Epiphany of the Lord!
Epiphany of the Lord!
An 8-year-old asked, "How come the kings brought perfume to Jesus? What kind of gift is that for a baby?" His 9-year-old sister answered, "Haven't you ever smelled a barn? With dirty animals around, Mary needed something to freshen the air."
We are celebrating the Epiphany. The word Epiphany means a showing or manifestation of the Lord. St. Bernard, an 11th-century Cistercian monk, said that God sent to earth a bag bulging with his mercy, a bag that, at the passion, is torn open so that our ransom pours out of it onto us. It is a small bag, but a full one: for it was a small child that was given to us, but in him dwells the fullness of the Godhead. In St. Bernard’s image the infant Jesus is a little bag bulging with mercy.
The Magi shows us that there is no substitute for an open heart and mind. Jews knew about the coming of Jesus, but they did not recognize his birth. But the Magi came looking for the Newborn King. Pope Benedict XVI wrote, “The Magi set out because of a deep desire which prompted them to leave everything and begin a journey. It was as though they had always been waiting for that star.”
The wise men are from the East, but from where in the East. There are three predictions about the place. Some predict that they are from Persia; some others say they are from Babylon. The third prediction is from Arabia. Today’s first reading from the book of Isaiah gives us more approval from the third prediction, Arabia. In the first reading, we read, “Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; all from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.” In Psalm 72, today we read that “The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts; the kings of Arabia and Sheba shall bring tribute. All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him.”
In the first reading, the light Isaiah proclaims to Zion symbolizes the blessing to come to her: the glory of the Lord, the return of her children, the wealth of nations who themselves will walk by her light. If we want to understand the meaning of this passage, we need to look at the background of this passage. Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians 57 years before Christ. Fifty years later, the Persians conquered the Babylonians, and they allowed the Jews to return home. They found their city and homeland was ruined and rebuilding was extremely difficult. The prophet was giving them encouragement and telling them that Jerusalem would become the center of spirituality and light of the world. St. Matthew sees this vision fulfilled in the birth of Jesus and the coming of the magi. Through Jesus, God’s love and salvation will radiate to the whole world.
Magi were the priestly class, and they were astrologers. It was a common ancient belief that a new star appeared at the time of a ruler’s birth. Matthew also draws upon the Old Testament story of Balaam, who had prophesied that “A star shall advance from Jacob” (Numbers 24:17). The Magi were not members of the Chosen Jewish People, so the Epiphany today shows Jesus came for all people. The Magi shows us that there is no substitute for an open heart and mind.
In the Gospel, magi came to King Herod in search of the newborn King, Jesus. Herod reigned from 37 to 4 B.C. He was not popular among the Jews because he was in company with Romans. So, for Herod, the message of the birth of the Newborn King brought fear. He closed his mind and heart towards Jesus, but he pretended to show that he was eager to see him and do homage. We know the rest of the story.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem-house of bread to become the bread of life for us. He comes to us in every celebration of the Eucharist and sends us to outlive and share that gift with everyone around us. Bishop Powers’ Pastoral Letter, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you,” he wrote, “Authentic evangelization can only be an overflow of the love of God that we have personally received, pouring itself out in a desire for that love to be received by those around us.” We are an Eucharistic community; we are missionaries to make his name known and loved. On this Epiphany let us ask him to give us a deeper understanding to grow in love for the Eucharist and the ability to share with many people and make his name known and loved.