Published January 9 2025

Watch Mgr Lebrun's homily at the Basilica of Sainte-Thérèse in Lisieux on Sunday, January 5, 2025

Solemnity of the Epiphany
Basilica of Lisieux
5th January 2025

Reads

Is 60, 1-6 ; Ps 71
Ep 3, 2-3a.5-6; Mt 2, 1-12

Homily

“And behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem” (Mt 2:1).

Brothers and sisters, on the feast of the Epiphany, we see the grace of Jesus' attraction. How many nationalities are there in the Basilica this morning? I am thinking of the United States, Peru, Madagascar, Ivory Coast, Poland, not to mention the travelers who are the Magi by destination, to name only the countries of which I am sure. Perhaps there are also among us some members of the chosen people, the Jewish people. We are more certainly members of several peoples from beyond the seas.

In all countries of the world, men and women, children and old people, “come to see”, a bit like the Magi. This is one of the things that touches me the most at the moment in my diocese. High school students, students, young professionals – perhaps there are some among us – come to see. Their path is sometimes strange when it is a person distant or even in contradiction with the Christian faith who gives them an indication. It happens. Such was the situation of the Magi in Jerusalem. The indication given by Herod is good. Jesus was indeed born in Bethlehem. Herod’s heart is less so.

The first and most certain indication is given by the star. Its perception by the Magi is the beginning of their faith. It even provokes great joy when it appears again. The star lights up the night, the star forms a constellation with others, the star advances, the star is mysterious. Thérèse's childlike soul loves the stars, she loves to look at them, to discern them. She tells her Papa that she spots in the sky a group of stars that form a T, T like Thérèse: she deduces that her name is written in the sky (cf. A 18). The morning star is on her coat of arms both Jesus according to the apocalypse, and Mary according to the litanies. Thérèse stated in a letter to her aunt Guérin in 1896: "I was born under a lucky star" realizing that the good Lord had given her parents like no other on earth, according to her expression (L 202, 57).

What do we do, brothers and sisters, with Creation, with its contemplation, with the Creator? What do we do with the joy that such harmony brings? Human activity can certainly damage it and disruptions can frighten us, but all this cannot erase the Word of God that it contains. At the beginning of this year, that is to say at a time when we become more aware of being in created time, I encourage you to read in Creation the work of God's love.

Heaven is our horizon, an indefinite horizon that God calls us to look upon as an infinite horizon. Everything under heaven belongs to him again since his Son came to make his home there, since he who was never created became one of us, his creatures.

The Word of God that is Creation opens with a more astonishing Word, that of the child God. Before the extraordinary event of the birth of the Son of God in Bethlehem, Creation seems to fade away. Thérèse translates this in a poem written on this feast of the Epiphany: “Let everyone get ready … / The star stops! … Let us all enter into celebration / Let us adore the Child.”

In truth, the Word of creation fades away twice: once it disappears before the wickedness of Herod, another time it stops before the Child God.

Brothers and sisters, let us be careful that our wickedness does not make the signs of God's love in his creation disappear from our eyes; but let us allow ourselves to be led to adoration where nothing exists except God, and his plan of love for us, for all. In 1886, the very legitimate joys of Christmas faded for Thérèse before the love of God, his love for all, for great criminals as well as for priests.

At the beginning of this Jubilee Year, let us allow the charity that nourishes hope to enter our hearts. Let us indulge in acts of charity to which our faith in God, made a little child by love, leads us.

Dominique Lebrun
Archbishop of Rouen.