This Monday, I traveled to the headquarters of Catholic Relief Services in Baltimore to continue my orientation work and to meet the staff. It gave me an opportunity to thank everyone at CRS for the extraordinary work that they do on behalf of the poor, marginalized, those who are struggling to overcome natural and man-made disasters and their efforts to give hope to the youth of the world.
Monday is also the traditional day to celebrate Epiphany- the feast when we commemorate the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child. Since the Magi were Gentiles and non-believers, their search for the Christ Child and the homage they gave the Lord when they arrived in Bethlehem, powerfully reminds us that our Lord has come for the salvation of all peoples. His life and love alone can bring true healing, reconciliation, forgiveness, and peace to every human person. Epiphany literally means “to the Light.” It is the manifestation of the Divine Light of God’s love who comes to us in His fullness in the Christ child born in Bethlehem.
The work of CRS brings Christ’s light into the darkness of millions of lives that are overshadowed by conflict, natural disasters, sicknesses such as Ebola and the scourge of war. I can think of no better way to commemorate the coming of the Light of Christ into our broken world than to spend this day with the staff of CRS.
The previous reflection originally appeared on Bishop Frank Caggiano’s Facebook page. Follow the Bishop for daily reflections and weekly videos.
