The Feast of Epiphany

"Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage."

So begins our gospel reading for this feast which unites the Churches of both East and West. A question posed by Matthew's mysterious 'wise men' from the east. Who are these strangers? What did they know of Jesus or God for that matter? What or who were they seeking?

They were from 'The East' one of the Holy Scriptures' 'pay attention' phrases that is repeated in several of our favorite stories beginning with the Garden itself where Adam and Eve are exiled and sent to live 'East of Eden'. Jacob flees to live 'with the people of the east' after cheating his older brother out of both blessing and birthright. The people that gathered at Babel to build their tower to the heavens 'migrated from the east' and Lot leaves his uncle Abram when their tribes grow too large to travel together and "journeyed eastwards...and settled among the cities of the Plain and moved his tent as far as Sodom"

Throughout the scriptures 'The East' always signifies a place away from God and outside of God's goodness and light. Matthew's 'wise men' or 'sages' (magi means 'sage') come out of this place following the light of a star and a message of hope...the King of Kings has come! This is the wisdom they hold, that they have seen the light of the Christ, they have heard his sacred Word, and have changed the course of their travels to follow.

It is a story that captures our imaginations and underlines the great gift that Jesus is to the whole world. Our Nativity scene grows from a tiny lonely and frightened family huddled in the dark to first include shepherds, those poor and forgotten folk who lived outside of the Law, and their community and now these gentile visitors from a foreign place.

The King of Kings has indeed come. The creator of heaven and earth, the Word spoken at the dawn of time itself, has become flesh and appears now; not to the rich, or the pius, not to the leaders of Churches or nations, but to the poor and calls to his side those who have lived on the fringes and in darkness.

This is our Lord, this is our King and this is the Good News he has called us all to share!

More About The Feast of Epiphany (From Churchyear.net):

Officially called "The Epiphany of the Lord," this feast celebrates the epiphany (manifestation) of Christ to the Gentiles, symbolized by Christ's manifestation to the Magi (Wise Men). The feast originally was more closely connected to Jesus' baptism, the primary theme of the feast in Eastern Churches to this day. In addition, other manifestations of Christ were often commemorated during Epiphany, including the miracle at Cana. In fact, it has been asserted that the Baptism of the Lord, the adoration of the infant Jesus by the Magi, and the miracle at Cana all historically occurred on January 6 (see Abbot Gueranger's works). Whether this is true is contested, but either way, the Epiphany solemnity is celebrated on January 6, which falls within Christmastide. In some Catholic regions, the feast is translated to a Sunday. The Eastern Churches often call the holiday Theophany, which means "manifestation of God." Eastern Christians also refer to the Epiphany as "Holy Lights" because they baptize on this day, and baptism brings about illumination. Traditionally, Epiphany marked the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas.

The story of the Magi traveling from the East to see the Christ child appears only in the Gospel According to St. Matthew. The word Magi, in Greek magoi, comes from the Latin word meaning "sage." These particular sages were possibly Zoroastrian astrologers from Persia. Upon seeing a star rising in the East (the Star of Bethlehem), they realized it was a sign that the king of the Jews had been born. According to St. Ignatius of Antioch (d. AD 107), the star shone with an inexpressible brilliance, and the sun, moon, and other stars all formed a chorus around the special star (Letter to the Ephesians, 19). The wise men followed the star to Bethlehem of Judea, and to Jesus' dwelling there. Having arrived, they worshipped the infant Jesus, and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

There have been numerous traditions that have grown up about the Wise Men. Typically we think of there being three wise men because of the number of gifts, but Matthew doesn't tell us the exact number. Since the 3rd century, Christian writers have referred to them as kings, even though Matthew doesn't specifically tell us that they were royalty. Their names in the West, Gaspar (or Caspar), Melchior, and Balthasar date to the 6th century. The names mean: Master-of-Treasure, King, and Protect-the-King, respectively. The Syrian Church has given them the following Persian names: Larvandad, Hormisdas, and Gushnasaph.

St. Bede the Venerable fills in a few gaps, providing colorful details about the Magi:

The first was called Melchior. He was an old man, with white hair and a long beard; he offered gold to the Lord as to his King. The second, Gaspar by name, young, beardless, of ruddy hue, offered to Jesus his gift of incense, the homage due to Divinity. The third, of black complexion, with heavy beard, was middle-aged and called Balthasar. The myrrh he held in his hand prefigured the death of the son of Man (see The Catholic Source Book).

St. Bede hints that the magi represent different races, an idea that was further developed around the 14th century, in which the wise men were said to represent the three known races of the time, European, Asian, and African. According to another legend, St. Thomas the Apostle visited the Magi, and after catechizing them, he initiated them into the Christian faith. Eventually the Wise Men were ordained priests and then bishops. Near the end of their lives, the Christmas Star revisited them, this time bringing them together for a final reunion. The information provided by Bede, and this legend, are interesting but historically unreliable.

Let us pray,
Father of light, unchanging God,
today you reveal to men of faith
the resplendent fact of the Word made flesh.
Your light is strong,
Your love is near;
draw us beyond the limits
which this world imposes,
to the life where Your Spirit
makes all life complete.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
New Saint Joseph Sunday Missal