The Epiphany of the Lord - Year B - Homily for 7 January 2024

 

My dear friends today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, an important liturgical event which signals that the Christmas season is about to come to an end. The word “epiphany” comes from the Greek epiphaneia ( ἐπιφάνεια ) which means "to manifest," “appear,” or “make known.” According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church - “The Epiphany is the manifestation of Jesus as Messiah of Israel, Son of God and Savior of the world. (CCC 528). The Solemnity of the Epiphany celebrates the many ways that Christ has made Himself known to the world, mainly the three events that manifested the mission and divinity of Christ:  The first being the visit of the Magi, the second being the baptism of Jesus and the third being the miracle at Cana.

The Magi themselves are a figure of ambiguity. The traditional belief that there were three Magi, Casper, Balthazar, and Melchior, is based on the fact that three gifts are mentioned in Matthew’s Gospel: gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Magi could have been Persian priests or Babylonian astronomers or even spice traders. The idea of the Magi being kings became established in medieval Europe after the 9th century. Eventually, however, they were pictured as representatives of different peoples and races, with Balthasar being often represented as a king of Arabia or sometimes Ethiopia, Melchior as a king of Persia, and Casper as a king of India. Some Orthodox Churches believe that the Magi consisted of twelve Kings, corresponding in number to the twelve tribes of Israel.  The Magi brought the Christ Child gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold symbolized kingship. Frankincense, used in worship to symbolize prayers rising to heaven, symbolizes Jesus’ divinity and myrrh often used in burial honours Jesus who came to give His life as a sacrifice for many.  

Both readings revolve around the theme of the universality of God’s love. In the 1st reading, the prophet Isaiah comforts the exiled people by speaking of the New Jerusalem's restoration, from which the majesty of Yahweh is seen by even the foreign nations. As a result, the prophet in this text praises the Divine Light that is coming from Jerusalem and predicts that all nations will recognize, appreciate, and live by this Light. The countries will send treasure by land and sea, notably gold for the Temple and frankincense for the sacrifice, as a token of appreciation for Jerusalem's invaluable lessons in faith. In the second reading, Paul explains that God’s plan includes both Jews and Gentiles. Jesus implemented this Divine plan by extending membership in his Church, making it available to all people. Paul claims that he was commissioned by Christ to make this mystery known to the world. 

As I was reflecting on this passage, I felt that in a way aren’t we all like the magi? Aren’t we all following a dream, an ideal in our life? In a very short time in my priestly ministry, I have met and spoken to a variety of people. And honestly, it is a very humbling experience. One thing that I feel is common in all people is that they experience a vacuum in their lives, a kind of emptiness the reason for which they do not know. And different people try out different things to fill this emptiness. Some get busy trying to earn a quick buck and buy the latest electronics. Others try to cover up this emptiness and their emotional and psychological wounds by resorting to various addictions or getting into relationships. Some others also get involved in positive activities like social work and other church-related associations.

The magi, the gospel tells us, sought the star and eventually discovered the baby Jesus. Because they went after the star, they met God. The question we need to ask ourselves is ‘What are we seeking?’ ‘What are we going after?’ ‘What are we doing to fill the emptiness  in our lives?’  The vacuum and emptiness that we all experience is the innate desire to be close to God. And nothing else is going to fill this void. Neither money, nor any addiction, nor any relationship. And how does God manifest Himself to us today? Surely, some people receive visions and revelations, but for the majority of us, God reveals Himself in the ordinariness of our lives. He reveals himself to us in and through the people we meet regularly. He reveals himself to us in the words of encouragement and correction which are said by our family and friends. He reveals Himself to us by giving us the strength to face the challenges in our lives.

The Magi went on a long journey, following the Star, “seeking” something.  They had no idea where their journey would lead them. Yet they undertook this journey. We too must be seekers. Seekers of Jesus. The journey to salvation is long, and the way sometimes is unknown.  We must, however, continue to trust and walk with joy bringing gifts that are fit for God.

The magi represent all the people, they represent the entire humanity who are finding their way to Christ. This feast is therefore also an invitation to us to look at the entire humanity as one family of God. We are challenged to go beyond our narrow mindsets and attitudes which make us reach out only to those who share our linguistic or regional backgrounds. Like the Magi, let us resolve to look for Christ and surely, He will reveal himself to us. May God bless us all.