Brief synopsis of the readings: The first reading comes to us from Isaiah and brings great joy. Light bursts through the clouds and your family will be reunited. Not only that, but you will benefit from the wealth of all the world. The Gospel comes from Matthew and recounts the events immediately after Jesus’ birth. Magi from the East arrive in Jerusalem seeking the King of the Jews as fortold in the stars. King Herod hears this and is troubled (as is all of Jerusalem). Herod convenes the chief priests and scribes and asks them what this means. They recount the prophesy from Isaiah that from Bethlehem will come a ruler who will shepherd the people of Israel. Herod told the magi to go to Bethlehem where they will find the child. After giving him homage they are to return and report to Herod, allowing Herod to give homage to this ruler. The magi found Joseph, Mary, and Jesus and did him homage. They also gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. In a dream they were warned not to return to Jerusalem and they returned home by a different way.

From as long as I can remember I’ve heard the phrase “poor stepchild.” In every church I’ve worked for a long line of people lined up to my office to tell me that their pet project was the poor stepchild of the parish. It didn’t matter what it was: the Catholic School, the CCD program, the youth group, the parish council, or the liturgy committee. They all felt that their project was underappreciated through no fault of their own. I often found these complaints amusing, but there was often a nugget of truth to what they were saying: the focus of the parish was in the wrong place and I feel we need to refocus.

I also think about this term “poor stepchild” when it comes to Epiphany, today’s feast. Epiphany commemorates the night Jesus was visited by the magi and received gifts from them. Our gift giving today memorializes that, but we exchange gifts at Christmas, not Epiphany. If we commemorate Epiphany at all, it’s when we take down the Christmas tree and lights.

If Epiphany is the poor stepchild of the Christmas season, then Jesus is the poor stepchild of Kings. He will redeem all of humankind and save the world, and yet there he is, near (but not in) Jerusalem, near (but not in) an inn, near (but not in) the court of King Herod. He lies in a feeding trough, a child of uncertain parentage, with absolutely no staff. He doesn’t even rate the paparazzi.

But the stars know who he is and align for him. And these magi know who he is. It’s amusing to me that we’ve filled in so many of the blanks of these magi. The word itself means “magician” or “astrologer” and as far as we can tell they are foreigners from the East. Matthew doesn’t tell us, but since they brought three gifts (gold, frankincense, and myrrh) we’ve always assumed there were three of them. We’ve even given them names: Caspar, Balthasar, and Melchior. They see the alignment of the stars and somehow figure out that this alignment foretells the “King of the Jews.”

I can only imagine how King Herod reacted when these strangers approached his throne and asked for the “King of the Jews.” I spoke about this last week (in 2014); While Herod was a Jew and as a Jew prayed for the Messiah’s coming, he really wanted nothing of the sort. He knew that this baby in nearby Bethlehem threatened everything he had worked for. This is a bit oversimplified but Herod saw himself as the King of the Jews. He was appointed to his position by the Roman conquerers because he made a deal with them: allow the Jews to continue to practice their religion and Herod would make sure they didn’t cause any trouble for Rome. The idea that there is another “King of the Jews” put all this in danger, even if this king is an infant.

And so Herod lies to the magi. He points them in the right direction but asks them to return and tell him where this baby is so he can pay homage. Jesus survived his first few weeks only because the magi figured this out and took a different direction on their way out. The verses after this reading show just how evil Herod is: last week I spoke about the Holy Family’s flight to Egypt and the murder of the “holy innocents.” Herod had all the male children under two years old murdered to ensure no threat to his power. And even with all that blood on his hands, it didn’t work.

The dichotomy between the two Kings of the Jews, between Herod and Jesus, marks a divergence in human history. Herod is old school: he was born to a wealthy family and gained his throne through a series of brutal and calculating moves. He ruled for his own comfort and cared for others only to the extent that they could provide for him. He was, essentially, the model human king.

Jesus shows us a revolutionary new school: he was born to poverty. He led a short life on earth, gathered around him poor people like himself. He railed not for his own gain, but against the injustice he saw around him. He did not seek the approval of the powerful but the discipleship of the humble. His claim to the throne came not from the powerful, but from the Father. He built a legacy where all would be saved instead, not where the most would get more. His reign is eternal because of this.

I don’t wish to oversimplify this and imply that all human kings are evil. In the course of human history, earthly kings have run the gamut of good and evil. But it is worth noting that Jesus’ reign is unique. His reign is eternal because it finds its foundation on God, not on other humans. We find our salvation in Jesus while we barely remember Herod’s name.

I don’t want to push this point too far or cause too much controversy but I can’t get the image of Pope Francis out of my mind. For so many years our leadership as Catholics told us that the summit of discipleship lies in orthodoxy. We were faithful when we were obedient and tolerance was a sign of weakness.

Nearly two years ago we learned the name Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who chose the name Francis. As we were lighting up Google for any information on this Argentine, he was already setting his agenda. The rest of the College of Cardinals were boarding the bus to go back to their hotel and a limo pulled up for the new Holy Father. He dismissed the limo, got on the bus with the rest of the Cardinals, rode back to the hotel, and paid his bill. Since then he eschewed the luxury of the Papal apartment and moved into a room in the hotel. He has shown us, in words and deeds, that he is new school. Discipleship isn’t ultimately about obedience but about faithfulness. Discipleship should be joyful, creative, and open to all. We are called not to judge, but to serve.

If his papacy has told us anything it has told us this: Herod and his minions are not welcome. He has railed again and again against Vatican clerics who advance their careers at the expense of the faithful. I find this refreshing. I know I don’t stand alone when I say that whenever the Holy Father reaches out to the poor and afflicted he becomes closer and closer to the “new school” type that Jesus proclaimed.

And those clerics? Well, they may now think of themselves as the poor stepchildren, but they’re not. I think that the parish of the world has found its focus.