Isaiah 60-1-6 / Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 / Matthew 2:1-12
Today's feast goes by a name that may need some explanation, if we don't know what it means.
The word “Epiphany” is Greek in origin, and it means revelation.
This feast follows closely after the feast of Christmas.
At Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ at Bethlehem was announced to the shepherds by an angel.
The shepherds were told where to find the newborn infant King of the Jews. They were told that He would be wrapped in swaddling cloths, and lying in a manger.
And when they went to Bethlehem, it was exactly as what they had been told.
At the feast of the Epiphany, the birth of Jesus Christ was revealed to the world.
And the wise men came from the East to pay homage to the newborn King.
But for the wise men, it was not that clear, and there was no angel to give them specific instructions.
Although the star revealed to them the birth of the infant King, the star wasn't always there to guide them.
So, they went to Jerusalem, thinking that the infant King would be born there.
King Herod came to know of their purpose, and he used them to find out more details.
But it was then that the wise men came to know about the prophecy, that the infant King was to be born at Bethlehem.
It was a further revelation for the wise men in their search for the infant King.
But for king Herod, it was a revelation that led him to think of an evil thing.
The star appeared again and it finally led the wise men to the infant King.
They paid homage to Him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And here, there is another revelation.
Those three gifts, as much as they are valuable, they are also mystical.
Gold symbolized royalty, that the infant is a King.
Frankincense symbolized divinity, that the infant is God became man.
And the myrrh symbolized the humanity of the infant King.
And the revelation goes further, as the wise men were warned in a dream not go back to king Herod, and they returned to their own country by a different way.
So, the feast of the Epiphany is filled with revelations and meanings.
The birth of Jesus Christ was revealed to the world, and the wise men came to pay homage.
It shows that people who do not know of the prophecies in the Scriptures, will also come to know of the Saviour of the world.
And the three gifts also revealed the true identity of Jesus Christ, that He is the King, and He is Divine as well as human.
This feast of the Epiphany shows that God reveals Himself through people, as well as through gifts.
At Christmas, we received gifts from others, and there could be a revelation for us.
I remembered that some years back, I came to take charge of this Parish about three weeks before Christmas.
Besides being unfamiliar with the parish and the parishioners, it was also a hectic time in preparation for Christmas.
Burdened with worry and anxiety, I was stressed up and tired out.
Then one day, a lady and her young son came to my office.
They asked if I'm the priest, and then the boy said that they have a Christmas present for Jesus.
The lady said that her son wanted to give Jesus a present, and so they went shopping and bought the present and came to Sacred Heart Church.
The gift wasn't even wrapped, and without saying much, the lady and her son left, and I never saw them again.
The gift was a toy, and batteries are not included.
It was a radio-control car, in the shape of a police car.
As I looked at it and reflected on it, I saw it as a revelation from God.
God was telling me that He will protect me and the parish and keep us safe.
That was what the radio controlled toy police car revealed to me.
God reveals Himself through people and their gifts to us.
Let us reflect deeper on these people and their gifts, and we will be as wise as the wise men.