Epiphany 2010

The celebration of the magi coming to adore the new born king of the Jews is a wonderful commemoration in the Church! In the Western rite, it's nowadays held on the 1st Sunday after the new year. In the Eastern Rites and of course in the Orthodox churches it's held on the Traditional 12th day of Christmas, Jan 6. Epiphany means an appearance or showing. The magi, who are also called astronomers, astrologers, wise men, and kings are from "the East" and are not of Jewish descent. They are gentiles. Why is this significant? The birth of the Christ-child was prophesied many times in holy scripture, in the Old Testament writings of the prophets. When King Herod asked his scribes where the king of the Jews would be born, they knew. In the town of Bethlehem of Judea he was told. But these non-Jews would not necessarily take a Hebrew prophet's word for it. They came to know about the birth through other means and they were guided by a natural phenomenon. A star, something they did know about guided them.
So God foretold the birth of His Son in spiritual ways through scripture and natural ways through the stars. God knows His audience and uses the appropriate media to inform them, guide them, for they are all His children. This was because even though Jesus was indeed to be the King of the Jews, He was also, and IS also, the King of all peoples and of all creation! The gentiles coming to see the newborn king from the beginning, is acknowledging this fact: "that the gentiles are co-heirs; members of the same body, and co-partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel." Eph 3:6 This is HUGE! and generally not understood for many years even after Christ's passion, death, resurrection and ascension. It took awhile for it to sink in, and thanks to the continual guidance by our promised advocate, the Holy Spirit, who "will reveal all truth" we have come to know this is true!
Heard a homily on Christmas that gives a new perspective on these recent celebrations. God became Incarnate, i.e. took on flesh, became man. Why did he come as a helpless little child? Some have said, and not wrongly, to show humility which is an example for us. Who is more vulnerable and dependent than a newborn child after all? That's how we should be with God, because humility is really about reality: we are completely dependent on and all-powerful, all-loving, and thankfully, all-merciful God! Yet, what is it about babies that makes everyone no matter who they are, stop and pay attention? Have a mother or father bring an infant into the room and every head turns to see the child. And we are changed by this child, like it or not. Mothers, fathers, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, neighbors everyone whose lives this new born baby touches is affected. God knew this. God knows how we are. That's what Jesus does to us. He affects us. That's why God became man as a child. He's affected all of history more significantly than other event or person. Praised be Jesus! Now and forever!