THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD - Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6
The Epiphany, being older than Christmas, is among the oldest feasts in the Christian calendar. On this feast, we celebrate the manifestation of Jesus as Son of God and Saviour of the world. In the Western Churches, the feast focuses on the Magi who came to Jesus and recognised him as divine. Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan and his first miracle at Cana are celebrated as an integral part of Epiphany, that is, Jesus’ manifestation to the world. In the Eastern Churches, the Epiphany focuses mainly on the baptism, in which Jesus is anointed by the Holy Spirit and recognised as the Son by the Father.
Tradition has considered the Magi to be kings, giving them names: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. Speaking of the Magi, Matthew tells us only that they came from the East. Were they kings? Probably not. For sure, we know that they were foreigners, that is, Gentiles. And those Gentiles were ready to go through great difficulties to find the Messiah and pay homage to him. And Matthew stresses the contrast between those Gentiles and the people of Jerusalem who felt threatened by a humble child. Herod was ready to deceive, hiding his murderous plan to get rid of the Child.
The Magi stand for the Gentiles – that is, for all of us who are not Jews. In this feast, Jesus is affirmed as the light of the world, who disperses the darkness of this world and overcomes the slavery of sin. Jesus came to be the Saviour of the World. And we celebrate that with a joyful heart full of thanksgiving. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul summarises the mystery celebrated in the feast of Epiphany:
“It means that pagans now share the same inheritance, that they are parts of the same body, and that the same promise has been made to them, in Jesus Christ, through the gospel.” (Ep 3:6)
With the psalmist, let us sing the praises of the Lord:
“All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.”
