Rector's Words | saviourtheredeemer

Canon Bahman Kalantari

Sermon on Hoopoe – Pet blessing Sunday

A long time ago, the marvellous bird, the soul of the universe, decided to fly over the planet Earth. While soaring above a distant land, one of her colourful feathers fell to the ground. All living beings—from humans and animals to trees, lakes, and rivers—were filled with awe and adoration. They exclaimed, “If one of her feathers can evoke such feelings of awe, what would it be like to meet her face to face?”

Among the birds of the planet, one bird stands out as the wise seeker: the Hoopoe. Hoopoe’s head feathers have enabled her to feel and navigate in a deeper way. She decides to call upon the birds of the earth. When she does this, all the birds gather to hear what Hoopoe has to say.

Hoopoe is very excited. She tells them: “We should not be satisfied with merely possessing one of the feathers of the marvellous bird; we need to go and find her. We need to see her face to face. We need to tell her that we love her and want to stay with her.” Then, she asks all the birds, “Who is going to start the journey with me? What say you?”

Some birds are meditating, some are feeling strange, some are excited, and some who are reluctant now begin to answer Hoopoe’s question.

1. The Nightingale – The nightingale is in love with the rose and refuses to embark on the journey because it is content with earthly love. It cannot imagine leaving behind the beauty and attraction of the rose. It says: “I am in love with the rose. I do not need to seek the marvellous bird; my love for the rose is enough for me.”

2. The Parrot – The parrot seeks eternal life but fears the risks of the journey. It doesn’t want to leave the safety of its cage but is preoccupied with the idea of immortality. It says: “I love to find out more about life on earth and also eternal life, but I fear death. How can I risk this dangerous path? I will not start the journey with you.”

3. The Peacock – The peacock had visited the Garden of Eden a long time ago, which is the reason it is so stunning.

After listening to Hoopoe’s words, the peacock says: “Look at me! I am gorgeous, I am beautiful, I am adored, I am venerated; all from distant lands come to see my beauty. I was once in Paradise; why should I follow you? This journey is beneath me.”

4. The Duck – The duck says to Hoopoe: “Don’t you see that I have my pond? Every day, I need to do my ablution, to wash and cleanse myself from bad and fearful thoughts. I need to stay by the pond to remain the cleanest, a model for all to follow. I cannot leave my pond. Why should I venture into unknown dangers?”

5. The Partridge – The partridge loves to collect precious stones and jewels and has a magnificent treasure of colourful gems hidden in secret places. It says to Hoopoe: “I cannot leave my beautiful jewels. They are my life, my joy. Please leave me alone.”

6. The Falcon – The falcon says: “I rule the sky and the mountains. I see everything with my awesome eyes. I am the fastest on earth. Kings of the earth love me and bow to me. I am beautiful and glorious. I am not sure whether anyone higher than me ever existed. The marvellous bird you talk about needs to come to me. I am not interested in seeking an imaginary higher bird!”

7. The Sparrow – The sparrow says to Hoopoe: “I am so small and weak. Your journey to find the marvellous bird is long and full of hardship. I know I will never be capable of enduring such a journey. Please let me be where I need to be.” (Adapted from the Conference of the Birds)

But there are other birds who embrace Hoopoe’s call and follow her. On the path to find the marvellous bird’s nest on the holy mountain, Hoopoe and the other birds go through struggles and hardship. They traverse the seven valleys of clarification and discernment. After all the ups and downs, they reach the holy mountain, the marvellous bird’s nest.

As they enter her nest, Hoopoe and the birds feel tired after their long and strange journey. They look at one another, and all of a sudden, they realize something has changed drastically: without exchanging any words, they can now communicate love, joy, and hope with one another.

They feel they are only one bird; they sense that the marvellous bird has nested in their hearts. They are now united with one another and with all other creatures and beings that exist.

Now they are able to carry the marvellous bird’s soul to the four corners of the earth. They need to share their transformation with all, offering everyone a chance to be united with the marvellous bird. Their new journey has just begun.

