Mt 2: 1-12
Fr. Tim
Posted on 01/05/2013 8:33:15 PM PST by Salvation
THE MANIFESTATION TO THE GENTILES
(A biblical refection on THE SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD, Sunday 6 January 2013)
Gospel Reading: Matthew 2:1-12
First Reading: Is 60:1-6; Psalms: Ps 72:1-2,7-8,10-13; Second Reading: Eph 3:2-3,5-6
The Scripture Text
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east, and have come to worship Him. When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern My people Israel.
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared, and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found Him bring me word, that I too may come and worship Him. When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the house they saw the child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh (Mt 2:1-12 RSV).
Todays feast, also known as the Manifestation to the Gentiles, celebrates the call of Gentiles, or non Israelites, to salvation. Many first century Jews were eagerly awaiting a Messiah who would deliver them from foreign oppression and reestablish Israel as Gods dwelling place. But Jesus did not come to deliver His people from political bondage. He came to save His people from their sins (Mt 2:21). In Jesus, the Father set out to create one universal Church encompassing women and men of every nation.
This is where the magi come in, the first Gentiles to whom Jesus was made manifest. They came seeking the King of the Jews, but found the King of the universe instead! And who were these magi? They probably were not kings, but astronomers and astrologers combined together. They were experts in stars as well very good zodiac readers. These wise men were wise in that they were searching for truth and undertook a long and arduous journey just to find it. An when they found Jesus, who is truth incarnate, they bowed down in worship the surest sign of wisdom.
Just as Jesus at His birth drew wise men from afar, so today He draws people of all backgrounds to Himself. People all over the world, whether consciously or unconsciously, are searching for the truth and life found in the person of Jesus. There is not one person, no matter how far from the truth they seem, to whom Jesus does not want to manifest His presence and love.
So, let us commit ourselves to praying that people of every religious and cultural background come to know salvation and experience the fullness of life that God offers them through Jesus. Let us pray for those who are sincerely seeking the truth, especially those who seem to be looking in the wrong places. Let us ask God for the wisdom to recognize those people with whom He wants us to share His light and love. As the late Pope John Paul II once encouraged, let us be like that star that guides other s to the light of Christ, so that individuals and peoples in search of truth, justice, and peace may come to Jesus, the one Savior of the world.
Short Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing that Your plan of salvation is meant for everyone, including myself. Help all those who are searching for You to find the light of truth in Your Son, Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.
STORY OF RABBIT AND EPIPHANY
(A biblical refection on THE SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD, Sunday 6 January 2013)
First Reading: Is 60:1-6; Psalms: Ps 72:1-2,7-8,10-13; Second Reading: Eph 3:2-3,5-6; Gospel Reading: Mt 2:1-12
IN ancient literature there is a whole body of stories arising out the experiences of early Christian hermits in the deserts of Egypt.
In one such story, a young man aspiring to holiness, visits the hermitage of a pious old man who had lived in the desert for many years.
The young man asks the wise, old hermit, Why is it that some men come into the desert, pray zealously, and yet leave after a short time, while others like yourself, remain on their spiritual journey for a lifetime?
The old man smiles and says, Let me tell you a story. One day as I was sitting here quietly with my dog, a large rabbit suddenly ran past us. My dog immediately jumped up barking loudly, and gave chase to the rabbit.
He chased the rabbit over the sand dunes with much determination. Soon other dogs, attracted by his barkings, joined him.
What a sight it was as the pack of dogs gave chase to the rabbit. Slowly, however, they began to drop out, one-by-one, until only my dog persevered to the end.
In that story is the answer to your question, says the wise hermit.
The young man sits in confused silence. Sir, I do not understand, he asked. What is the connection between the rabbit chase and the pursuit of holiness?
To which the old man replies, Those dogs who dropped out of the chase did so because they had not seen the rabbit! Only my dog had seen the rabbit.
