Cycle C - Year I

6 January 2013: Solemnity of the Lord's Epiphany

(Liturgical color: White)

Matthew 2:1-12

The Lord's Epiphany: Salvation comes to all!

Did you miss receiving gifts last Christmas? Well, cheer up, because today, the Feast of the Epiphany or traditionally Three Kings, may be your last chance to receive gifts.

In the gospel narrative, the magi, or wise men, or three kings, looked for the infant Jesus guided by a bright star in order to pay him homage with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. So by tradition today is also the last day for sharing gifts to our loved ones.

"Epiphany" means manifestation or appearance of God in person like us through the humanity of Jesus. In the Lord's epiphany we see the plan of God to give his only Son as King and Savior not just for the Jewish people, who are God's chosen people in the Old Testament, but to all the nations as well. The wise men or magi were foreigners and non-Jews. Thus, the implication of today's feast is that the Lord Jesus comes so that both the Jews and the gentiles (or non-Jews) may find true and lasting peace with God.

The gifts of the magi have symbolical significance to the divine identity and mission of Jesus: gold symbolizes the kingship of Jesus; frankincense is the symbol of the divinity of Jesus; and myrrh symbolizes the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross that brought about the salvation of the whole humanity.

The Feast of the Epiphany should inspire us to reflect deeper into its significance to our practical Christian living:

- Because epiphany tells us that God became visible and audible for us in the person of Jesus, who is the human image of the invisible God;

- Because epiphany makes known to us the way to the Father through Jesus Christ. As Jesus himself declared:"I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6);

- Because epiphany reveals to us God's plan for all men and women to be saved, believing that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. For God's kingdom is intended for all people of all generations.

As we conclude the celebration of the Christmas season, we pray that the examples of the wise men or magi guide us in our spiritual journey in the new year. So that like the wise men, we too acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and Savior and do him homage in the Holy Eucharist. So that like the magi we also open our gifts of pure heart, our self, and our whole life, and offer them to Jesus.

Because we know and believe that Jesus Christ himself is the greatest gift of God the Father to us, his beloved people.

Happy Feast of the Three Kings to all of us. And thank you for a moment with God.

Deo Optimo Maximo!