Why do we go to Church?

Epiphany 2024 Year B

Why did the wise men seek the newborn king? Seeking riches? Seeking comfort? Seeking entertainment? Was it not to honour the great king which was born? Why do we go to Church? Do we go to church to become rich? Do we go because the pews are nice and comfy? Do we go for entertainment? Or like the wise men do we go to worship God? We might hear some people say, “I stopped going to Mass because I get nothing out of it.” Are we here, hoping to get something out of it? Are you not here to honour and adore Our God, glorifying Him? Are you not here seeking His help and grace? Are you not here with the hope of salvation and everlasting life?

This same question can be asked about John the Baptist. Why did people seek Him?

Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, “ ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ Matthew 11:7–11

The Wise Men travelled a very long distance. It is thought that they may have come from Persia or even further, something like 800 miles (about 1280 km). Seeking and loving God doesn’t promise a comfortable life but promises that we will find Him and He will stay with us. We can either welcome God into our lives or reject Him from it. If you are here at Mass I would imagine you have welcomed Him. The Wise came to offer Him their treasures and adoration. If you are here at Mass I would imagine that you are also here to do the same, to offer God your treasures of good works and adoration.

God, however, did not come for gifts and adoration for the reason that God lacks nothing and needs nothing. He came, because sin had left us with basically nothing and we were lost. He came to save us from our sins, our sinful lives, from our perverse way of living and thinking which brings only suffering and death. He came to teach us a way of life which is pleasing to God and begets true happiness and peace, teaching us to live holy lives. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Jesus preached.

Selfish sinful man sought only himself and the things of the world had consequently separated himself from God, for who needs God when one can look after oneself. And since man had lost God, how was he ever going to find God again or return to Him? Imagine you were on a journey without a map, gps, sat nav nor road signs indicating the way. How would you know if you are going in the right direction or how far to go? How easy would it be to get anywhere? How could one expect to find heaven not knowing where it is or what we needed to bring and offer to the King of Heaven. So God gave us a map and much more in His Son who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

While some people seek God to worship, other people find God quite an inconvenience to their way of life. King Herod sought Christ not because he wanted to worship Him, he sought him to kill him. He wanted to kill Christ because he was afraid of losing the things he loved so much: his crown, his power, his wealth, his 15 palaces, his life (though he was old and sick) etc. King Herod didn’t just try to kill God, he treated God as he treated others. King Herod was afraid that his family was going to kill him, and so executed his wife Mariamme in 29 B.C. over accusations that she had committed adultery and had tried to kill him. Afraid that his sons were plotting to kill him, Herod executed his sons Alexander and Aristobulus in 7 B.C., and Antipater II, Herod’s oldest son in 4 B.C. So we can see also in our lives and hearts, how we treat others we treat God, or rather what we do unto others we do unto God.

Our lives are either lived searching for God or lived chasing our personal goals or desires, lives which follow God’s Will or lives which reject or ignore it. We may become like the people of Bethlehem who have no space or time for God or the Shepherds who are not bound down by the busy world and so go find Him. We may become like the Wise Men who come to give their treasures to God or we may become like King Herod, afraid of losing his treasure, sought to kill the NewBorn King. It is also like the story of Cain and Abel, those who look to heaven and seek God prayers go to heaven before God like Abel’s smoke from his sacrifice which went straight up, or those who love the world and seek comfort, pleasure, profit etc and so if they pray their prayers sink to the earth like the smoke of the sacrifice of Cain which did not go up but sank to the earth only to cover it.