During the rush hours of the Christmas season, many of us followed the crowd with a frenzied urgency. We went around in circles in shopping malls.
Our body adrenalins kept flowing high. We followed each other through the rituals, customs and tradition.
And then when the festive celebration was over and all the gifts were exchanged and opened, we dropped out one-by-one from sheer exhaustion. Sad to say, for many of us that was Christmas.
This Sunday we celebrate the feast of Epiphany of feast of the Magi. (Note that Scripture tells us that they were not kings but magi meaning wise men or astrologers).
When we reflect on their story, we must remember that the star was up there for everyone to see. But the magi were open-minded and humble.
The late Archbishop Fulton Sheen once wrote: Only two classes of people found Him: the Shepherds and the Wise Men those who know they know little, and those who know they do not know everything; never the man who thinks he knows.
Scripture scholars cannot determine with precision which star shone with such particular brilliance at Jesus birth, however the important lesson of the episode is the those Wise Men from the East (Mt 2:1) had seen it, read its meaning and followed it. We have seen His star and have come to worship Him (Mt 2:2).
The star of Bethlehem was there for us to see, but did we miss it because our eyes were narrowly focused on many other things?
For lack of vision, did we fail to grasp the meaning of Christmas for our lives? For lack of vision, did we fail to experience the unique Presence of God in our Christmas celebrations?
It has been said, Where there is no vision, the people perish. This is true for any government, for any organization, for any individual.
There has to be a vision guiding us to our destination. We need to pause occasionally to evaluate and renew our lives, in the context of our original vision.
Where is my life heading to? Is it going in circles? Have I been faithful to my vows as a married person, as a religious? Is our government, our organization moving forward towards a clear definite goal?
Without a clear vision we like the dogs in the story will grow weary and tired.
Not seeing the rabbit, we dropped out.
Note: Taken from Fr. Bel San Luis SVD, WORD ALIVE REFLECTIONS ON THE SUNDAY GOSPEL C CYCLE 1998, Manila, the Philippines: LOGOS PUBLICATIONS, INC., 1974, pages 15-17.
Daily Marriage Tip for January 6, 2013:
(Epiphany) Behold, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem. (Mt 2:2). The wise still seek Jesus. What gifts of wisdom do you possess? A lesson learned from your childhood? A proverb that steers your life? A virtue to which youve struggled to be true?
January 6, 2013
Click here for USCCB readings
Opening Prayer
First Reading: Isaiah 60:1-6
Psalm: 72:1-2,7-8,10-13
Second Reading: Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6
Gospel Reading: Matthew 2:1-12
QUESTIONS:
Like the Magi, we have discovered a stara light and guide in the sky of our soul. We have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him. We have had the same experience. We too noticed a new light shining in our soul and growing increasingly brighter. It was a desire to live a fully Christian life, a keenness to take God seriously.
St. Josemaria Escriva
Posted by Dr. Scott Hahn on 01.04.13 |
Isaiah 60:1-6
Psalm 72:1-2,7-8,10-13
Ephesians 3:2-3,5-6
Matthew 2:1-12
An epiphany is an appearance. In todays readings, with their rising stars, splendorous lights and mysteries revealed, the face of the child born on Christmas day appears.
Herod, in todays Gospel, asks the chief priests and scribes where the Messiah is to be born. The answer Matthew puts on their lips says much more, combining two strands of Old Testament promise - one revealing the Messiah to be from the line of David (see 2 Samuel 2:5), the other predicting a ruler of Israel who will shepherd his flock and whose greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth (see Micah 5:1-3).
Those promises of Israels king ruling the nations resound also in todays Psalm. The psalm celebrates Davids son, Solomon. His kingdom, we sing, will stretch to the ends of the earth, and the worlds kings will pay Him homage. Thats the scene too in todays First Reading, as nations stream from the East, bearing gold and frankincense for Israels king.