Sermon on the Magi and St. Matthew

During Epiphany, we celebrate the Magi visiting baby Jesus. Epiphany means a big appearance or showing up. It is when Jesus was revealed to more than just his local community but to the whole world.

The Magi’s event has been understood in a few ways. I have talked about this before, but today I will share with you some new findings about the magi.

In the Gospel, the Magi asked Herod about the newborn King of the Jews, guided by a special star to worship Him.

First, why did the Magi come to the Holy Land? Their religious beliefs drove them to journey to the Holy Land.

The Magi were king-priests from Persia (Iran today) who followed Zoroastrianism. They were rulers beneath the highest King. Their belief involved a Trinitarian god: the wise lord, the wise lord's Son (Mithra), and the wise lord's daughter (Anahita).

Mithra, the wise lord's son, is the protector of truth and justice; he is the universal light, acts as the divine representative of the wise Lord on earth, and shields the righteous from the darkness.

Anahita, the wise lord's daughter, is the queen of heaven; she protects pure waters, and offers wisdom, renewal, and peacefulness to people.

Now, let's understand why we believe the Magi were three individuals:

1. One represented and served the wise lord.

2. Another represented and served the wise lord's son, Mithra.

3. The third represented and served the wise lord's daughter, Anahita.

According to the Magi's Holy Scriptures, there are FOUR Saviours expected at the end of each one-thousand-year period. They traveled to the Holy Land seeking the new saviour of their time, who would be the wise Lord's adopted Son.

Again we need to ask, why did St. Matthew write about the Magi in his Gospel?

First,

1. Matthew was a tax-collector and money-changer.

2. He likely had literacy in multiple languages to gather information for his job.

3. His success as a moneychanger required understanding various currencies and exchange rates.

4. To comprehend economies, living in different countries was crucial in ancient times.

Second,

Ambrose, a church leader in the fourth century, mentioned that Matthew, the Gospel writer, traveled to Persia and Macedonia.

During his time in Persia, Matthew stayed along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. This explains why a copy of Matthew's Gospel made its way to India around the same period.

Christian Persians believed and wrote that Matthew's Gospel was originally written in Aramaic. They converted to Christianity because they had access to this Aramaic version, which educated Persians could easily read.

However, historical evidence confirms that the Gospels, including Matthew's, were written in Greek.

But, Papias, an early church leader from the first and second centuries, noted that Matthew also wrote a Gospel in the Hebrews' own dialect, which was Aramaic.

Therefore, we believe that Matthew wrote his Gospel in both Aramaic and Greek. His journey to Persia aimed to continue the mission initiated by the Magi, sharing the good news with those in that region.

Another question: Did the Magi return to Persia?

Marco Polo, a traveler from the thirteen and fourteen centuries, wrote about the Magi in his book. He learned they were from Persia by reading local history and interviewing the people. According to his findings, the three Magi started their journey from a city called Saba, returned there from the Holy Land, and passed away. Marco discovered their graves in Saba's cemetery.

This is the gist of the new findings.

And the last question is: what is the message of Epiphany for us today? What is God's liberating message in this Gospel passage?

Sometimes, like the Magi, we await a significant change or event, longing for renewal. Our Heavenly Father understands this and sends signs:

These signs can lead us to the new and amazing things that bring about significant change in our lives. It could be a rainbow (like in Noah's case), a lamb (like in Abraham's case), a ladder (like in Jacob's case), or a star (as with the Magi).

When we see the star, do we perceive it as a distant beauty or recognize it as a sign? Having faith means accepting the star as a sign of God's activity, not just a beautiful sight.

Let us pray:

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, during this Epiphany season, we long to come to you, honour you as our King, worship you, and walk in your footsteps. Guide us with faith and happiness, much like the Magi on their spiritual quest. Empower us through the Holy Spirit's work to establish your Kingdom here on earth. In Abba’s presence we pray. Amen.