The word epiphany means
- an appearance or manifestation, esp. of a deity
- a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/epiphany)
On this feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, we commemorate Christ's epiphany. In Matthew 2:1-12, the magi, astrologers from the East, see a new star. In ancient times, the appearance of a new star signified the birth of a great king. They follow the light of this star to search for the new king. Their search leads them to Jerusalem, and of course, they go first to the palace; where else would a king be present? But they find out that the new king is not in the palace. They continue their search, based on the Jewish prophecy from the prophet Micah (Micah 5:1), and journey to Bethlehem, where "they were overjoyed at seeing the star" (Matthew 2:10). Upon seeing the star overhead, they knew their search was ended. The light of the star enlightened them to the presence of the King. The epiphany for the magi was "an appearance or manifestation of a deity."
For us, especially we Catholics in the U.S., the feast of the Epiphany isn't usually as exciting. Our big celebration just happened at Christmas. Oh, on Epiphany we go to Mass, still singing Christmas carols, still taking in the Christmas decorations, but for any of us it is simply a Sunday liturgy in the season of Christmas.
The second definition of the word epiphany probably speaks more to our personal experience. We more often have "a suddent, intuitive perception of or insight into" God, Messiah, in "some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience." The feast of the Epiphany reminds us that God is with us always, but that sometimes we experience, we recognize God's presence more deeply, more intimately. Perhaps we have a feeling that God is with us as we hold the hand of someone we love who is sick. We might feel God's presence in a overwhelming sense of joy as we play with our children. Maybe we feel God most in a quiet moment of meditation or contemplation. While we may have some heart-stopping "Aha" experiences of God, most often we experience God in these simple, homely, ordinary occurrences.
Faith Chat Question: The magi followed the light of the star to find the newborn king. What helps you to recognize Christ's presence in your life?
Faith Response: Each evening this week, snuggle together as a family. Invite each family member to share how they experienced God that day. Where were they? What did they do? How did they know God was with them?
Prayer: Christ Jesus, Messiah and King, help us to recognize your presence with us always. Amen.
