INTRODUCTION
The Greek word Epiphany (επιφάνεια), which means appearance or manifestation or showing forth, is used to describe Jesus’ first appearance to the Gentiles. Originally, the word Epiphany referred to the visit of a king to the people of his provinces. In the context of Christianity, “Epiphany” refers to God’s Self-revelation as well as to the revelation of Jesus as His Son. The Feast of the Epiphany, having originated in the East in the late second century, is an older celebration than the feast of Christmas. In Italy and Spain, the gifts traditionally associated with the Christmas season are exchanged today, on the feast of the Epiphany. Among Italians, it is believed that the gifts are brought by the old woman, Befana (from Epiphany), whereas Spanish custom attributes the gifts to the Kings or Magi. The feast commemorates the coming of the Magi as the occasion for the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles in the Western Church. In the Eastern Church, the feast also commemorates the baptism of Christ. The angels revealed Jesus to the shepherds, and the star revealed him to the Magi. And finally, Jesus revealed himself as a miracle worker at the wedding of Cana, revealing his Divinity. These multiple revelations are all suggested by the Feast of the Epiphany.
FIRST 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 exiles, speaks of the restoration of New Jerusalem from which the glory of Yahweh becomes visible even to the pagan nations. “Jerusalem,” the prophet Isaiah cries out, “your light has come in the midst of darkness and thick clouds covering the earth; the glory of the Lord shines upon you.” For the people of Israel, then in exile in a foreign land, Isaiah was promising redemption, renewal and restoration –a new life, to be lived in their own land. And the promise goes beyond the Jewish people to include all peoples. For the prophecy continues, “Nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” Thus, in this passage, the prophecy which the Lord God gives His people celebrates the Divine Light that will emanate from Jerusalem, and it pictures all the nations acknowledging and enjoying that Light and walking by it. As a sign of gratitude for the priceless lessons of Faith offered by Jerusalem, the nations will bring wealth by land and sea, especially gold for the Temple and frankincense for the sacrifice. Everyone will be drawn to Jerusalem because the radiance of God’s favor rests on her. This prophecy of Isaiah is realized in Jesus Christ, God’s Anointed One (Christ; Messiah), Savior of the world, and in his Church, the New Jerusalem made up of Jews and Gentiles.
The Responsorial Psalm (Ps 72), blends with the message of Isaiah as it declares that all the kings of the earth will serve and pay homage to the God of Israel and His Messiah. Thus, the message of the readings are clear: In Christ, God is reaffirming that there is only one human race. The peoples of the earth are descendants of the One and Only God and Creator. They are called to acknowledge and serve Him in holiness. It is a message of hope for our divided world; a world characterized by thick walls of differences and indifference; a world lost in the philosophy of “We-ness” that fractures a universal brotherhood.
SECOND READING: Ephesians 3:2-3.5-6
The life of St. Paul is a living testimony of the operational power of God. Before his vocation as a follower of Christ, St. Paul was a zealous Jew, strictly and unreservedly glued to the Judaic tradition and sharing in the diffused mentally of the “Chosen people” which gave no room for acknowledging the genuineness of any other faith confession. But his encounter with the Risen Lord gave him a 360 degree turnaround. He not only became a passionate follower of Christ but also a passionate evangelist to the Gentiles; acknowledging all to be of same “Paternal descent”.
In today’s reading, the Apostle boasts of receiving the revelation that was not given to those who proceeded him in faith about “secret plan of God,” that the Gentiles also have a part with the Jews in Divine blessings. He affirmed that they are co-heirs and members of the same body-the mystical body of Christ-the Church. As such, they have the heritage of the one salvation made visible in the person of Christ. Thus, the Jews and the Gentiles have become, “coheirs, members of the same Body and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.” Hence, there are no second-class members in the Church among Christian believers.
It is unfortunate that many catholics are too traditionally minded and are so much stuck in the conventional “patristic affirmation” of “Ex Ecclesiam nulla salus” that blocks their vision from acknowledging others as brothers irrespective of their faith confession. We cannot claim to be lovers of God when we openly demonstrate hatred for other brethren who do not share the same belief with us. Diversity is not contrary to unity, rather it enriches unity. God is Three Persons in One. If we must construct a just and inclusive society where no one feels less human and less citizen, then we must break down the walls of prejudice and the “We Catholics” mentality. St. Paul leads us in the School of salvation for both Jews and Gentiles (circumcised Jews and uncircumcised Gentiles).
GOSPEL: Matthew 2:1-12
The first two chapters of Matthew’s Gospel together with Luke, Chapters 1 and 2, come under the heading “infancy narratives.” They have been described by Raymond E. Brown (The Birth of the Messiah, Image Books, New York: 1979) as a “Gospel in miniature,” in which the evangelist has set forth the basic tenets of the good news, namely, (1) the universal scope of salvation; (2) an affirmation of Jesus’ Divine origins and Messianic mission (3) the implications of God’s plan and of Jesus’ mission for the Church, i.e. a missiology of world-wide proportions.
