Reflection for the Feast of the Epiphany

January 7, 2024

     Today we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, which means the manifestation, or the revealing. We consider the Wise Men, the Magi, who came from the East to worship the newborn King of the Jews. We recognize that although Jesus had revealed Himself as God-become-Man to the Jews in Bethlehem through the angels and the shepherds, now he will reveal Himself to the People of the East.

     Much is made of the wise men themselves, especially of their arrival in Jerusalem to ask for precise directions to the place where the newborn king is to be found, and later their arrival in Bethlehem with their mystical gifts. However I am always profoundly moved in contemplating the journey itself. I think of their seeking, their thirst for truth—ultimately, for God Himself—who ever, wherever He is. And they seem not to be concerned about the externals; they ask for the ‘newborn’ king. That’s an unusual concept. Ordinarily in history, it wasn’t until the heir to the throne was officially enthroned or crowned as king that he would be honored, but in this case they come to worship the child, that is, the Infant King! What extraordinary faith is called for. They are simply following a star (which has mysteriously disappeared) because they believe it will lead them to the place where He will be found.

     What was their journey like? They might have been brothers, or strangers who met coincidentally in some oasis in the desert; we don’t know. They might have been scorned by their countrymen for such a foolish enterprise. They may have had to convince their wives of the absolute necessity of this unpredictable trip. How long had they been traveling?  They had seen the star two years ago, they told Herod when they approached him to ask for further directions. And when they heard that the scriptures spoke of a child king who would be born in Bethlehem, they seemed not to have blinked an eye; they just turned and went their way to the place where He lay. The distance hardly seemed to matter, after all.

     As they continue on their journey, I can hear them as they each whisper their questions to the night sky:

Where are you?

Who are you?

Why did you call me to this journey that has been difficult and long,

but so beautiful with its promise of something I can’t even understand?

What has made me thirst for the vision of your face, the sound of your little voice?

Will the gift I carry express the longing I have known in seeking you?

What will happen when I return home?

Will I ever be able to leave you, having once gazed into your eyes…?

Will anything ever be the same for me?

Will I ever want anything to be the same…?

Show me the way, my King. Show me the way to your heart.

     Perhaps you have asked some of these questions along the way, especially as you sought to grow closer (!) to your Jesus, as you continue to grow closer…. Today may be a good day to consider the long, or not so long, journey you’ve made to this day when Jesus chooses to reveal Himself to you in a new way. It doesn’t matter where you’ve been. What matters is that you let yourself be found by Him, here and now. It may be in an oasis of peace that you create for yourself to hear His voice, or in a church, or in a very small place like Bethlehem where He finally revealed Himself to the Magi.

     Don’t be afraid of your questions. And for sure, don’t be afraid of His answers. OR of any questions He may have for you, like Where have you been? Tell Him right from the deepest place in your heart,

Jesus, It’s been a long, long journey, and I’ve gotten lost a few times along the way. And my gift….  

And He will interrupt you gently in His quiet loving voice,

None of that matters. What matters is that you are here, now. Safe with Me.

And your gifts don’t matter. All I ever wanted was you.

And you will be free to answer,

                                      Me, too, Jesus. Me, too.