Today’s liturgical celebration, the Feast of the Epiphany, also known to some as Three Kings’ Day or even Twelfth Night, is a wonderful celebration in the Catholic Church as Christ the Savior of the World is made known to all.

The Feast of the Epiphany in our Catholic faith has several important meanings and applications in our modern world:

• Presence—we understand this feast as the Manifestation of Christ. “Epiphany” means manifestation or revelation, and Catholics believe that the visit of the Wise Men or Magi symbolizes the manifestation of Jesu as the Messiah to the Gentiles. It highlights the universality of the nature of Christ’s mission to bring salvation to all people of the world.
• Adoration—the Magi brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to honor and worship Jesus. For our faith, this is an act of adoration, recognizing Jesus as the Son of God. This feast, then, emphasizes the importance of worshipping and honoring the Lord in our lives. Here we come to understand and state that we are the created, not the Creator.
• Revealing the Trinity—the presence of the Three Wise Men is seen as the revelation of the Holy Trinity. In that, we see God the Father (Creator), God the Son (redeemer), and God the Holy Spirit (sanctifier, advocate and revealer).

So we are then to ask ourselves, “In my lived faith life, how do I manifest the Presence of Christ?” How am I Christ-like to my family, at school or work, the community in which I live, and then how do I see the need to grow in my Christ-like actions to help build up the Kingdom of Heaven now, today?

Am I speaking Truth or opinion in defense of Church teachings? Do I really show charity to those in need, whether the need be financial or simply understanding and compassion? Am I a welcoming person or do I set conditions and restrictions on my love and kindnesses? What is my prayer life like, how can I improve it, and am I open (my heart) to God’s love?

Perhaps a simple way to begin the New Year of Faith with a hope towards spiritual growth is to begin in prayer… In addition, we can start with a very simple, easy prayer that is also a sign to others (after all, faith is to be lived and expressed): Let us commit to the “chalking of the doors” at the front of whatever is your primary entrance. Take some chalk and mark above the door the following: “20 + C + M +B + 24.” Moreover, offer a simple prayer: “Lord, come into our home and our hearts, open wide the flood of Your Grace and lead us all to be Your disciples. May this symbol above the door be a sign to others of our Trust in You as well as a sign to us all to remain as braches connected to the Tree of Life. Amen!”

In the above symbolism, the numbers represent the current year, the initials are the first letters of the names of the Magi, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. From this feast to the beginning of Lent is a time traditional known as Epiphanytide when we hear the Church focus on the manifestations of Christ and His divinity: the Wedding at Cana and the Transfiguration, and we reflect on Christ’s presence and power in our lives