In Search of Wisdom
The Feast of the Epiphany commemorates the manifestation of Jesus Christ to the gentile nations. The Magi, who came from the East, represent the gentile nations. The Magi travelled far and wide in search of the King of the Jews, but what they found was no ordinary king – the found the King of Kings. An interesting thing to note is that while the Gospel of Matthew is the only Gospel that contains the story of the Magi, it also ends with the risen Christ commanding His apostles to make disciples of all nations (cf. Matthew 28:19). The significance of this is that although Israel had been God’s chosen people in the Old Testament, the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been revealed and spread to the nations in the world. As prophesied by Simeon, Christ has indeed become a Light for revelation to the Gentiles. (cf. Luke 2:32).
The story of the Magi teaches us wisdom. It teaches us the wisdom to go and search for something that gives meaning to life. The Magi knew that something extraordinary was about to happen, so they went forth and searched for it, even though it meant traveling hundreds of miles away from home across the desert and unfamiliar territory.
The story of the Magi also teaches us the wisdom to discern what is worth looking for. The Magi did not set out on a long journey in search of fame, riches or power. On the contrary, they set out to look for a king who they could do homage and offer their gifts to. They went in search of the King of the Jews. When they found the Child Jesus, they beheld the glory that was hidden in the child lying in a manger – the Christ to whom they were led to by the star.
Like the Magi, we too can have the wisdom to search for something that gives meaning to life, and the wisdom to discern what is worth looking for. The story of the Magi beckons us to embrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ that has been offered to us. It encourages us not to be complacent with our faith or the lack thereof. We may not have to travel hundreds of miles in search for Jesus Christ, but we must continue to search for Him in our lives each and every day, and to give Him homage by offering Him our own gifts – our love for God and kindness to all those we meet.
The GDOT (Georgia Department of Transportation) is planning a Norcross Greenway Project which will provide approximately 3.3 miles of new shared-use paths offering a commute and recreational transport alternative that will serve and connect multiple neighborhoods, employment centers, schools, churches, and parks between South Cemetery Street (walking distance to Buford Highway/Historic Downtown Norcross) and the Beaver Ruin Road shared-use trail at Pinnacle Way/Beaver Ruin Road. The current plan has no direct impact on the HNOJ church property. The map of the proposed project is attached.
There are still a few Chinese Liturgical Calendars left in the church. If you would like a copy mailed to your home, please let Fr. Bill know.
禱告名單 (Prayer List)：李錦瓊 (Agnes Lam)，王雙三 (Shuang-san Wang)，潘博豪 (Bo Hao Pan)，郭惠慈 (Ann Hsu)，沈曹娥 (Cao é Shen)，Braden Leung，Lucky Lee。
