by: Dr. Oscar Merlo, President AETH Board of Directors.
Family, as we enter this first week of the year let us take a moment to reflect and anticipate the dawn of a new journey in 2024. Before we get down to the business of life, I invite you to see this time as a serene transition from one year to the next. In this posture, we will discover that a beautiful opportunity awaits us: that of embracing the essence of Epiphany (the Advent of the wise men of the East, which unveils the revelation of our Savior to all nations and creation). This day let us embrace introspection and anticipation, and thanking Jesus with all our heart, mind and soul let us celebrate that His presence, our Epiphany, has been with us even in the most difficult moments of 2023.
Epiphany invites us to seek the light and treasure within ourselves and the community. Urging us to unveil the depth of our faith and light, guiding hope anchored in the birth of our Prince of Peace. A child the Magi were privileged to see - imagine their reactions! Holy Scripture tells us that they fell to their knees and worshipped as they experienced their personal and collective Epiphany. They traveled, migrated from distant lands and faced enormous challenges following the shining star. They imagined what that moment would be like and what to say to the child of their Epiphany. However, all they could do was to fall on their knees and worship under the loving gaze of the incarnate grace that our heavenly Abba had given to mankind. This mystery of Christ revealed as grace-filled savior in the eyes of the hearts of humanity always leads us to fall on our knees and worship. Today, as we enter this year, we surrender on our knees and adore our King of Kings. As you exercise this personal and collective posture, be assured: He sees you! His solemn grace and His shalom will be your bread and water for the horizon and the journey ahead.
As the year gently opens the curtains, a new horizon appears, and we find ourselves on the verge of a new chapter. For many, it is a joy to enter a new season. For others, it is not. Indeed, for many in our community; the marginalized, the single mothers, the migrant families at our borders, and the many people around the world who suffer injustice without knowing what tomorrow holds, are experiencing complex realities and uncertainties for the journey in 2024. As the first week of this year unveils in full, let us hold these families in our hearts and pray that, at the very least, they experience their own Epiphany and the grace-filled, loving hands of a Church (us) used by the Holy Spirit to accompany them in their suffering. More than ever, the bright Star of David needs to shine through us and reveal itself as the beacon of grace and hope in the midst of a broken world.
Epiphany comes as a beacon of grace and hope that reminds us that, beyond the jubilant celebrations, there is a deeper meaning: an invitation to continue searching for the light that guides our paths. It calls us to search for the treasures within us, to unearth the richness of our Latin faith that our grandparents pass on year after year. We are not alone in this journey, we carry within us the faith of a community of witnesses (elders, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, ancestors and new generations) who experienced a resilience illuminated by Christ, beacon of grace and hope for the world. Matthew 2:9-11 "And behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, until it came and stopped where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly. And when they came into the house, they saw the Child with Mary his mother, and they fell down on their knees and worshiped him and presented their gifts to him..."
The wise men understood that the birth of Christ marked the dawn of a new era: a reign of justice and a hymn of hope for the oppressed under empire and domination. With the birth of Christ came melodies of joy, breathing new life into despair and uplifting shepherds and creation. From that moment and throughout eternity, the proclamation of Christ's birth and His timeless message persist: a promise of new beginnings and an unwavering call to walk a path illuminated by faith in Him. Let us commit ourselves to pursue this light (Jesus), embracing and sharing the profound essence of love and compassion that Christ exemplified. In Him resides the hope that inspires us to embark on this new journey with courage and unwavering determination to discover the treasures of faith, empathy and goodwill not only in ourselves, but in the humanity of our community.
As we look toward new horizons, let us decide to follow the light wherever the Holy Spirit leads us. For Christ leads the way, inviting us to follow him with our fellow travelers, our communities. It is at the convergence of our journeys that we become radiant beacons of grace and hope in the midst of darkness, discovering one another and collectively illuminating the world with a woven tapestry of love, empathy, humility and unity. At AETH we pray: "May the year ahead be a witness to our dedication to pursue the beacon of grace and hope, the light of Jesus. Recognizing Christ in the faces of those we encounter and uniting us as beacons that collectively banish the darkness with the luminosity and brightness of the Holy Spirit and our shared humanity."