It’s the coldest month of the year. The days are short, the nights are long, and the Christmas hype, which begins as early as October, ceases. As the gifts are returned, the decorations packed till next year, the culture-at-large places an abrupt end to the Christmas story, but people of faith know that is not the full story.
This month, we celebrate Epiphany, when the Magi, following a light in the sky, found Jesus. So do we, even in the cold and the darkness.
The light of Epiphany offers hope to the poor and the hungry. Every day, the Franciscan Friars feed the poor and hungry from the St. Francis Breadline in the middle of New York City, to the remote ministries that serve the Athabaskan people of Alaska.
The friars bring the Gospel to the Athabaskans in the way Pope Francis described bringing the light of Jesus to the peripheries. The Athabaskans surely are part of the American periphery. Few suffer in January as much from the darkness and the cold as the Athabaskans. Most of the year is spent gathering food, often via fishing, stockpiling for the long winter. The friars have been among the people for nearly 40 years, caring for the Catholic faith, which came to the indigenous tribe in 1877 and is part of the Diocese of Fairbanks. The often-gloomy weather and the isolation are a part of life. The friars who minister there learn what it is like to live in nature, both in its glory and in its gloom, sharing the faith with people who have little in material terms yet much to offer in ancient wisdom.
Now the days grow longer, even if slowly. The increasing light will lead to a glorious spring. The Alaskan wilderness will soon be overwhelmed with God’s creation. So is it with all Christians who mark the Epiphany miracle. The Magi represent the fact that the infant Jesus is for everyone, not a secret to be shared with an elite group. The light shines all over the world for all people. Today, the friars continue to share that message.
Jesus, the light of the world, is celebrated on Epiphany. Planned Giving to the Franciscans allows you to share that light with the world, including the poor the friars serve both in the United States and abroad. A Planned Giving donation can be part of your overall financial and estate planning and support the Franciscan mission. Options for giving include bequests, charitable trusts, life insurance policies, and retirement accounts.
To learn more about how you can help the Franciscan Friars, contact Bro. Paul O’Keeffe, OFM, at pokeeffe@friars.us or (646) 766-1567.