What's My Epiphany?

The Catholic Liturgy for Epiphany Sunday, January 5, 2020. Gospel – Matthew 2:1-12. Theme: What’s My Epiphany?

Epiphany is a Greek word meaning manifestation, a realization that something that had been hidden from us is now being made known. In Christianity, epiphany means the revelation that in Jesus, Son of Mary, the Child born in Bethlehem, we behold our Lord, God and Savior come to us in person, come to us in the flesh. Throughout the life of Christ, from Christmas to Easter, this epiphany is always present in one form or another….it never goes away.

And the questions it always asks of us are primarily two:  First, how do you, personally, respond to the revelation that Jesus Christ is God-with-us, God-become-one-of-us? And second, what effect does it have or can it have on your life?  Everyone who encounters Jesus must face these questions sooner or later, there is no getting around it. It seems to me that we can find in today’s Gospel story three possible responses, both negative and positive, to this epiphany or revelation about Jesus Christ.

I see the first type of response in the reaction of King Herod when he learns about the Newborn Messiah. He was a very wicked man whose jealousy and thirst for power had led him to kill several of his own sons who were threats to his throne. So, it was no surprise that he would order the slaughter of the young boys of Bethlehem in an attempt to get rid of this newborn king of the Jews.  Herod’s response to Jesus was rooted in selfishness and sin. He thought only of himself and cared only about his own status and situation in life. His response to the epiphany is self-protection and rejection.

A second type of response can be found in the religious leaders whom Herod called to advise him. They knew the Scriptures very well. They were, after all, professional clergy and scholars of their day.  They knew well the prophecies about the Messiah. Yet when the news reaches them they do nothing at all to investigate if this is true.  They stay put rather than go to Bethlehem and see for themselves if their long-hoped for dreams of the Messiah have come true. Their response to the epiphany was a complacent yawn. They were comfortable as they were. Happy with the status quo.

The third type of response to the revelation about Jesus can be seen in the Magi themselves. They were utterly intrigued, captivated, by the quest to find the One whom the star represented. They invested a lot of themselves, their time and energy, in their study of the prophecies concerning the Messiah, in mapping out their route to Jerusalem, in gathering up supplies as well as the precious gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Their response to the epiphany was the total desire and heartfelt determination to discover and bow down before the Newborn King.

Why such different responses to the epiphany of Jesus Christ? I think that the answer is found deep within each one of them, deep within each one of us; in the secret hopes, dreams and treasures of the heart.

Those who are like Herod have their hearts fixed only upon themselves and what life can do and be for them. They have struggled and even walked on others to get what they have and no one is going to take it away from them.  The epiphany of Jesus to them is a threat to their self-focused lives that must be eliminated immediately.

Others, perhaps a majority of us, are like the religious leaders and scholars. Life may not be perfect or anything like what we had hoped for, but we settle for something that is better than nothing. We don’t want to be disturbed out of our safe and secure routine. Stepping out into the unknown is scary so our hearts are not open to the risk of what encountering the long-hoped for Messiah might mean.

But then there are those like the Magi, who acknowledge that it is God and not self that is the center of the universe.  They are those who know that a complacent life is not a truly happy life.  They have experienced how empty they can be inside, and know that there is something more which they seek.  They have hearts that yearn for wholeness and lives that thirst for real meaning. Like the Magi, they are utterly intrigued, captivated, by the quest to find the One whom the star represented and who can answer the deepest questions of the heart.  And so, they are willing to do whatever is necessary to find the Christ, the Promised One whom the prophets called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God and Prince of Peace.

As we celebrate the Epiphany at the beginning of a new year, let’s ask the Lord for the grace to answer this question honestly: what is my epiphany, my personal response, to the revelation of Jesus Christ as King, God and Savior? Am I eager and willing to do whatever it takes to truly know Jesus up close and personal? Am I willing to go the extra mile in prayer and service to others to deepen my relationship with Jesus? Is the light of Christ the bright shining star that guides my steps and enlightens my life?