Ah Ha!
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. The word “epiphany” means a manifestation or the sudden perception of the essential nature or meaning of something. It indicates a new-found awareness, an “ah ha-moment.”
The scriptures present several epiphany events, “ah ha moments” when those who lived at the time of Jesus suddenly became aware that Jesus was someone special. The first event is the announcement of his birth by angelic beings, next the unexpected appearance of the magi from the east who followed a celestial sign that led them to Bethlehem. It is this event that we Christians here in the west associate with the Feast of the Epiphany.
Another sign, that appeared decades later, was when John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan river; the Heavenly Father’s voice could be heard and the Spirit of God descended like a dove. Yet another epiphany moment took place when Jesus performed his first miracle, the revelation of his divine power at a wedding feast at Cana in Galilee. At the prompting of his mother, Jesus transformed gallons and gallons of water into rich, choice wine.
This Feast of the Epiphany, traditionally occurring on the twelfth day of Christmas, invites modern-day believers to be watchful for the manifestation of God in our midst today. Do we recognize the Divine acting today? Have our eyes been sensitized to recognize the manifestations of Jesus, Messiah and Lord, in my life or the lives of others. This Feast Day urges us to be watchful for such epiphanies.
Sincerely yours in Christ Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life,
