Feast of the Epiphany: Sunday, January 8, 2023

The Feast of Epiphany and the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord ends the Christmas season. Epiphany is the manifestation of the Lord to all the nations. The nations are represented by the Three Kings (Magi). The Baptism of the Lord is another “Epiphany” where the Holy Trinity reveals Jesus as God’s beloved Son.

On Epiphany, the scriptures tell us that the Magi were seeking Jesus. The diversity of the Magi reminds us that we all are searching for God. In this search, we discover that we all matter to God. In the end, we discover love, and we are no longer the same.

Searching for God is a search for love and God is love. With wonder and humility, once we encounter God’s presence among us, we are changed, and we don’t want to return in the same way we came. With this action, the Magi also acknowledged that Jesus was the Savior for whom they were searching.
 
At the Baptism of Jesus, the scriptures tell that the heavens were open, and a voice was heard saying, “This is my beloved son in whom I am pleased-listen to him.”  Then, the scriptures go on to say the Spirit in the form of a dove hovered over him.  At the Baptism of Jesus, all three Persons of the Holy Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - were made manifest. 

The Christmas season ends with our acknowledgment of Jesus as our Savior and in our diversity, like the magi, we continue to search for and acknowledge God’s love dwelling among us.

Let us continue to pray for one another!

Happy New Year!