The Epiphany of the Lord
There is a small Christian population in south-eastern Turkey who speak the same language that Jesus spoke – Aramaic. Thirty years back, there were about 50,000 Christians in this area. Today, there are merely 2,500 of them. The Christians of this tradition say that, instead of three there were twelve kings. They are not alone in claiming that there were more than three kings. St. Jacob and Michael the Syrian (aka St. Michael the Great) also claim that there were either 11 or 12 kings. The tradition of the three kings comes from reference to the three gifts. In his gospel, Matthew does not mention the number of the kings brought these three gifts. In fact, he does not even call them kings but simply magi. Magi refers to members of a priestly class. Neither Matthew nor any of the above traditions name the kings as Melchior, Balthasar and Caspar. These names belong a later 8th century tradition. No matter which tradition we ultimately go with – the feast of the Epiphany has implications for us.
Nations Shall Walk by Your Light
Epiphany means “manifestation.” It is the celebration of the revelation of the God-become-incarnate, the word-made-flesh, Emmanuel, Jesus, to the world and its nations. That is not all. “Nations will walk by your light,” says Isaiah, in today’s first reading (Is 60:3). In other words, whereas Epiphany is the revelation of Jesus, the Christ to the nations, it is also the acknowledgement of the nations that Christ is their light.
Sadly, that first Epiphany, Herod did not join the magi in doing homage to Jesus. He felt threated by an innocent and harmless infant. God came to us as a child precisely because in God’s reign no one has to be threatened by another. In God’s reign everyone is a friend, every person is valued, where spears are transformed into pruning hooks, the lion dwells with the lamb, where love is the only law and peace is the only goal. Jesus truly is the light of the nations.
Epiphany makes us examine at our own attitudes and perspectives. Who do we feel threatened by? What would it take to have the mind of the magi who were willing to be led by the “light of the nations”. Today, we are being invited to be less like Herod and more like the magi. Epiphany is an invitation to embrace God’s vision for the world and its nations.
Epiphany tells us that God loves the World
Epiphany is a global feast. It is true that, on the one hand, each one of us, like the magi must offer our personal homage to the divine child. However, Epiphany is not merely an individualistic feast. Epiphany is not the feast of Jesus’ manifestation to individuals or to a few individuals, to three kings or to one nation. The tradition of the twelve kings tells us that Epiphany is the feast of the manifestation of Jesus to the whole world - rich kings and the poor shepherds, men and women, adults and children, righteous and sinner, nature and creatures Epiphany tells us that God loves the entire world.
The practical implication of this feast is that we approach the world the way God in Jesus did. Many people look the world with an us-and-them attitude. Much of our discourse today is guided by competition, the desire to gain racial, national, and religious superiority, the desire to dominate and control. In the midst of all of this we adore a child who came and loved the world as a child does. To adore this divine child is to look the world like God does – less as us-and-them but as ‘we.’
Jubilee 2025: Pilgrims of Hope
Epiphany 2025 is very special for us Catholics. Pope Francis marked Christmas Eve on December 24 with a special ceremony launching Jubilee 2025. We can trace the concept of the Jubilee year to the book of Leviticus, which, every 50 years called for releasing prisoners, freeing slaves, forgiving debts, and restoring harmony not only among people, but also the land and it’s creatures. Everybody, all of society got a new lease of life, a new beginning. As a Catholic observance, the tradition goes back Pope Boniface VIII, who launched the first Jubilee year the year 1300.
The theme of the Jubilee year 2025 is “Pilgrams of Hope.” The goal is to offer hope for a world suffering the impacts of war, the ongoing effects of COVID-19 pandemic, and the climate crisis. The mascot for the 2025 Jubilee year is named "Luce", which is Italian for "light". She is a cartoon character designed in an anime style to represent a Catholic pilgrim and is intended to appeal to younger generations.
The words hope and light, should give us enough insight in the purpose of the Jubilee year even as they connect us to the feast of the Epiphany. May we embrace this holy year not as warriors or conquerors, winners or losers, feeling threatened and defensive, but as Pope Francis says, “pilgrims of hope”. This what the twelve wise kings were – “pilgrims of hope.” Let us join them today and as pilgrims of hope spread this hope and light to the world. May Isaiah’s prophecy, “Nations will walk by your light” come true in our time and space through us. May we be today’s magi.
As today’s magi, we come where first magi came – to Jesus Christ, the light of the nations. We too offer him homage. Not just gold, frankincense, or myrrh, but our very lives.
- Fr. Satish Joseph