Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord / Msgr. Owen F. Campion
The Sunday Readings
This weekend the Church celebrates the ancient feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, reflecting upon the visit of magi “from the East” to the newborn Savior (Mt 2:1).
The first reading is from the third and last section of Isaiah. After four generations of exile in Babylon, survivors, or descendants of survivors, of the long past Babylonian conquest of the Holy Land finally were able to return to their homeland.
It was because Persia in turn overtook Babylonia. Persia’s King Cyrus allowed the exiles to leave Babylon and to return to the Holy Land. Their homecoming, however, was bittersweet. The land to which they returned after so many years was desolate and bleak.
The prophet insisted that, despite this desolation, times would change for the better because God would not forget his chosen people. God will vindicate the people, delivering them from all their woes. So, the prophecy predicts a great, blessed and tranquil new day!
In the second reading, from St. Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians, is the frank and direct statement that God intends salvation also for the Gentiles, not only for the chosen people. No one is beyond the range of divine love and mercy.
St. Matthew’s Gospel furnishes the last reading. Among the four Gospels, only Matthew and Luke refer to the conception, birth and early life of Jesus. Mark and John are silent on these subjects.
Between Matthew and Luke, only Matthew has the story of the magi, but this story is one of the most profound and expressive revelations in the New Testament. Understanding it requires recognizing the symbols and images contained in the passage.
First, the Gospel speaks of visitors “from the East” (Mt 2:10). “From the East” was a phrase referring to much more than the direction of the compass. It meant a distant and unknown place. What was the origin of these visitors? All that is known is that they were “from the East.”
Who and what were they? Scholars have not agreed on a translation of the term “magi.” Some have thought that they were astrologers, in a time when astrology was heavily associated with theology and philosophy. Others thought they were nobles or kings. The meaning of magi is unclear.
How many were in their number? We do not know, because Matthew does not tell us. Art and legend have seen them over the centuries as three in number.
Regardless, they were gifted, learned and sincere, earnestly seeking God.
King Herod wanted to remove any competition this newborn king might create. He discovers that, according to the Scriptures, the Savior will be born in Bethlehem.
Central to the story is that, in searching for the Lord, the magi followed a star in the sky. God was guiding them.
Reflection
A Christmas song has an especially relevant message for Epiphany. The song is “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem”, words by Adger M. Pace, music by R. Fisher Boyce, and arranged by Tom Fittke.
It says that by following the “beautiful star of Bethlehem” in our own lives, we will reach the “land of perfect day.”
The Epiphany is much more than a commemoration. It is a call to us to follow God’s beckoning to live in the kingdom in which Jesus reigns supreme, the place of endless light and warmth, security and peace.
Too often we allow ourselves in effect to slip into the role of Herod. We resist God or outright reject him by living as our instincts or limited human misconceptions prompt us. So, we live in darkness and coldness, enslaved by temptation and hopelessness.
There is a “land of perfect day,” and Christ, the light of the world, guides us to it—if we choose to follow and cooperate with God’s grace in walk along the path to it. †