EPIPHANY 2025

“When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold magi from the East arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is the newborn king of the Jews saying, ‘we saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.’”

The journey of the magi is central to this feast.  These wise men from the East, guided by a star, sought the newborn king of the Jews.  They weren’t part of the Jewish faith, nor were they looking for a political ruler nor an earthly king.  Instead, they were seeking something greater—a divine presence, a light that would lead them out of darkness.

In celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany, the story of the Epiphany may be our story as well.  We are today’s magi who come to discover and encounter the Christ child.

The magi followed a star with faith, not fully knowing where it would lead them, but trusting that the light would guide them to truth.

It’s a journey that mirrors our own.  We too, like the magi, are called to seek Jesus, to follow the light that has been revealed to us.  But just as the magi had to leave behind their comfort and security to make the long journey, so too are we called to leave behind what is familiar in order to encounter Christ in a deeper way.

The magi symbolize what is restless in the human spirit seeking for a greater depth of meaning and purpose in life.  They left behind what was comfortable and safe and took considerable risk in traveling to another country in search of the Lord.  The magi speak to our restless human spirit seeking to discover the spiritual meaning and longing for that which ultimately satisfies us.

May each of us be in touch with our restless human spirit that is looking for something more in our spiritual journey.  How is the Lord calling us to move beyond our comfort zone and follow a star that will lead us to that deeper relationship with Jesus that we seek?  The grace of Epiphany invites to come to know Jesus in a deeper relationship.

My hunch is that the Lord is placing a star in our life on this Epiphany dayEpiphany Day that we are to follow.  That star may not be in the sky but possibly be the star that is in the heart of someone you are called to love and to help and to serve.  That star may be in the hearts of the poor who we are called to reach out to.

The star in our life, strange as it may seem, may be a struggle, a loss, a disappointment we have experienced.  The grace of this experience may make us realize that we are not fully in control of our lives; this star event may lead us to trust more fully in the hand of God for our lives.

When the magi finally arrived in Bethlehem, they worshipped the infant King and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  We are called, too, to present our gifts to Christ, though they may look different than the Magi’s.  We offer our lives, our talents, our prayers, and our love.  We recognize, as they did, that Jesus is worthy of all that we have and all that we are.

Please note the sharp contrast between the Magi and King Herod in the Epiphany Gospel.   Herod sees the promised child as a threat. He'sHe is afraid the coming baby will crimp his style, will challenge his power and lower his status.

The Magi see the promised child as a wonderful gift. They'veThey have humbled themselves to travel a great distance to a strange culture that speaks a different language, in order to embrace this baby who fulfills God's love.

Herod’s selfishness fueled by his fears leads to his downfall. The Magi's worship of the Christ child leads to the salvation of all the nations. Today more than 2two billion people call themselves Christians, in some way the result of the humility and the seeking spirit of the Magi.

We see the hostility of King Herod to the notion that he would have a rival to his kingship.  Moved by jealousy, he hatched a murderous plot that was foiled by the non-cooperation of the magi.

Before we simply reject the treachery of Herod, we need to acknowledge that there is a Herod within each of us that keeps from following Christ more fully.  What are the demons within us that make more self-centered than Christ-centered?  How radically do I share with those in need?  What keeps me from listening more fully to another’s point of view?  Do I make time for God in the way that I live?

Yes, we all need to confess that we are sinners, and there is a bit of King Herod in all of us.  But thanks be to God, the Bethlehem infant has come to be our Savior and Lord.  We seek the grace of allowing ourselves to be loved by the Christ child.

In our discipleship of the Lord Jesus, we are the magi – seeking to encounter the Lord Jesus more fully in our lives.  In seeking to encounter the Christ child, In one perspective we are the magi seeking to discover the Lord.  From another perspective we ask who the magi are we are meant to encounter.  Who are the magi?  They may the strangers whom we meet this coming year who have followed a star in search of the Christ child that is within each of us.  May we welcome that strangers with the hospitality that the magi received at the Bethlehem crib.we come to a universal truth that brings great promise to us all.

On this feast, we are reminded that Jesus came not only for the Jews but for all people, regardless of race, culture, or background.  The Epiphany marks the opening of God’s kingdom to the entire world, and we are invited to be part of that great revelation.

 

It’s revealed that there are no outsiders at the Bethlehem crib.  There was no racism.  All were welcome.  Jesus welcomed everyone – the ox and the ass, the shepherds and magi, poor and rich, the Jews and Gentiles.  He came for us all.  He would reject no one, as he would accept the unique gifts of each.  As we pray over this epiphany account, we too are to affirm that there are no outsiders in our Church and in our world.  All are welcome.  We are to love our neighbor, no exceptions.

 

Notice well, the magi were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, and they departed for their country by another way.  Of course, they would return by another route.  Their lives have been changed by their encounter with Jesus.  May we too with God’s grace have our lives changed by our encounter with Jesus.  We cannot go back to our old way of living -- with our fears, our anxieties, our addictions, our grudges, our pettiness.  We are to put on the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Have a Blessed Epiphany Day.