“Epiphany” means manifestation, and the Epiphany of the Lord is “Jesus’ manifestation not only to those three Magi from the East, but it’s also a symbolic but real manifestation of the Christ to the whole world. The Magi, travelling from a foreign and non-Jewish nation, reveal that Jesus came for all people and all are called to adore Him.”

History and Tradition tells us that these “Wise Men” who studied the stars were aware of the Jewish belief that a Messiah was coming. They would have been versed in much of the wisdom of the day and would have been intrigued by the Jewish belief in the Messiah.

God used what they were familiar with to call them to adore the Christ. He used a star. They
understood the stars and when they saw this new and unique star over Bethlehem they realized that something special was happening. So the first lesson we take from this for our own lives is that God will use what is familiar to us to call us to Himself. Look for the “star” that God is using to call you. It is closer than you may think.

A second lesson to note is that the Magi fell prostrate before the Christ Child. They laid their lives down before Him in complete surrender and adoration. They set a perfect example for us. If these astrologers from a foreign land could come and adore Christ in such a profound way, we must do the same. Perhaps you could try literally lying down prostrate in prayer this day, in imitation of the Magi, or at least do so in your heart through prayer. Adore Him with a complete surrender of your life.

Lastly, the Magi bring gold, frankincense and myrrh. These three gifts, presented to our Lord, show that they acknowledge this Child as the Divine King who would die to save us from sin. Gold is for a King, frankincense is a burnt offering to God, and myrrh is used for one who would die. Thus, their adoration is grounded in the truths of who this Child is. If we are to adore Christ properly, we must also honor Him in this threefold way.

This Sunday and every day we should reflect on the Magi and see them as a symbol of what we are called to do. We are called from a “foreign place” (secular) of this world to seek out the Messiah. What is God using to call you to Himself? When you discover Him, do not hesitate to acknowledge the full truth of who He is, lying prostrate before Him in complete and humble submission.  Attribution: Catholic Daily Reflections: My Catholic Life; “The Epiphany of the Lord,” 2020

What does this mean for us in the modern practice of our faith? As God uses what is familiar to us so as to draw us closer to Him, we must then look to the familiar- all around us, our everyday lives—to find the hidden messages and the calling of God who seeks to lead all His children to Himself. We can look to our families and friends and ask “How is God calling me to respond to their needs?” Is it in prayer for the lost, wandering or those in conflict? Is it in the hungry who are my neighbors in need, the vulnerable who are without shelter, or the sick and frail who cannot find healthcare? Is God calling me in the actions of our own Pantry Partners or St. Elizabeth House ministries? Is He calling me in the Youth Ministry or the Confirmation candidates who work in the Feed the Hungry Car Wash or served in the Receive a Blessing, Be a Blessing events? Might God be calling me in Eucharistic or Lector or Music ministries and more? While God uses the familiar, what is already known to us, to call us in the surrounding forms of “needs” in our communities, He creates these Epiphanies of Christ in the lost, the wandering and the needy—the frail and sick—who also bear His Image and Likeness; God then also calls us to be His Epiphanies of the Christ: in the kindness, in the compassion, in the hope we all express when we see the need and become the solution. Perhaps that indeed is the most powerful epiphany you and I are called to become…the Light of Christ to another in need. For that brings true hope and change to the world-at-large and in ourselves.

An Epiphany that is the ah-ha moment in faith.