My Dear Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ

            REFLECTION – FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY

The word ‘Epiphany’ comes from the Greek word ‘epiphania’ meaning ‘revelation’, or ‘manifestation’. Jesus is revealed to the wise men from the East. This is one of the reasons why the visit of the Magi is called Epiphany, meaning the revelation of the Lord. The feast reveals God’s plan to reveal His Son to all the nations of all languages, cultures and races, that through their faith in Jesus they might be saved.

According to tradition, the three Magi were kings – Melchior from Persia, Balthazar from Arabia and Gaspar from India. Finding the babe, they worship him and offer him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. The gifts further reveal who Jesus is: gold symbolizes Christ our King; frankincense symbolizes Christ our priest and myrrh symbolizes Christ, our Saviour. As we meet Jesus everyday in the Eucharist, all what he wants us to offer to him is our own very self: our joys and sorrows, trials and difficulties, and our near and dear ones.

Today’s Old Testament reading, Isaiah 60:1-6, is chosen partly because it mentions non-Jews bringing gifts in homage to the God of Israel. Here the Prophet Isaiah, consoling the people in exile, speaks of the restoration of New Jerusalem from which the glory of God becomes visible even to the pagan nations.

As a privileged recipient of a Divine “epiphany,” Saint Paul, in today’s second reading, reveals God’s “secret plan,” that the Gentiles also have a part with the Jews in Divine blessings. Affirming the mystery of God’s plan of salvation in Christ, Paul explains that the plan of God includes both Jews and Gentiles. Jesus implements this Divine plan by extending membership in the Church, making it available to all peoples.

Today’s Gospel teaches us how Christ enriches those who bring Him their hearts. These pagan Magi were acceptable to God because they feared God and did what was right. Since the Magi came with humble joy in their hearts to visit the Christ Child, God allowed them to see wondrous things.

All these readings of today portray the universality of God’s redemptive acts; no one is excluded from the love of God. God’s revelations and messages through His representatives and finally through Jesus Christ, are all for the well-being and salvation of all humankind

Let us keep our hearts and minds open for the Lord and witness His manifestations in diverse ways in the journey of our life.

Fr. Xavier Kannickairaj