Today’s Gospel teaches us how Christ enriches those who bring Him their hearts. The pagan Magi were acceptable to God because they feared God and did what was right. And since they came with humble joy in their hearts to visit the Christ Child, God allowed them to see wondrous things. At the same time, today’s Gospel hints at different reactions to the news of Jesus’ birth, foreshadowing his passion and death, as well as the risen Jesus’ mandate to make disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19).
THE MAGI AND THE STAR:
There is no indication from the scripture that the Magi were Kings. Tradition says that they were a caste of Persian priestswho served Kings by using their skills in interpreting dreams and the movements of the stars. They could be described as ancient astronomers.
There is also no scriptural indication that the Magi were three. Though the eight century tradition as recorded in the Excerpta latina barbari identified that they were three: Casper, Balthazar, and Melchior, based on the fact that three gifts are mentioned in Matthew’s Gospel as we heard today: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Matthew nowhere says that there were three wise men from the East. Hypothetically, tradition holds that each of them came from different cultures: Melchior was Asian, Balthazar was Persian and Caspar was Ethiopian – thus representing the three races known to the ancient world. Their supposition as kings probably came from the literal translation of today’s responsorial psalm verse: ‘The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts’ (Ps 72:10).
The Magi may actually have been Persian priests or Babylonian astronomers or Nabataean spice-traders. Eventually, however, they were pictured as representatives of different peoples and races. The Orthodox Church holds that the Magi consisted of twelve Kings, corresponding in number to the twelve tribes of Israel. (The term magoi in Greek refers to a wide variety of people, including fortune-tellers, priestly augurs, magicians and astrologers). Because of their connection with the star in this story, it is safe to conclude that Matthew identified them mostly with the last group. Possibly they came from Babylonia, or Persia, where the word magus originated.
It is not clear from the story why these far east visitors wanted to pay homage to a Jewish king, or what they learned about him from their observations of “his star” (Matthew 2:2). But their story is our story. It indicates the fact that Christian life, the life of God’s people, is a journey – a journey that begins with our confession of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior in Baptism and ends when we at last meet Him as the Triune, face to face, in God’s heavenly kingdom.
THE STAR:
Commentary on the Torah by Jewish rabbis suggested that a star appeared in the sky at the births of Abraham, Isaac and Moses. Likewise, in the Book of Numbers, the prophet Balaam a non Jewish prophet speaks of “a star that shall come out of Jacob” (Numbers 24:17). Stars were believed to be signs from God, announcing important events. Although the star which shone over the Magi and served as a beacon for them gained a scientific explanation. Johannes Kepler (1571-1630), a German astrologer and mathematician calculated that the planetary conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn which occurred ca 7-6 B.C.E. could have produced such an illumination in the sky over Bethlehem. However, the star, as featured in Matthew’s narrative figures more importantly because of its theological significance. No doubt, Matthew, with his mission to demonstrate that Jesus was the Promised one and the fulfillment of all Jewish hopes and prophecies, intended his readers to recall the story of Balaam in the book of Numbers (chapters 22-24). Therein, Balaam, a pagan seer from the East was co-opted by Balak, king of Moab to curse the Israelites. Prevented by Yahweh from uttering the curse, Balaam blessed Israel and prophesied, “a star shall rise from Jacob and a scepter shall arise out of Israel” (Numbers 24:17). Matthew portrayed the astral herald that proclaimed the appearance of Jesus as a testimony of the Gentiles to the birth of the Messiah as a Universal King.
THE GIFTS:
Gold, frankincense and myrrh may be thought of as prophesying Jesus’ future. The gifts mentioned by Matthew were recorded in the Torah. It equally shows how Matthew was deeply connected to the texts of the Old Testament which served as viable tools to envagelizing his Jewish converts to Christianity. The Gold offered was a gift for Kings; frankincense (an ancient air purifier and perfume), was offered to God in Temple worship (Ex. 30:37); and myrrh (an oriental remedy for intestinal worms in infants), was used by the High Priest as an anointing oil (Ex. 30:23), and to prepare bodies for burial.These gifts were not only expensive but portable. They might have served as God’s providence for the Holy Family’s journey and sojourn in Egypt.
THE TRIPLE REACTIONS:
The Epiphany can be looked on as a symbol for our pilgrimage through life to Christ. Therefore, the feast invites us to see ourselves in the Magi –a people on a journey to Christ. Today’s Gospel also tells us the story of the encounter of the Magi with the evil King Herod. This encounter demonstrates three reactions to Jesus’ birth, a) Hatred: a destructive headed by Herod group; b) Indifference: a group composed of priests and scribes who ignored Jesus; c)Adoration: a group made up of shepherds and the magi — a group who adores and offers themselves to Christ.
