The word “epiphany” means to make known.  On the Solemnity of Epiphany we celebrate Jesus being revealed to all the nations.

The Magi appear only in the Gospel of Matthew.  They are not called Kings and their number is not given.  Matthew understands them to be astrologers.  The Magi receive their revelation not from Sacred Scripture, but from the heavens.  They discover a star.  It was common belief of antiquity that a new star marked the birth of a ruler.  For Matthew, God not only reveals through Sacred Scripture and dreams but also through nature.  The astrological sign will lead these Gentile Magi out of pagan superstition and worship into an encounter with the King of the Jews who is Jesus.

The Magi challenge contemporary Catholics in at least two ways.  First, they represent people who are seeking the Lord right in our midst.  We need to ask ourselves what we are doing to help the alienated, the lonely, the rejected, or the confused among us who, like the Magi, are looking for Jesus.  If we do not act, they may not find Him.

Second, the simple, risk-taking quest of the Magi threatens our complacency.  If we seem to have stopped in our spiritual tracks, their example might help dislodge us and overcome our inertia.  We, too, must find Jesus and worship Him.

On the Feast of Epiphany we worship the King of all nations.  We worship God as the God of all creation.

God Bless,

Msgr. Powell