The Feast of Epiphany is sometimes called "little Christmas." The word "Epiphany" means "manifestation." The liturgy readings narrate the revelation of the Christ-Child to the world of the gentiles in the form of a star. The Christmas Season captures the two forms of one reality- God came to earth to be with His people. The first form of this manifestation was on Christmas day when "the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us" (Prologue of St. John). The Word assumed a human nature and became like us. God the Father manifested Himself to us through the Son, Jesus. This is the first manifestation. Then on the feast of Epiphany, God manifested Himself again, not in the silence of the night in some hidden cave in Bethlehem, but to the world, through the persons of the Magi, and in them, to the Gentiles. This is the second manifestation.
One can draw many hidden meanings on this feast we celebrate. As I listen to the readings, many thoughts come to mind. First, the reality of the star. I think of the star as a symbol of Faith. Faith, according to St. Paul, is the certainty of things unseen. It is the engine that drives our relationship with God. 'Without faith, it is impossible to approach God," St. Paul says. Just like the star which the Magi saw, this faith can sometimes lead us to places we have not imagined, experience things we do not understand, and see things we have never imagined. This faith, just like the star, can bring us to a place hidden - a place of poverty, wonder and surprises, like a cave in Bethlehem. Living in faith can take us to a deeper awareness of our own spiritual poverty, helplessness, and total dependence on God. It forces us to take leaps of faith, courage in darkness, and perseverance in the midst of doubts and confusion. Our 'epiphany" happens everyday. Our star is always shining. God is always manifested in our daily experiences. Do we have the understanding of the Magi? Do we have the courage to follow a star that seems to lead us to a place, but a place unknown, and hidden? This is a question only we can answer. 'Where is the newborn King of the Jews?" the Magi asked. 'Where is God in our life?" Where is God in MY life? Isn't this the unspoken question we ask ourselves? And even if we know where to find Him, and what we need to do to find Him, do we find the courage to do so?
You and I know that once God enters, our lives are changed. We may not always remain in that initial surge of spiritual fervor, but we can not say we are the same man and woman. Just like the Magi, who after finding the Child, returned to their own countries by another way. Encounter with God always entail change. This can be an unsettling experience because we are used to the familiar and comfortable, but life in God constantly calls for moving forward. We know by experience how one step forward equals two steps back, but we continue to live in faith, hope and charity. I love these words of Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity when describing the life of faith: "It no longer rests in inclination and feelings; it matters little to the soul whether it feels God or not, whether He sends it joy or suffering; it believes in His love." One believes that everything is grace.
This feast of the Epiphany calls you and me to a deep realization of our individual "star.' It is calling you and me to gaze at it with the understanding that it is telling us something. This star shines everyday. It challenges us to venture out into the unknown, beyond the familiar and the comfortable. It recalls for us the experiences of those who followed the same shining light in the skies. Did you ever wonder why only the Magi seemed to have understood what the significance of this star was? If you think that the whole land of Israel was waiting for this revelation to occur, and yet, only the Magi saw it when it was finally revealed? Maybe because they were vigilant. Maybe because they made it their business to study it, and analyze it, and contemplate it. If I don't endeavor to prayerfully look at the events of my life and see the hand of God in it, I too, will most probably see without understanding, go through life without having to experience God's daily manifestations. That would be sad because in God alone do we find rest.
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