The Epiphany

 

The Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord commemorates the visit of the magi to worship the infant Jesus as told in the Gospel of Matthew: “Behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage. '” (Matthew 2:1-12) The word “epiphany” comes from the Greek epiphainen, a verb that means "to shine upon," "to manifest," or “to make known.”

It is a celebration of light which calls us to see the light of Jesus on the earth.  The magi searched for eternal light.  We are called to give our gifts and allow our light to burn brightly before others.  We have come to consider the gifts they bring as a foreshadowing of Jesus’ role in salvation. We believe the meaning of the gifts to be Christological. Gold is presented as representative of Jesus’ kingship. Frankincense is a symbol of his divinity because priests burned the substance in the Temple. Myrrh, which was used to prepare the dead for burial, is offered in anticipation of Jesus’ death.

Traditionally on the feast of Epiphany, Catholics bless their homes by writing the letters C, M and B and the numbers of the year, for example 2023, (20+C+M+B+23) at the top of their doors. The letters stand for the names of the three Magi: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. They also represent the Latin blessing Christus mansionem benedicat, which means “May Christ bless this house.”  On this Solemnity of the Epiphany may we continue to live in the light and share Jesus’ message of hope.