as and for community

If not, spill that religious community zeal into something less worthy, that, if your lucky will fail you so you dont keep worshiping it

a state

earthly politics (e.g. communism or radical individualism)

even family

dont hear what not saying, patriotism is a virtue, and family is one of the greatest goods on earth, but all secondary to following Christ in community

as Christ says, my mother sisters and brothers are first and foremost those who do the will of God.

because we are made for community, even in the Spirit, for God is a Trinity and we are made in his image.

Ummm, well us Catholics??

Ya, sacraments and hierarchy keep people coming even when their personal relation with God dies out

establish hierarchy since time of David

Saul

Judas

Peter

But that is not enough

sometimes we do a bad job of community, relying on the bare minimum of showing up to Mass with others on Sundays

Shall we live closer to the Gospel then??

well what can I do?

how can we live into the second half of the greatest commandment

live with head and body?

Its a long shot, but heres at least a start...

maybe not living like the apostles with everything in common like in a monastery.. but here is something..

might even find it more fun and fulfilling than simply a white-knuckled duty

Groups

sign up for small groups

we ought not expect to form community without being around each other outside Mass

from these flow community

study groups, dinner groups, prayer groups what it becomes will develop how your group decides

united by the most important thing to unify on: brothers and sisters in God

bear with them as they work themselves out

Conclusions

like the 3 kings uniting under the light of Christ

come together around his light

unite the commandment God above all and neighbor as self

not like finger detached from the body of the community

Notes:

Me

“You” promises refer to Jerusalem, not individual

where is the new Jerusalem/community

Church means community, not individuals.

walk by the light of the community

Gentiles are coheirs “members of the same body”

United under something

not community without a head

magi dont come just to hang out

Jews are not united with the gentile world except in the Messiah

2 parts of faith (Love God, neighbor as self)

like chicken with head cut off.

Commentators

“returned by another way” after seeing Christ and the dream.