The Year of Epiphany

Each association within the Church has its own distinctive character. Members of the ‘Word of God’ groups must live out the spirituality of the Incarnation. At certain stages in the life of the Movement, the General Leader proclaims an Epiphany Year. Through the Epiphany, God reveals himself to the world; light shines in the darkness; Jesus reveals himself to all peoples. It is a kind of jubilee for the members of our Movement. That is why this 15th anniversary year will be a year of celebration and joy in the Lord our God. An anniversary is often a time to recall a significant event. For us, it is a time to recall what characterises us, or should characterise us: our spirituality. Is every member truly living out the Movement’s spirituality? Are there not often times when other aspects of daily life take precedence? My spirituality should not be just one activity amongst many others. It should take first place amongst my activities because it leads me to God. Spirituality is therefore like a path that leads to Jesus, but one that suits me best. Without it, we can still reach Jesus, but with much greater difficulty. My spirituality is like a pair of shoes in the size that fits me best. If I wear a different size, I can still carry on walking, but either the shoe will be too tight and hurt me, or it will be too big and weigh me down. My spirituality is therefore the size of my divine shoe. Neglecting my vocation is, in fact, neglecting God.

When we say that God must take first place in our lives, this also means that my spirituality must be the primary activity, the very essence of my activities in life. For if I live it well, I will love Jesus more, I will love my family, my friends and even my enemies more. I will fulfil my duty in my state of life more effectively. My lack of love for God is therefore also a sign that I am not living out my vocation properly. My spirituality is, first and foremost, a path that I must embrace and come to know better, so that I can better help others to embark upon it. My spirituality is a gift of the Holy Spirit. The Epiphany Year is a time when we recall the wonders God has worked for us, but also when we share God’s graces through evangelisation.

The principal agent of evangelisation is the Holy Spirit. Pope Paul VI teaches us that without him, even the most sophisticated methods of evangelisation do not yield the expected results. For it is the Holy Spirit who gives power to the words of the evangeliser. It is also He who touches the heart of the one being evangelised. If this is the case, how then can we receive the Holy Spirit? For if we have Him, He will ensure the success of our evangelisation, and it will bear much fruit in this Year of the Epiphany. The Holy Spirit is given to us at Baptism and in the other sacraments. He comes to us when we pray. But for us, members of the Word of God groups, in addition to these moments when we receive the Holy Spirit, He comes to us especially when we live out the Word of God. ‘Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him. We will come to him and make our home with him’ (Jn 14:23). St Ambrose reminds us that every Christian who believes, in a certain sense, conceives and brings forth the Word of God within themselves: whilst there is only one Mother of Christ according to the flesh, according to faith, Christ is the fruit of all. Pope Benedict XVI therefore says that what happened to Mary can also happen to us every day, as we listen to the Word and celebrate the sacraments (Verbum Domini). Where Jesus is, there is the Father, there is the Holy Spirit. For us, although essential, it will not be enough simply to receive the sacraments or to pray. The grace of the sacraments must help us to become what we receive (Vatican II). We must please Jesus by doing his will so that the Holy Spirit may dwell within us. To dwell implies a duration. The Holy Spirit takes time to remain within us when we do what pleases Jesus.

When we organise a celebration, we invite friends and gather together for the festivities. This year, our aim will be to invite many people so that they may come and experience the joy of living out the Word of God, through well-organised gatherings. In this way, each member will also try to reach out to those sheep who have strayed from the flock and who are currently struggling in their walk with Jesus. These are people who, for one reason or another, are no longer with us and are no longer walking with us, so that they may return to the group and, above all, to the Church. At a celebration, we offer food to our guests. In the same way, this year we must ensure that our members are spiritually nourished by the sacraments and the Word of God. Each of us, by encouraging and helping members to be united with the Church so that they may receive the Eucharist—which they are missing if they have not yet received the sacrament of marriage— by taking part in the sacrament of reconciliation at least once a month, by attending not only Mass every Sunday but, as far as possible, receiving Holy Communion at least once on other days of the week, by spending one hour a week in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and by reading at least one chapter of the Bible each day. Thus, each day, a chapter will be recommended to us in the prayer sheet. For long-standing members, this involves re-reading many of the teachings.

A happy and blessed New Year 2012.

Henri Bayemi