The Epiphany of the Lord
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. The word “Epiphany” means “manifestation.” It comes from the Greek words, “phainein” which means, ‘to show, or to display," and “epi” which means, “on or to.” Hence, Epiphany means the showing, displaying or manifestation of something to an audience. It is the manifestation of Jesus to the non-Jewish world.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church Number 548, The Epiphany is the manifestation of Jesus as Messiah of Israel, Son of God and Savior of the world. The great feast of Epiphany celebrates the adoration of Jesus by the wise men (magi) from the East, together with his baptism in the Jordan and the wedding feast at Cana in Galilee. In the magi, representatives of the neighboring pagan religions, the Gospel sees the first-fruits of the nations, who welcome the good news of salvation through the Incarnation. The magi's coming to Jerusalem in order to pay homage to the king of the Jews shows that they seek in Israel, in the messianic light of the star of David, the one who will be king of the nations. Their coming means that pagans can discover Jesus and worship him as Son of God and Savior of the world only by turning towards the Jews and receiving from them the messianic promise as contained in the Old Testament. The Epiphany shows that "the full number of the nations" now takes its "place in the family of the patriarchs", and acquires Israelitica dignitas (is made "worthy of the heritage of Israel").
So what does this Solemnity of Epiphany mean for us today? The Solemnity of Epiphany calls us to show and manifest Christ to the world. We just celebrated the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day, but are we showing or manifesting Him in the world today? How can we show Christ to the world, or manifest Him in the world today? There are many ways or practices to show and manifest Christ to the world, but I think the best practices are the ones shown us by our Blessed Mother Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the first disciple of Christ. These are as follows: Firstly, by deepening our faith in God, and by forming a better relationship with Him. Secondly, by dedicating our lives to Him, as our Savior and Redeemer, which entails true and total commitment to God. Lastly, by persevering and continually working hard in our spiritual lives to be better disciples of Christ.
With these practices my dear friends, we will surely and clearly show and manifest Christ to the world for others to know Him, for all to welcome Him into their lives, and for all to experience His love and mercy.
So my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us go out today to show and manifest Christ to the world, by deepening our relationship with Him; by totally dedicating our lives to Him, and by continuously working hard, and persevering in our spiritual lives as Christians.
