THE SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY

The Greek word Epiphany means appearance or manifestation. The Solemnity of the Epiphany, which will be celebrated on January 3, 2021, recalls and celebrates Jesus’ first appearance to the Gentiles (those who were not from the Jewish community), as represented by the coming of the Magi, traditionally called the wise men. However, in the Eastern Churches, this is commemorated at the Baptism of Christ, where the Father and the Holy Spirit give combined testimony to Jesus’ identity as the Son of God.

The Magi were not kings, but a caste of Persian priests who served Kings by using their skills in interpreting dreams and the movements of the stars. The sixth-century Italian tradition mentions three magi coming to find Jesus, namely Casper, Balthazar and Melchior. This tradition is based on the fact that three gifts are mentioned in Matthew’s Gospel: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Matthew does not mention three wise men from the East. The assumption was probably drawn from the fact that three gifts were mentioned, and it could easily be assumed that each gift was brought and presented by one wise man, although this would be going beyond what the text says. The notion that they were kings probably came from a literal reading of Psalm 72:10, “The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts”. Some of the earliest depictions of them never used symbols of royalty but simply the Phrygian cap and garments of noble Persians. It is more than likely that they were either Persian priests or Babylonian astronomers or Nabataean spice traders. Eventually, as time passed, they became more representatives of different peoples and races. One certain thing was that these persons did not belong to the Jewish community or else they would not have gone to King Herod to ask him about a national ruler that would challenge his dynasty. It is not clear from the story why they wanted to pay homage to a Jewish king or what they learned about him from their observations of “his star”. (Matthew 2:2)

We have various commentaries on the Jewish Scriptures from Jewish rabbis that speak to the appearance of a star at the births of Abraham, Isaac and Moses. In the Book of Numbers, the prophet Balaam speaks of “a star that shall come out of Jacob”. It was believed in the times of the Old Testament and at the birth of Jesus that stars were signs from God announcing important events in human history. Scientists within the last 40 to 50 years have pointed to particular clusters of planets or stars around the time of the birth of Jesus which would have created an unusual and rather dramatic portent. It suggests that St Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus may have respected a historical fact that some biblical exegetes may choose not to believe. However, what mattered to St Matthew in his account of the birth of the Messiah was that, from the time of his coming into the world, the Lord was manifested to people who came from distant lands. God announced to the whole world that the time of salvation had come and that it was for the entire world – not just a few or some select group or community or nation.

The gifts presented to the newborn king spoke to the life and mission of the one who came to liberate from sin. Gold was a gift for kings. Frankincense (an ancient air purifier and perfume) was offered to God in temple worship (Exodus 30:37). And myrrh (an oriental remedy for intestinal worms in infants) was used by the High Priest as an anointing oil (Exodus 30:23), and to prepare bodies for burial. These gifts were expensive, but they were also portable and therefore could be transported from distant places.

The Feast of the Epiphany can be seen as a symbol of the disciple’s pilgrimage through life to unity with Christ and ultimately to our heavenly homeland. The feast invites us to see ourselves in the Magi – people on a journey that must lead us to a more profound relationship with God in Jesus, the Christ. Seeing and understanding our lives through the Magi allows us to be guided by God (the Star). It allows us an openness to listen to the word of God (they listened to the chief priests and scribes who shared the Sacred Scriptures that led them to reach the house where they would find the one for whom they were looking). And finally, it must lead us to that moment of encounter with the mystery of God – ADORATION, a moment of joy and happiness as we bow before Him in the offering of ourselves to Him. In that moment, united with Him in total abandonment we become the face of Christ in the world, the light that dispels darkness and the word embodied in humanity that brings salvation and new life. We become missionary disciples that manifest the presence and action of the Holy One in the world.

– Bishop John