January 8, 2017 — The Epiphany of the Lord
IS 60: 1-6; PS 72: 1-2, 7-8, 10-13; EPH 3: 2-3A, 5-6;MT 2: 1-12
Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Epiphany. The word “epiphany” comes from the Greek epiphainen, a verb that means “to shine upon,” “to manifest,” or “to make known.” What the Church celebrates today is the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ to the whole world; after being made known to the shepherds of Bethlehem, He is revealed to the Magi who have come from the East to adore Him.
The Epiphany should be and is a great Feast for us. The joy we felt at the birth of Christ on Christmas must be renewed today (and every day for that matter). In a sense this is a second Christmas Day as it puts the Lord in a new light. This day manifests the divinity of Jesus. At Christmas it was a few shepherds who were invited by the Angels to go and witness and recognize the Lord.
However, today, at the Epiphany, the voice of God calls the whole world, each and every one of us, to adore Jesus, and to hear Him. The Epiphany or the realization of the divinity and saving grace of the Lord should lead us as individuals to a personal epiphany. In a sense an epiphany is representative of conversion, conversion to the truth.
If we accept Christ as our Savior and if we truly strive to live our lives as His disciple, we begin to pursue lives of stewardship, lives of love and service. Today of all days should help us in that realization and in that goal.