The Magis pilgrimage in todays Gospel marks the fulfillment of Gods promises. The Magi, probably Persian astrologers, are following the star that Balaam predicted would rise along with the rulers staff over the house of Jacob (see Numbers 24:17).
Laden with gold and spices, their journey evokes those made to Solomon by the Queen of Sheba and the kings of the earth (see 1 Kings 10:2,25; 2 Chronicles 9:24). Interestingly, the only other places where frankincense and myrrh are mentioned together are in songs about Solomon (see Song of Songs 3:6, 4:6,14).
One greater than Solomon is here (see Luke 11:31). He has come to reveal that all peoples are co-heirs of the royal family of Israel, as todays Epistle teaches.
His manifestation forces us to choose: Will we follow the signs that lead to Him as the wise Magi did? Or will we be like those priests and the scribes who let Gods words of promise become dead letters on an ancient page?
A Scriptural Reflection on the Readings for Sunday, December 6, 2012, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord | Carl E. Olson
Readings:
Is 60:1-6
Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13
Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6
Mt 2:1-12
You have revealed Yourself to the world today, and your light, O Lord, has shined upon us, declares one of the Byzantine kontakions, or hymns, for the Feast of the Epiphany (called the Feast of the Theophany in the Eastern churches). You have come and revealed Yourself, O Inaccessible Light.
As is common in many of the Eastern hymns and prayers, there is joyous reveling in the great mystery and paradox of the Incarnation. God is inaccessible, yet has made himself accessible in the most surprising way: by being born in a cave to a Jewish virgin. Behold, states the Christmas Vespers, the image of the Father and his immutable Eternity has taken the form of a servant! The Creator has become creature; the Eternal has become man; the Divine has taken on flesh.
Todays feast celebrates the epiphaneiathat is, the appearance and manifestationof God in the form of a man, Jesus of Nazareth. Down through time, between the East and the West, the feast has focused to varying degrees on three key events: the visitation of the Magi, the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, and the turning of water into wine at the wedding feast of Cana. Each of these events manifests and reveals the truth of the Incarnation and spills forth the glory of God.
The magi, traveling afar (likely from Persia), paid homage to the newborn King of kings. They represent the first of the Gentiles brought into the family of God through the Christ-child (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, par. 528). St. Paul, in todays epistle, writes of the mystery that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, the Church. The catholic nature of the new covenant would, of course, prove to be a source of consternation and conflict, just as the questions asked by the magi would provoke Herod to jealousy and rage.
We are so familiar with the story of the magi that it is possible to be dulled to the paradox of wealthy, educated rulers from the East bestowing precious gifts upon a Jewish baby in a humble home with a dirt floor. Was the star enough to convince them of the babys importance? Pope Benedict XVI, in his 2007 homily for this feast day, said there was something more. In comparison with King Herod, he said, beset with his interests of power and riches, the Magi were directed toward the goal of their quest and when they found it, although they were cultured men, they behaved like the shepherds of Bethlehem: they recognized the sign and adored the Child, offering him the precious and symbolic gifts that they had brought with them.
What the magi recognized, by Gods grace, was the presence of glory, light, and splendor, cradled in the arms of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Todays Old Testament reading from the prophet Isaiah describes how darkness and thick clouds covers the peoplesthe nations of the earthbut that light has come to Jerusalem, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. Many of the Jews rejected the light, just as some walked in it, as did Mary, the mother of God. Nations, rulers, men, and women choose to either see the splendor or to retreat into the darkness.
During Advent, we anticipated the parousiathe presenceof the King; the Feast of the Epiphany marks the fulfillment of that anticipation. The glory that slowly lit the Advent sky has now burst forth in the person of the Son. If Christmas is the celebration of God quietly invading the dark lands of humanity, Epiphany is the celebration, in part, of man recognizing the love and light of the invasion.
The glory of God, the Catechism teaches, consists in the realization of this manifestation and communication of his goodness, for which the world was created (par. 294). Man was made to share in Gods glory, and Gods glory is demonstrated in the salvation of man.
