The Epiphany of the Lord (Solemnity)
They departed for their country by another way. (Matthew 2:12)
Today we celebrate the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy that God would shine his light on all the nations, not just Israel. That’s certainly what happened to the Magi as they followed a star to the home of the newborn King of the Jews.
But it seems that God’s light led them somewhere they didn’t expect. And that’s often what light does.
Think about it. Following their own religious traditions, the Magi believed that the appearance of a new star heralded the birth of a new king. So intending to make a diplomatic visitation, they journeyed to King Herod’s court in Jerusalem. But instead of leading them to a royal palace, the star ultimately led them to a humble home in Bethlehem.
They accepted the light they received and kept looking for more, ready for whatever course correction might come their way. In the end, they found themselves before Jesus, not only the King of the Jews, but also the Lord of all creation. Receiving, leaning into, and seeking more light made them more open and able to receive even more light.
That’s how it works for us too. Think back to a time when you experienced some insight from God. Maybe some confusing aspect of your faith started to make some sense. Or you found clarity about a new phase of life you had entered into. That one “light” didn’t necessarily answer all your questions. It set you on a path, but it didn’t give you the entire road map. So you had to do your best to follow it, and as you did, you sorted out the next step. Each step forward, each choice to be flexible, each response of trust made subtle or not-so-subtle changes in you. Light built on light, and slowly but surely, like the Magi, you started doing things differently. You started to see things as God does, in his light.
And that’s what Epiphany is all about. It’s a revelation that changes our hearts.
“Lord, make today an epiphany for me too!”
Isaiah 60:1-6
Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13
Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6
Saint Gertrude of Helfta (1256-1301)
Benedictine nun
The Herald of Divine Love, Bk IV, SC 255
"They offered him their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh" (Mt 2:11)
On the solemn feast of Epiphany, following the example of the offerings of kings, Gertrude offered to God in place of myrrh the body of Christ with all its sufferings and passion, by which means, for the glory of God, she wanted to wipe out the sins of everyone from Adam to the last person of all. Similarly, she offered the soul of Christ in place of incense, full of devotion and with all the acts of her spiritual life, to make up for the negligences of the whole world. And in the same way too, in imitation of gold she offered the most perfect divinity of Christ together with the delight she enjoyed at making up for the deficiencies of all creatures. Then the Lord Jesus appeared to her, presenting this offering like a prizewinning gift to the ever adorable Trinity. And as he was seen passing through heaven, so to speak, all the celestial court seemed to bend the knee out of respect for this offering (…).
Then she remembered that certain people, out of humility, had asked her to offer God on their behalf, and in memory of these gifts of the Magi, the modest prayers she had addressed to the Lord before this same feast. And because she carried this out with all possible devotion, the Lord Jesus appeared to her once more, carrying the second offering across the whole heaven as if presenting it to God the Father. And the whole celestial army ran before him and celebrated the praises of this offering as though it were a matter of a splendid gift.
This teaches us that if someone offers their prayers or other works to God the whole senate in heaven applauds this offering as a gift pleasing to God. But if, not content to bring of their own, someone adds to their works the even more perfect ones of the Son of God, then the saints show (…) such reverence for this offering that nothing else could claim so great a dignity if not - which is beyond everything - the unique and adorable Trinity.