Feast of the Epiphany - 2024

When we speak of the coming of Christ we think of Christmas. However, in a wider sense we can say there are Three Comings of Christ. The 1st being His Incarnation, His 2nd is the Day of Judgement and His 3rd is present, each time a person is baptised into the life of Christ. As it was for Christmas, we commonly think of the Epiphany as that one event in Christ's life where the Magi, led by a star, make their way to see him and offer him gifts fitting a new king. However, the Catholic liturgy considers the Epiphany to be threefold also, the visit by the Magi, the Baptism of Jesus by John, and the Miracle of the Wine at the Wedding in Cana.  The Greek word, "epiphaneia", was used to signify the coming of a king or emperor. It was also used for the self-manifestation of a god or for his miraculous intervention; this latter, likely the original use of the word. A popular use of the word “epiphany” today means a sudden discovery, something finally seen and recognized, the beginning of understanding; we say, “ah, now I see, now I understand!” "I just had an epiphany". (The word "insight" comes to mind here.) Many people these days have abandoned the practice of belonging to a church. They say they are spiritual but not religious and do not need the structures of church membership to be a good person. It is true that everyone is spiritual for that is how God created us, a physical being with a spiritual soul. However to simply claim to be spiritual is to leave out one important thing - it is religious practice that connects our spirit to the heavenly where God is revealing himself to the people of this world; it's the Spirit who empowers the believer to see rightly so that he can bear fruit in the world by the true practice of the faith. The people at the time of the first Epiphany were religious people seeking a true spiritual life. But they were having difficulties with which religious practice was the correct way? Who best to sort out these complicated question than God Himself. The Epiphany is God becoming visible and personally present to this world. Jesus is God making himself present and demonstrating that imitating him is the way of true religion. ( ... now I see, now I get it. ) Do you get it? Do you understand? How is your "epiphany experience" unfolding? Here is where true spirituality enters the discussion - true spirituality happens when we become seekers, searching for Him the One who  tells us in person who he is. We are today's Magi-seekers and our gifts to offer are our open hearts and minds in search of "insight" and understanding. We are people with a dynamic spiritual/religious practice seeking a personal encounter with Jesus. Just as true spirituality does not make up who God is, rather it discovers who God really is, likewise true religion does not make up how God is to be served, God himself has come to show us how he wants us to worship and serve him. So we need to belong to the Church that Jesus established as his way of gathering us around himself for instruction.

.