EPIPHANY

Epiphany comes from the Greek word, epiphainein, which means showing, appearance, manifestation. The Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord reveals the divine nature of Jesus to the Gentiles and that is, to the whole world. It points to the universality of salvation because God wants all to be saved. It points also to the mission of the Church which is to bring all people back to God. For God there are no outsiders and foreigners. No one is beyond His grace, mercy and love. All are family. All are children of God. All have the same Father. All are bothers and sisters. We all belong to the big family of the Father. Epiphany reveals that Jesus is the answer to our deepest, infinite longing and yearning. He is the fulfillment of God’s promises and rewards. St. Augustine said that we are made for God alone and our hearts are restless until they find rest in Him. The birth of Jesus reveals that what we seek has all along been seeking us. It is the initiative of God. In the fulness of time God has come in person to meet us. It is His relentless quest for us because His business is finding us. In the Gospel of Matthew (2:1-12), the Magi were looking for God’s sign to find the new born King of the Jews. They represent the whole world. They were not Jews. They didn’t belong to the chosen people of God. They were pagan foreigners, totally outsiders and strangers. When they were given the sign, they left everything to find the Child. They acted rather than merely hearing. Instead, the Jewish religious leaders who were experts in the Scriptures did not accept Jesus. Their response was marked by fear and indifference. The magi were led by the star. It symbolizes Jesus who is the light of the world. It symbolizes God reaching out to the whole world. They found the Child and they offered Him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold points to Jesus as King. Frankincense is to acknowledge the divinity of Jesus. Myrrh is to acknowledge that the Baby has come to offer His very Body in sacrifice. Epiphany therefore, is God’s revelation that the He will not give up on us because He alone is our peace and joy.
Happy New Year!