To God alone be glory. Soli Deo Gloria!
(This "Opening the Word" column originally appeared in the January 3, 2010, edition of Our Sunday Visitor newspaper.)
On this glorious feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, here again is the traditional blessing from the Roman Ritual with a little explanation of it.
Epiphany Inscription Over the Doorway of the Home
20 + C + M + B + 13
The letters have two meanings. They are the initials of the traditional names of the Three Magi: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. They also abbreviate the Latin words Christus mansionem benedicat. May Christ bless the house. The letters recall the day on which the inscription is made, as well as the purpose of blessing.
The crosses represent the protection of the Precious Blood of Christ, Whose Sacred Name we invoke, and also the holiness of the Three Magi sanctified by their adoration of the Infant Christ.
The inscription is made above the front door, so that all who enter and depart this year may enjoy God's blessing. The month of January still bears the name of the Roman god Janus, the doorkeeper of heaven and protector of the beginning and end of things. This blessing "christens" the ancient Roman observance of the first month. The inscription is made of chalk, a product of clay, which recalls the human nature taken by the Adorable and Eternal Word of God in the womb of the Virgin Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
To bless your home this Epiphany, first read the Prologue of Saint John's Gospel, followed by the Our Father, and the Collect of the Epiphany; then write the inscription for this year above your front door with blessed chalk.
Blessing of Chalk
V. Our help is the name of the Lord.
R. Who made heaven and earth.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
Bless, O Lord God, this creature chalk
to render it helpful to Thy people.
Grant that they who use it in faith
and with it inscribe upon the doors of their homes
the names of Thy saints, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar,
may through their merits and intercession
enjoy health of body and protection of soul.
Through Christ our Lord.
And the chalk is sprinkled with Holy Water.
Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem: for they light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold darkness shall cover the earth, and a mist the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall walk in thy light, and kings in the brightness of thy rising. (Isaiah 60:1-3).
Compelled to Adore
When a soul perceives the light of Christ, that soul is compelled to adore. Thus do we hear in the Holy Gospel: "And entering into the house, they found the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they adored him." (Matthew 2:11).
Into the House
There are, if you will, three moments in the grace of adoration. The first of these is the perception of the light. To see the light of Christ one must enter into the house that is the Church; from the outside, it appears, to some, small and, perhaps, confining. But when one enters the house of the Church, one discovers, from within, that it is immensely spacious. The Church is the place of the Divine Hospitality on earth. Not only is their room in the house of the Church for all; there is also pure water for cleansing; oil for the healing of every infirmity; and a banquet made ready with the living Bread come down from heaven, and with the joy-giving chalice of Christ's Precious Blood.
Where Mary is Mother
The house of the Church is Mary's house. Therein she is Mother: Mother, not only of Christ the Head, the Infant nourished at her breast, but also of the members of the Body of Christ, from the least to the greatest, all of whom she draws to her Immaculate Heart. Mary's Virgin Body is the radiant monstrance of the Body of Christ; she holds Him in such a way as to show Him to us. She says to every soul who enters the house of the Church, "Arise, be enlightened, for thy light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon thee." (Isaiah 60:1).
The Sun of Justice
The light that illumines Mary's house, the house of the Church, shines from the adorable Body of Christ in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. How can one open one's eyes to the radiant Body of Christ, exposed in what Mother Mectilde de Bar called the soleil (sun) of the monstrance, and not see the fufilment of the words of the prophet Malachy? "The Sun of justice shall arise, and health -- meaning healing and wholeness -- in his wings" (Malachy 4:2)
Falling Down
The second moment in the grace of adoration is to fall down as it is written in the Gospel: "and falling down they adored him" (Matthew 2:11). What is this mysterious falling down? It is a response to the brightness of the Light; it is the first movement of one who would adore. To fall down is to attempt to become level with the ground. It is the expression of a profound desire to become very little, very lowly. It is an attempt to say with one's whole body, that one would wish to be able to pour oneself out, to break oneself open, to allow one's essence to be spent to the last molecule, like the precious perfume that flowed from the vase of alabaster, filling the whole house with its fragrance (John 12:3). This is what Mother Mectilde means when she speaks of anéantissement, and when she makes it the very condition of adoration in spirit and in truth.
