They saw the child.  An epiphany is a sudden realization about the nature or meaning of something.   The birth of a child can be an epiphany that suddenly makes us understand love and responsibility in a new way.   A doctor’s warning about health issues can be an epiphany that causes us to change the way we eat.   And a Scripture passage, homily, or spiritual book can be an epiphany that helps us see Jesus in an unexpected, new way. The Greek...

Behold.  Just a word, a suggestion, a nudge.   That’s what John the Baptist gave Andrew and his friend.   But it was all they needed to take the step to look for Jesus.   John didn’t discuss Jesus’ teachings.   He didn’t examine messianic prophecy.   He just said  Behold!   There he is.   Go take a look;  check it out.   Then, when Andrew approached him, Jesus was similarly concise.   He simply invited him to “Come and see” (John 1:39).   It...

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him.  It’s amazing how such a small instrument like a telescope can show us something millions of miles away.   For the Moon and some planets, in fact, the view becomes so clear that you’re able to describe them in detail. John the Baptist seemed to have had a spiritual kind of telescope.   From his mother’s womb, he recognized Jesus present within Mary.   As a prophet living in the desert, he kept his...

And now, children, remain in him.  Lord, you know that I want to remain in you.   I want to stay close to you at all times.   But you also know that I don’t always do it.   I often get distracted.   I don’t think to call on you when I’m in trouble.   Sometimes I get so busy that I forget about you.   So I’m asking you to help me.   I do not know what this new year holds, what joys I will experience or what sorrows and challenges I will face. ...

We saw his glory. Before God became man in Jesus, the closest that any ordinary Jewish person came to “seeing” God’s glory occurred just once a year on the Day of Atonement.   On that day, and only on that day, the high priest was allowed to enter the inner sanctuary of the Temple where God dwelt.   No one else could encounter God and experience his glory face to face. But when Jesus became one of us, he gave all of us the privilege of seeing...

Whoever loves his brother remains in the light.  It’s been a couple of weeks since Christmas, and the warm feelings we associate with the holidays are beginning to fade.   So what now?   What difference will Jesus’ coming to live among us make in our lives?   How will it help us to love each other and remain “in the light” (1 John 2:8)? For one thing, because Jesus became one of us, we now know what love looks like in real-life situations.   On...