Reflection/Homily: Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord
Theme: The Visit of the Magi
Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany of our Lord. Epiphany is a kind of theophany which is God’s revelation and manifestation of Himself. In the bible, we see several instances of this divine manifestation. In the Old Testament, we recall the incidence of the burning bush where God revealed Himself as I AM. In the New Testament, the baptism of Jesus is another example of theophany. There God revealed Himself in the Voice of the Father who spoke about the Son, in the Son who was being baptized and in the Holy Spirit who descended on the Son in the form of a dove. In today’s theophany, God is revealing and manifesting Himself this time not to the Jews but to Gentiles whom He guided to the birthplace of Christ through a star. We shall therefore reflect on some interesting aspects of the readings that will help us appreciate the epiphany better.
In the first reading (Is. 60:1-6), the Prophet Isaiah invites us to rise and shine out for our Light has come. He calls us to witness to the Light. This light is Christ who we celebrate His birth this season. Are we ready to leave our works of darkness and follow the light of Christ which illumines our paths to heaven? Without Christ, our vision is blurred and our journey is hopeless because we cannot see our way since Christ is the Way. If Christ is living in and among us, we must therefore allow others to experience this light in us which is supposed to guide them through our actions.