The Epiphany of the Lord
R. May God bless us in his mercy.
Written by Winston Cadenas
I will never forget seeing one of my classmates walk into 7th grade algebra with a shirt that read “This shirt is illegal in 53 countries” with a picture of a cross and the words “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.”
I would like to begin my reflection by acknowledging the blessing it is to live in a place where we can openly say the name of Jesus and also pray for the nations where they are persecuted for those same actions.
“Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.” This refrain reminds us that the Lord's reign is for all. Every nation, every heart. Throughout Psalm 72 we hear a description of a kingdom that is turning its focus onto the Lord and the fruits that come from doing so.
“Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more.” This line indicates to us that a kingdom with Jesus at the center will flourish and thrive. That with Jesus at the center we will see a deep and enduring peace, one that extends beyond the surface level and reaches to the very foundations of society until “the moon is no more”. Indefinitely. Forever. This imagery is beautiful to me because it is showing us a glimpse of heaven but also showing us that this kingdom is not far out of reach.
“For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save.” One of the things that I really love about this is that all of what Solomon is writing here about the Lord is true. When Jesus came his mission aligned with this entirely and we still see these fruits today.
However, I will say that as a society we can often find ourselves drifting from keeping Jesus at the center. I dare say at times it can feel like the shirt I mentioned above can lead to persecution even in America where we have the freedom of religion. However, this psalm gives us hope. It shows us that even 2023, plus some years ago, there was hope for the nations that the Lord would come and restore peace and justice. That same hope is the one that we feel today. The difference we have is that we know that the Lord came and fulfilled these prophecies. The same way that he rescued the poor when they cried out back then is the way that he does so today.
So how do we change the nations and bring Christ back to the center?
It starts with you. And me. And our households. Our families. Our friends, parishes, work spaces. If we can bring Christ back to the center of those “kingdoms”. we can begin to see the way those around us recognize the fruits of that action.
So I challenge you and me, how can we bring Christ back to the center of these tangible “kingdoms” to one day have every nation, and heart, adore the Lord?
Winston Cadenas ended up dropping that 7th grade algebra course he mentioned above. 😜 He is a 22 year old singer songwriter out of Houston TX. He just recently got engaged and is working on a lot of music as he strives to pursue the Lord as much as he can. He wants to let everyone know that it’s been a really good year so far (yes, he knows it’s only been a week). You can follow him on Instagram.
Pray with today’s psalm.