Offering
The third moment in the grace of adoration is the offering of one's gifts. "And opening their treasures, they offered him gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh." These three gifts are, in fact, the symbol of the one and only gift that God desires of us: the offering of ourselves. Mother Mectilde tells us that three qualities are necessary if we are to fulfill our vocation to adoration: firstly, our adoration must be perpetual, that is ceaseless; secondly, it must be made "in spirit", that is to say, in a spiritual manner; thirdly, it must be made in truth, that is to say, withholding nothing, surrendering all, reserving no particle of what we would offer God for ourselves. We can see these three qualities represented in the Magi's gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrhh.
The Gold of Perpetuity
The gold represents something of perpetual value, something that has perpetual quality. What, then, does it mean to adore perpetually? Mother Mectilde says, "Our adoration must be perpetual, since it is the same God whom we adore in the Most Holy Sacrament, who is present to us in every place."
Here we can see that Mother Mectilde's doctrine of adoration is, in fact, a profoundly personal and life-giving interpretation of Saint Benedict's Twelfth Degree of Humility in the Holy Rule. For Mother Mectilde, the fullest expression of adoration is humility; and the fullest expression of humility is adoration. For Mother Mectilde, humility and adoration are, in effect, synonymous. The soul who is humble will adore; and the soul who adores will become humble.
Mother Mectilde would have us adore always and everywhere: "in the work of God, in the oratory, in the monastery, in the garden, on the road, in the field or wherever a monk may be, whether sitting, walking or standing." An adoration that is perpetual is an adoration that rises with every breath that we draw, an adoration marked by the rhythm of every heartbeat.
The Frankincense of Sacrifice in Spirit
Frankincense represents the costly spiritual sacrifice that is adoration; frankincense is the vital essence of the tree that produces it; it is, if you will, the lifeblood of the tree. The tree is slashed, and the precious essence bleeds out of it. One who would adore in spirit must be ready to be stripped and slashed, like the frankincense tree, so as to give the blood of one's very essence in sacrifice. A sacrifice that is measured, and calculated, and weighed, is no sacrifice at all. It cannot be a spiritual sacrifice, that is one worthy of God who created us in His image and likeness to participate in the royal priesthood and in the victimhood of His Son.
The Myrrh of Truth
Myrrh represents adoration in truth. Like frankincense, it is the lifeblood of a tree, of a small thorny tree. When a tree is bled of its essence, one sees it for what it really is. So too, when a soul allows her very essence to be bled out of her in adoration, she is what she is before God. There can be no perseverance in perpetual adoration without this essential bleeding; and without it there can be no sacrifice, no victimhood worthy of the Light that, from the altar, shines before the eyes of the soul.
The Light has shone upon us. We have entered the house: Mary's house, the house that is the Church. We have heard the Word and, now, with the Magi, but also with our Father Saint Benedict, with Mother Mectilde, and with all the men and and women who have ever adored perpetually, and in spirit, and in truth, we have only to fall down, joining our adoration to theirs, and consenting that, by the mystic overshadowing of the Holy Spirit in this Holy Mass, over the oblations of bread, and wine, and of ourselves, our adoration be consecrated in spirit and in truth.
Up until now, all has been quite humble. A donkey-ride to a dusty town south of Jerusalem. Hotel rooms all booked up. Giving birth in a stable and laying the baby in an animals feed trough instead of a cozy cradle.
Into this scene of obscure poverty suddenly bursts an exotic entourage from a far-off land. Dignitaries in dress uniform lavish the newborn with expensive gifts that seem out of place in the humble surroundings.
