January 10, 2024

Wednesday Word:  Epiphany

January 6 is the Feast of the Epiphany, also known as the Manifestation of Our Lord Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.  This is the day we celebrate the arrival of the magi/wise men at the house of the Holy Family in Bethlehem.  We are told in Matthew that the wise men came from the east and followed a star that eventually led them to the house in Bethlehem.  They were the first non-Jews to recognize the importance of the birth of Jesus.

The first Sunday after the Epiphany is celebrated as the Baptism of Our Lord.  All three synoptic gospels record the baptism of Jesus, and the Gospel of John strongly implies it.  All four record the Spirit of God descending from heaven and resting Jesus, signifying something important.

This coming Sunday we will hear disciples beginning to follow Jesus, as well as hearing of Jesus’ ability to see things mortals can’t.  After that we will hear Jesus calling disciples, healing people, and driving out demons.  All of these Epiphany passages reflect various ways in which Jesus is made known to us as the Son of God. 

This time of year, between the end of the holidays and Ash Wednesday can be seen as a quiet time.  The busyness of the holidays is over, and the quiet preparation of Lent is just getting underway.  The Epiphany season itself is a type of Ordinary Time, a green season of counting the Sundays after Epiphany.

But, as I mentioned above, this is the season of manifestation.  This is the season of revelation.  This is the season of seeing Jesus for who he really is.

This year Epiphany is only six weeks long.  Instead of thinking there’s nothing going on during this time, or instead of looking forward to the next big event (Ash Wednesday and Lent), I encourage you to take some time and live into Epiphany.  Where do you see the presence of Christ, in your life or in the lives of those around you?  Where do you see opportunities to answer his call to follow him?

Maybe most importantly, where do you see opportunities to point him out to others and invite them to join you?

Blessings,