Epiphany

It has been so frustrating the last few days.  Either the computer was being stubborn or our server was having trouble. Even the phones were out last night. Grrr!  I had hoped to get a New Year message out, but it's a little late now. Happy New Year, anyway.

Today, January 6, is the Feast of the Epiphany.  I always leave in place my Nativity set until the Magi have had a chance to arrive.  It is thought by some, because the Magi lost sight of the star, (and we don't know how long that lasted), when exactly they saw Herod, etc.,  that they really didn't see the Baby Jesus in the stable at Bethlehem; but that they arrived later, when Joseph, Mary and the Child were already in their home.  At any rate all was prophesied in the Old Testament.

This feast was kept in the East from the third century. Its observance spread to the West toward the end of the fourth century.  Epiphany means "manifestation," a revelation, if you will. At Christmas, it was the mystery of God appearing in visible form.  Isaias saw the Church as typified by Jerusalem, where kings and nations  would come from far off with countless caravans singing the Lord's praise and bringing him frankincense and gold (today's Epistle in the Mass, Isaiah 60:1-6).

At Christmas the manifestation was made to the Jews.  Today Christ manifests himself to the whole world in the persons of the Magi. It is said that while this Feast holds primary place in today's liturgy, two other manifestations may be seen in the future of Our Lord's life: the changing of water into wine at Cana and His Baptism in the Jordan.  These are three miracles, before the real beginning of His public life, that proclaim Him God and King.

My old St. Andrew's Missal, circa 1945, treats of the "cycle of Christmas." It is "like a magnificent drama in three acts, whose purpose is to show forth in three distinct ways, the Incarnation of the Word and the raising of human nature into union with God."  It goes on to show that the cycle develops through Advent, with the prophetic sayings about Our Lord to come.  Second, throughout Christmastide, all the mysteries of His childhood are there for us to see, including His teaching at age 12 in the Temple.  It continues then, after Epiphany, when Christ's divinity continues to be affirmed. We have seen the Baptism and then comes the miracle at the Wedding Feast of Cana. Christ then acts and speaks as God.  All these things are "epiphanies," or manifestations of the Divinity of Jesus.

The Epistles and Gospels chosen for the Church's liturgical cycle, are meant to fit in with the life of Christ. The Christmas cycle shows us Christ taking on our humanity and manifesting His divinity. The Easter cycle holds all the mystery of our Redemption.

At Vespers today the following, among others, are sung:
   Begotten before the day star (Ps. 109.3), and before the ages, the Lord our Saviour was this day made manifest to the world.
   And opening their treasures the Wise Men offered the Lord gold, fankincense, and myrrh, alleluia (Matt. 2:11).

Note: Gold is the mark of Christ's Kingship, Frankincense, His Divinity, and Myrrh, His Humanity.

1/6/12