This event is so significant that it is accorded its own feast in the Roman liturgy, celebrated traditionally on Jan 6, immediately after the twelve days of Christmas. This solemn feast is called Epiphany, a word that means manifestation or appearance.
For a fleeting moment, what seems to be no more than another crying baby of an indigent family appears for who He really isthe King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. The gifts he is given, prophesied in Isaiah 60:6, tell the story: gold fit for a king, incense for the worship of God, and myrrh, bitter yet precious, for the hero who will lay down his life for his people.
There are several important things to note about these prestigious visitors. They are Gentiles, not Jews. From the very beginning of his human existence, then, Jesus is clearly not just the Jewish messiah who has come to deliver the people of Israel from foreign oppression. No, he is the universal king, the ruler of all, who has come to tear down the hostile wall dividing Jew from Gentile, nation from nation.
If youve ever wondered what the word Catholic means, here we have it. Derived from Greek words meaning according to the whole, it means that Christ did not come to establish some local religious sect for a select few, one cult among many. No, the Church he founded is catholic or universal, spread over the whole world, welcoming the whole human race into one nation, one family, under one King.
Something else is to be noted about these illustrious visitors. As Gentiles, they are pagans. In fact the term Magi is clearly linked to the word magic. It was not in the Bible that they normally looked for wisdom (otherwise they would have known to go straight to Bethlehem). But in reward for their ardent though perhaps misguided search for truth, God led them to Christ anyhow, in His great mercy.
Ever since the days of Balaam, God has shown us that pagans can be mysteriously drawn to him and used by him, at times even through their own imperfect traditions of wisdom. If you go to the Sistine Chapel and study Michelangelos work, you can see evidence of this. Lining the top of one wall of the chapel are famous paintings of many of the Old Testament prophets. Opposite them are not New Testament apostles as one may expect. But rather, a row of the Sybils, the prophetesses of the ancient world, in whose oracles there were discovered shadowy allusions to a future savior-king. One of Michelangelos Sybils has her mouth agape with astonishment, her eyes fixed on the fresco of the risen Christ at the back of the chapel. Indeed, the deepest desires of all peoples, the elements of truth found in all their religions and philosophies, are fulfilled in Christ.
Does this mean that all religions are equal and that we should not impose our ideas upon others? Not at all. St. Justin said that there are seeds of the Word scattered throughout the world. But seeds are meant to sprout, grow, and bear fruit. Hearing the full gospel and partaking in all the means of grace are ordinarily needed to make that happen. All peoples of the world have a right to this Catholic fullness. And it is our obligation to share it. Paul VI said it well: others may be able to be saved without hearing the gospel, but can we be saved if we neglect to preach it?
Alleluia! Today is the highlight of the Christmas season. Jesus, the Light of the world (Jn 8:12) and the bright Morning Star (Rv 22:16), has conquered the darkness. The Lord conquered the darkness by creating light at the beginning of creation (Gn 1:2-3). Through His Incarnation and our re-creation, the Lord has also triumphed over the darkness of sin and death. We can share in the victory of Jesus the Light by doing what the wise men and women of all times have done by coming into Jesus the Light, prostrating ourselves before Him, and giving Him our gifts, that is, our whole lives (Mt 2:11). When we by faith decide to love the Lord with all our hearts, all our souls, all our strength, and all our minds (Lk 10:27), we walk in the light (1 Jn 1:7), become "the light of the world" (Mt 5:14), and even become "light in the Lord" and "children of light" (Eph 5:8). With and in Jesus, we shine "on in darkness, a darkness" that will not overcome us (Jn 1:5). Love the Light. Love God, Who is Light (1 Jn 1:5). Love Jesus. Be light. Happy Epiphany! Alleluia!One Bread, One Body
<< Sunday, January 6, 2013 >>
Epiphany
Isaiah 60:1-6
Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6
View ReadingsPsalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13
Matthew 2:1-12
ON THE LIGHT SIDE
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.