The Epiphany of Jesus celebrates the fact that God made Himself present or manifested himself to humanity. Â God did this in a special way so we could understand He is real and understand Him. Our readings today reflect the beauty of this event in our salvation history. We hear Isaiah prophesy about this event; âRise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Â Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you.â Jerusalem, the site of the temple was the center place of the Jewish faith; the site where sacrifice was offered to God. If you are familiar with biblical history you recall the Arc of the Covenant was placed in the temple after its construction and God dwelled in the âHoly of Holiesâ, a special section of the temple. God was present to Israel. Much later in the history of Israel the prophet, Ezekiel describes the âglory of the God of Israelâ leaves the temple. (chapter 10) God had abandoned the temple because the Chosen People had turned away from God, worshiping false gods and were soon to be overtaken by the Babylonians. With the presentation of Jesus in the temple, God once again graced this sacred space. The statement by Isaiah; âthe glory of the Lord shines upon youâ has been fulfilled.
The celebration story we hear today is the âWise Menâ, mysterious figures from the east who arrive with gifts and bow down before this newborn king. They fulfill the prophecy we hear in the reading from Isaiah. Godâs glory has been present to us ever since this holy event, the coming of the Messiah. We continue to be blessed with His presence even today, He is always present in the tabernacle and we receive Him in the Eucharist where we are nourished by His Precious Body and Blood.
Because we are blessed in such a special way it is important that we gather together every weekend to give Him praise. We join with our brothers and sisters in Christ to be enriched spiritually, to bring our prayers of petition to God, and to be sent forth to serve all peoples. Unfortunately, some people donât understand the importance of gathering every week to stay in touch with God. We see these people at Christmas Mass and occasionally through the year, but they are not regular in their worship practices. I encourage you to pray for these brothers and sisters so they can awake from their spiritual sleep. Make this a daily prayer petition this year; perhaps our prayers will open their minds and soften their hearts.
May the God who has made Himself manifest to us be ever present to you this year!
God bless,
Deacon Ray
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