NEWMAN CATHOLIC SOCIETY

Orientation Week for the University of Auckland is 22nd-26th February. NewCathSoc will have a stall next to Kate Edger Information Commons, just outside the coffee shop there. This is where students can signup if they want to join the club. It is also a chance for students to ask for any information about what NewCathSoc usually do and what it would do to them if they join it. Moreover, the Catholic Tertiary Chaplaincy will assist the group and a chance for others to meet the Chaplains. Catholic Tertiary Chaplaincy is located at Newman Hall (16 Waterloo Quadrant).

The gospel reading on the feast of the Epiphany is an unsual story because it’s only found in Matthew’s gospel; the story of the three wise men.  What is fundamental about this story? What makes this story unique for the feast of the Epiphany? We all know how the story goes; three wise men from the east found a bright star and followed it to Bethlehem where they found the baby Jesus. There is something unique about the direction of the East. Here are some references to the Old Testament. “I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east (Ezk 43:2); The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east – for the temple faced east (Ezk 47:1); An east wind from the LORD will come, blowing in from the desert (Hosea 13:15).  Have you ever wondered why would three men decide to come all the way to the foreign land of Israel? Why bother walking thousands of miles only for the sake of a star? Somewhere down the line, the story has changed from being wise men to being kings. Whatever they really were, we still pose the question, “What motivated them to travel? Was it important if they actually made the journey or was the story  just a symbolisation of what Jesus represented in his later life? Will understanding this story help us in our faith journey and pay homage to Jesus the way these men worshiped the baby Jesus?

“Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth—in a word, to know himself—so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves (cf. Ex 33:18; Ps 27:8-9; 63:2-3; Jn 14:8; 1 Jn 3:2).” These are the very first words of Pope John Paul II in his encyclical letter Fides et Ratio. How often do we take in these words and ponder its meaning? How often do we even read an encyclical letter? How often do we contemplate about the truth? To believe (faith) and  to know (reason) with regards to anything on Earth is always a never ending journey for us humans. Truth is God. Truth is our ultimate destiny. Truth is revealed when God reveals himself at the end of time. Unfortunately for some, they believe they have found the truth already. Where do you place yourself?