January 5, 2025 – The Second Sunday after Christmas
Fr. Cal Calhoun
In the Name of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
At the 10:30 service, the Feast of Lights celebration means no sermon. But I feel like you at the 8:15 are cheated without the Feast of Lights liturgy and no sermon. But this also means this sermon will be a bit light. Which, if you are paying attention, is an intentional pun!
The Feast of Epiphany and the season of Epiphany have light as their primary symbol. The wise men follow the light of the star. The word Epiphany means a new understanding, an ah-ha moment. How are those moments pictured in cartoons? A light bulb above one’s head, often accompanied by the word Eureka! The origin of which I have no idea about whatsoever! But the light is the symbol of a new understanding.
Br. Curtis Almquist, of SSJE, the Episcopal monastery in Boston, writes: “Your own life is a Christmas gift from God to the world.” Think about that: Your own life is a Christmas gift from God to the world. “As followers of Jesus Christ, we are to bear the beams of God’s love and light and life, especially to those who wouldn’t otherwise know it. If you were to say, ‘there doesn’t seem to be much light in me right now…’ you might be surprised. In a dark place, even a little bit of light will have a brilliant effect.”
I am reminded of the image Greg Phelps used in the sermon last week. When asked about the meaning of life, the speaker pulled a small rounded mirror from his wallet. And he said, “With this mirror, I can reflect light. I am not the light, but I can reflect light into the dark and hurting places around me. That is the meaning of life.”
For us disciples, Jesus is the light of the world. Yet, as he states in John 9:5, he is the light “as long as I am in the world.” We disciples therefore take up his role: acting as he instructs us.… that we too can be the light of the world. Once we recognize that we are light, we also recognize that our role is to shine so that others can find their way.
In this new year, I invite you to own that light that is already in you. Shine light in places that need love and compassion, whether on the other side of the world, across this great nation, across the street, or within our own homes. Your own life is a Christmas gift from God to the world. Be the light. Amen.
Year C – 2 Sunday After Christmas – January 5, 2025 – The Rev. Cal Calhoun