A) The destructive group: King Herod considered Jesus a potential threat to his kingship. Herod the Great was a cruel and selfish king who murdered his mother-in-law, wife, two brothers-in-law and three children on suspicion that they had plotted against him. In today’s Gospel, Herod asks the chief priests and scribes where the Messiah is to be born. Their answer tells him, and us, much more, combining two strands of Old Testament promise – one revealing the Messiah to be from the line of David (see 2 Samuel 2:5), the other predicting “a ruler of Israel” who will “shepherd his flock” and whose “greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth” (see Micah 5:1-3) (Dr. Hann). Later, the scribes and Pharisees would plot to kill Jesus because he had criticized them and tried to reform some of their practices. Today, many oppose Christ and his Church because of their selfish motives, evil ways and unjust lives. Children still have Herods to fear. He is the symbol of all murderers especially of babies. The Gospel tells of how he set out to eliminate children under the age of 2 when he felt deceived by the Magi. Millions of children in our world today are victims of Herods. How many unborn babies are being threatened by and eliminated by Herods everyday? The normalization of abortion in our world today is alarming, both open and secret abortions. There are those who are against the legalization of abortion yet they carry out abortion in the secret place of their homes and hospitals. God is aware of all the innocent blood crying for justice in the hands of Herods. We can look out for the annual data and see how many innocent, unborn children are aborted annually. Let each one of us ask himself or herself, “Am I Herod”?
B) The group that ignored Christ: The scribes, the Pharisees, and the Jewish priests knew that there were nearly 500 prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures concerning the promised Messiah. They were able to tell Herod the exact time and place of Jesus’ birth. They were in the habit of concluding their reading from the prophets on the Sabbath day by saying, “We shall now pray for the speedy arrival of the Messiah.” Unfortunately, they were more interested in their own selfish gains than in discovering the truth. Hence, they refused to go and see the child Jesus — even though Bethlehem was quite close to Jerusalem. Today, many Christians remind us of this group. They practice their religion from selfish motives, such as to gain political power, prestige and recognition by society. They ignore Jesus’ teachings in their private lives.
C) The group that adored Jesus and offered Him gifts: This group was composed of the shepherds and the Magi. The shepherds were the first set of people who visited the New Born King. They were certainly of the “low class”, showing how the our salvation story began from a humble state (manger) and first announced by a poor group of shepherds. They offered the only gifts they had: love, tears of joy, and probably woolen clothes and milk from their sheep. On the other hand, the Magi, represented a “people of class”. This shows how our God makes no difference. He calls both the rich and the poor alike to enjoy the one salvation brought through His Christ. The Magi who were probably Persian astrologers, were following the star that Balaam had predicted would rise along with the ruler’s staff over the house of Jacob (see Numbers 24:17). The Magi offered gold, in recognition of Jesus as the King of the Jews; frankincense, in acknowledgment that He was God, and myrrh as a symbol of His human nature. “Like the Magi, every person has two great ‘books’ which provide the signs to guide this pilgrimage: the book of creation and the book of sacred Scripture. What is important is that we be attentive, alert, and listen to God Who speaks to us,Who always speaks to us.” (Pope Francis)
LIFE MESSAGES:
(1) LET US MAKE SURE THAT WE BELONG TO THE THIRD GROUP.
a) Let us worship Jesus at Mass, every day if we can, with the gold of our love, the myrrh of our humility and the frankincense of our adoration. Let us offer God our very selves, promising Him that we will use His blessings to do good for our fellow men.
b)Let us plot a better path for our lives. Just as the Magi chose another route to return to their homes, let us choose a better way of life, abstaining from proud and impure thoughts, evil habits and selfish behavior.
c) Let us become the Star, leading others to Jesus, as the star led the Magi to Him. We can remove or lessen the darkness of the evil around us by being, if not like stars, at least like candles, radiating Jesus’ love by selfless service, unconditional forgiveness and compassionate care.
(2) LIKE THE MAGI, LET US OFFER JESUS OUR GIFTS:
a) Gift of our life by offering it on the altar during the Holy Mass and by offering it to God every morning as soon as we get up, and asking for the strengthening anointing of the Holy Spirit to do good and avoid evil during the course if the day.
b) Gift of relationship with God by talking to Him in personal and family prayers and listening to Him by reading the Holy Bible every day.
c) Gift of friendship with God by experiencing His presence in everyone we come into contract with and offering each our humble service, and by getting reconciled to God every night asking His pardon and forgiveness for our sins and failures during the day. (Fr. Antony Kadavil)
PRAYER
Lord lead us on our daily journey towards you. You are fully aware of the challenges that lie on our way; sometimes we are surrounded by the darkness of Herods that tend to deny us of your star. Give us the grace to always recognize when Herods are in our lives and make effort to break away from their grip and keep focus until we reach our Eternal Bethlehem where we will meet You no longer at a manger but on a glorious throne. There we shall offer you the gifts of our perpetual worship with all the angels and saints. Amen.
PAX VOBIS!
