The Epiphany: Christ's Manifestation of Himself to Us
January 6th Readings Reflection: Christmas Weekday
Traditionally, today is the Epiphany of Our Lord. In the new liturgical calendar that we follow for our Missio Dei Gospel reflections, the Epiphany is celebrated tomorrow, as this is the closest Sunday to the feast. The word Epiphany means manifestation, and today’s Gospel tells of Jesus’ manifestation at His Baptism, the feast for which we will celebrate next Saturday (or the following Monday in the new liturgical calendar). When St. John the Baptist baptized Our Lord in the Jordan River, “a voice came from the heavens, [declaring,] “You are [M]y beloved Son; with [Y]ou I am well pleased.”
While no voice came from Heaven at the Magi’s Epiphany, Jesus nonetheless revealed Himself and His divinity on this holy day. As the famous Christmas carol tells us, the three gifts brought by the Magi symbolize certain aspects about Our Lord: gold shows His kingship, frankincense shows His divinity, and myrrh foreshadows His Passion and Death through which He redeemed mankind. Very little is known about the Magi themselves, but their gifts leave us a concrete symbol of three important attributes pertaining to Jesus Christ.
Traditionally, the Catholic Church observes the next several Sundays in the spirit of the Epiphany, counting them as Sundays after Epiphany until the time comes to prepare for the arrival of Lent. The hope we experience at Christ’s manifestation—His Epiphany—should fill our hearts with a deeper love for Him. This love should in turn lead us to a fuller recognition of our own sinfulness, reminding us of the need to practice penance in obedience to Christ’s own command (cf. Mt 4:17 DRB).
St. Thomas Aquinas said that we cannot love what we do not know, and the Epiphany is a reminder of this important truth. If we are able to recognize Jesus Christ as the eternal King of the universe and of our own hearts, as the divine Son of God Who became man to give His life for our sins, we can open our hearts to Him as the Magi did. We must first recognize and strive to understand Him as He truly is; only then can we cultivate a personal relationship with God as creature to Creator. May the joy of the Child Jesus’ Epiphany fill our hearts with hope and a deeper love for God, and may we learn to recognize Him more fully as our divine King and Redeemer.
Excellent work! The new calendar can be confusing, though sadly for most Catholics, myself included, it is the only one we know. When I used to attend an Ordinariate parish, they preserved the ancient celebration of Epiphany as a season, one of many traditions restored in its liturgy. This highlights how important Epiphany was for Catholics a long time ago, before Christmas became associated with Santa Claus.
AMEN! Spot on and lovely!!!!!!!