Epiphany, The Feast of the Manifestation of the Lord, is a theologically rich feast in the liturgical calendar. There have been, and remain, many wonderful customs and traditions that are associated with this great feast. With the over commercialization of Christmas and the widespread secularism, Epiphany often gets lost and overshadowed. The celebration of Epiphany predates the celebration of Christmas in the history of the church. In the East, Epiphany was the original feast celebrating the birth of Jesus. Later, as Christmas (the Feast of the Nativity) was introduced in both the East and the West, The Feast of Epiphany became a celebration of a three-fold mystery: The manifestation of Jesus’ divinity to the Magi, to the crowds at his baptism in the Jordan by John, and through his first miracle of changing water into wine at the Wedding Feast of Cana. Each of these “mysteries” serves to illuminate the divine nature of Jesus. Today, in the liturgical calendar there are separate feasts for the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas), the manifestation to the Magi (Epiphany), and for the Baptism of the Lord, which always occurs as the First Sunday in Ordinary Time. We still maintain the ancient connection to the first miracle at the Wedding Feast of Cana, as it is the gospel in Cycle C of the Sunday readings. This will be our gospel reading in two weeks.
In much of the Catholic world, Epiphany is the day of gift giving and celebration. In Latin America and elsewhere, the Day of the Three Kings (El Día de los Tres Reyes) is still marked with celebration and festivity at the providence of gifts received. For many of Germanic and Eastern European heritage, this is a day of the blessing of homes and the marking of portals with the initials of the three kings and the year, 20+C+M+B+25 (Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar). In Latin, these letters also stand for Christus Mansionem Benedicat (may Christ bless this house). Closer to home, for all our friends from the “old country” (Louisiana), this is the beginning of Mardi Gras Season as we start with the King Cake Parties, eagerly awaiting to see who discovers the baby Jesus!
I am particularly struck at how simple little things can have such a great significance and rich meaning. The giving of the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh by the Magi is easily translatable, but in the Mass the giving of gifts (offertory and collection) foreshadows Christ himself who is the true gift that is “proclaimed, sacrificed and received”. Like Christmas, Epiphany is celebrated with tasty sweets. These little sweets, on a human level, give delight to our taste buds, but they also convey a deeper and richer theological meaning that Christ, his message, and the salvation he offers us gives true sweetness to our lives. Epiphany places much attention on the star and the dichotomy of light and darkness. The star of Bethlehem, the star that the Magi followed, is not the true light but rather is the vehicle, the instrument used by God that leads us to the one who is the light of the world. Here too, we see clearly how we are called to be like the star of Bethlehem and allow our light to shine by living our faith in such a way that we radiate the beauty of the gospel so that we too might lead others to find Christ.
Have a blessed and Holy Epiphany!