The Quintessential Lightbulb Moment

The Epiphany of the Lord

In our current liturgical calendar, the event of the Epiphany of the Lord is divided into two feasts and in certain liturgical cycles, a Sunday in Ordinary Time. Today’s feast of the Epiphany proper commemorates the “physical” revelation of Christ, the moment when the Gentiles, represented by the Gentile magi, recognised the incarnate Messiah. Next Sunday, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, another epiphany, is a “spiritual” revelation of Christ; it marks the moment when Jews and Gentiles together recognised the divine sonship of Jesus.

Before we go any further, it would be good to consider the word “Epiphany.” In common parlance, epiphany has come to mean a moment of sudden revelation or insight, a light bulb moment! The original Greek, “Epiphaneia,” is very vague and implies only “manifestation” or “disclosure” or making one’s presence known. For us Christians, epiphany is not just any manifestation, but the self-disclosure of God in Jesus Christ to the world. This Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (or “theophany) commemorates the revelation of Christ to the world on three separate events – the visit of the magi, the Baptism of the Lord and the Wedding at Cana. It is the quintessential lightbulb, the supreme “Aha!” moment. After generations of doubt and questioning and searching for God, the human race is finally presented with the greatest light bulb moment in history, and it is not just a grand idea or a complex concept, but a person.

If you had listened carefully to the readings for this feast, one of the features that is pushed to the front are the different ways that God’s self-disclosure is facilitated. The prophet Isaiah in the first reading has received a vision of a hopeful future now that the harrowing period of exile has passed. He tells Jerusalem to “shine out” and the reason for this is clear: “for your light has come.”  It’s a reminder that the city of Jerusalem, has no light of her own, even when she thinks she does because she houses the Temple of the Most High, the dwelling place of God on earth. Yet, she shall witness nations and kings streaming towards her with treasures, not drawn to her but to the light which shines in her. And only in this light can she gather herself together out of the diaspora, the Jews in exile scattered throughout the world. She cannot reassemble herself, she cannot reconstruct herself merely by cutting herself off from the nations of the world who are now bringing her the “riches of the sea” from the most distant lands, rather, she can do this only in unity with them. The “New Israel” will be greater than the old, not because she is set apart from other nations, but ironically, when other nations are joined to her.  We can clearly see how this prophecy would be fulfilled by the visit of the Gentile magi.

The letter to the Ephesians speaks now of the Church as that reconstituted people, the new Israel. Saint Paul would insists that the Lord Jesus’ message was not just for Jews, but for all humanity. Even pagans would now be given the privilege of sharing “the same inheritance, that they are parts of the same body, and that the same promise has been made to them, in Christ Jesus, through the gospel.” Such a fate was never foreseen by the Jews of old. Even though God had told Abraham that the nations would be blessed in him, Israel did not grasp the hint and the full extent of this promise, that the Nations of the world would one day be incorporated into the new Israel.  But it is in the Church that we first see what sort of star has risen and what kind of epiphany has illuminated the whole world and brought about its salvation.

Although the readings speak of various lights, they are focused on one light in particular. The real revelation of Epiphany is not the star, nor the three kings, nor even Herod but Jesus, the Christ child. The spotlight is on God and His Anointed One. The entire journey of Christmastide, from the nativity to Epiphany, beckons us to marvel at the glorious, life-sustaining light of the Son of God that has come to earth. Pope Emeritus Benedict tells us that, “the Magi worshiped a simple Child in the arms of his Mother Mary, because in him they recognised the source of the twofold light that had guided them: the light of the star and the light of the Scriptures. In him they recognised the King of the Jews, the glory of Israel, but also the King of all the peoples.”

The light of Epiphany reveals, but not passively; it summons and sends. Epiphanies from God are uncomfortable because by their very nature they challenge the status quo and force us to respond. The light not only illuminates but also reveals and uncovers those things done in the dark. The light may reveal to us that there may be more of the insecure and jealous Herod and religious leaders, than there are the magi who risked everything to make this long journey to worship the true King. Like Herod, we can be filled with jealousy and rage. We can be passive and indifferent and pretend the light pollution of our noisy crowded lives drowned out any chance for epiphany like it did for the Jewish Leaders. Or, we can be like the Magi. Men and women who run to the light and go forth being witnesses of that light to the world.

This is why we consider the Epiphany of the Lord as the most incredible light bulb moment in human history. Pope Francis tells us, “God does not reveal himself in strength or power, but in the weakness and fragility of a newborn babe.” In our own day, too, God presents Himself in ways which we may not recognise. God does not appear in His glory, but in friends and strangers, unexpected incidents and under the insignificant appearance of bread and wine. Just as He did in Bethlehem, Jesus slips into our lives like a shadow.

Today, we may not be as privileged as the magi to witness the Star of Bethlehem and be led into the presence of Christ, but Christ continues to provide us with a new and enduring star that draws us ever closer to Himself. This is through the Eucharist, “the Source and summit of our Christian life.” The Eucharist is that powerful star that continues to attract and illumine Christians the same way the star attracted and drew the Magi to Christ Himself. The visible sign of this star throughout the Catholic Church is the Tabernacle in every Church. That is why we always have a light shining wherever there is a tabernacle. It’s telling us that Christ is to be found here, not just in a symbolic way but He is truly, really, substantially present in the flesh, both body and blood, soul and divinity.

Therefore at every liturgy, we encounter what the Magi encountered centuries ago. As we make our way to Church and as we walk down the aisle to receive Holy Communion, we realise that we come empty handed, unlike the Magi of old. We bear no gifts of gold, frankincense or myrrh. We only offer our meagre devotion and good intentions and we realise that this is never enough for the One whom we acclaim as the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords. But here as Saint John Vianney, the Cure D’Ars, tells us: “When we leave the altar rails we are as happy as the Magi would have been if they had been able to carry off the Infant Jesus.”

Just like the Magi who fell to their knees and paid homage to the Christ child, we too kneel down before our Lord Jesus Christ, God, hidden in humanity and under the appearance of Bread and Wine. Having received Him in the Holy Communion, we experience once again the joys of the Epiphany. So, at this Epiphany and every time when you have received Him in Holy Communion during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, know that you are summoned and sent forth. In the light and darkness of Epiphany, we are called to be witnesses of His light, to perpetuate the true revelation that Jesus is the light of the world—the light that not only illuminates but also reveals; the light that not only liberates but saves.