Epiphany 2012

The Feast of the Epiphany is the continuation of the mystery of Christmas. It is also a trinity, if you will, of feast days which we commemorate. First of all, we have the Magi coming and offering their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, recognizing Him as God while bringing things which could be used at His death. Next, the day has been honored for centuries as the day when Jesus was baptized in the Jordan river. Also, it is the day celebrated of when Jesus turned water into wine at Cana.

So, we have earthly recognizing Jesus as the Messiah. Then, we have God the Father recognizing Him as the chosen One. Then we have Him changing the substance of one material into another, thus showing his power over all of creation.

Let us offer our gifts to the Father this day and all this new year. Mostly, He wants US as the gift, to learn about Him and act accordingly so that we can be with Him in the next life. That is our goal!

I will let our beloved abbot do some explaining in a way which is far above me:

'...From this day of thy Manifestation, O divine King! begins thy separation from thy Synagogue, which refuses thy love; and on this same Day, thou takest, in the person of the Magi, the Gentiles as thy Spouse. Thy union with her will soon be proclaimed from the Cross, when, turning thy face from the ungrateful Jerusalem, thou wilt stretch forth thy hands towards the nations of the Gentiles. O ineffable joy of thy Birth! but still better joy of thine Epiphany, wherein we, the once disinherited, are permitted to approach to thee, offer thee our gifts, and see thee graciously accept them, O merciful Emmanuel!

Thanks be to thee, O infant God! for that unspeakable gift of Faith, which, as thy Apostle teaches us, hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into thy kingdom, making us partakers of the lot of the Saints in Light(Col.1:12-13). Give us grace to grow in the knowledge of this thy Gift, and to understand the importance of this great Day, whereon thou makest alliance with the whole human race, which thou wouldest afterwards make thy Bride by espousing her. Oh! the Mystery of this Marriage Feast, dear Jesus! 'A Marriage,' says one of thy Vicars on earth(Innocent III), that was promised to the Patriarch Abraham, confirmed by oath to King David, accomplished in Mary when she became Mother, and consummated in the adoration of the Magi, confirmed in the Baptism in the Jordan, and declared in the miracle of the water changed into wine.' On this Marriage-Feast, where the Church, thy Spouse, already receives queenly honours, we will sing to thee, O Jesus! with all the fervour of our hearts, these words of today's Office, which sweetly blend the Three Mysteries into one--that of thy Alliance with us.'

I have even learned something that I had never heard before, that the Magi, after coming to worship their God and offering their gifts, returned to their respective countries, and were eventually martyred for their Faith. They are listed in martyrologies. Gaspar is on January 1; Melchior on January 6; and Balthasar is on January 11. You can teach old dogs new things!

Lord, have mercy on us, and teach us your ways.