who am I?

Homily

Wednesday of the 4th Week in Ordinary Time C2

St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center at the University of Kansas

2 February 2022

AMDG +mj

Who am I?

Today's Candlemas, the 40th and final day of Christmas in the old calendar, is a Feast that sheds a special light into this question.  Who am I?  

So a final Merry Christmas to you all!  Today is a Feast of Light.  For the particular light of Jesus that has been 'epiphanied' to the whole world through the recognition of the star by the Magi, today reaches its final Christmas destination by appearing in the temple.  Today Jesus is presented by His parents in His Father's house for the 1st time.

Simeon prophesies rightly that Jesus has come for revelation, to shed light on the question of who God is.  Through the mystery of the Incarnation, God becoming man, which we have contemplated for 40 days, the question of who I am is simultaneous with the question of who God is.  Jesus's appearing shows me over and over again who I am.

The candles presented today point to Jesus' desire to shine light into the mystery of your identity.  He is desperate today to epiphany Himself and shine light into any dark recessed of your temple, into any lies you believe about yourself.  

If you dare, He begs to reveal that you are His, that who you are is whose you are.  

When you were presented in the temple you received the simplest and most profound identity possible. I am His.  

Today's Feast begs you to renew this identity at this turn in your life. 

So ask yourself in light of the Incarnation.  Who am I?

I