Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (ABC)

January 5, 2020

Readings:

First Reading: Isaiah 60: 1-6

Psalm 72 “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”

Second Reading: Ephesians 3: 2-3a, 5-6 

Gospel reading according to Matthew 2: 1-12

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Homily: God reveals Himself to us.

This day we are celebrating the Epiphany of the Lord, the manifestation of Jesus to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi (cf. today's gospel, Matthew 2:1–12).  Epiphany comes from a Greek verb meaning "to reveal, to manifest, to show," and all of the various events celebrated by the Feast of the Epiphany are revelations of Christ Jesus to all humankind. 

History of the Feast of the Epiphany.  Like many of the most ancient Christian feasts, Epiphany was first celebrated in the East, where it has been held from the beginning almost universally on January 6. Today, among both Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, the feast is known as Theophany—the revelation of God to man. Epiphany: A Fourfold Feast.  Epiphany originally celebrated four different events: the Nativity of Christ  the visitation of the Wise Men  or Magi, the Baptism of the Lord and Christ's first miracle, the changing of water into wine at the wedding in Cana. Each of these is a revelation of God to man: At the Nativity, the angels bear witness to Christ, and the shepherds, representing the people of Israel, bow down before Him; at the visitation of the Magi, Christ's divinity is revealed to the Gentiles—the other nations of the earth; at Christ's Baptism, the Holy Spirit descends and the voice of God the Father is heard, declaring that Jesus is His Son; and at the wedding in Cana, the miracle reveals Christ's divinity.  The End of Christmastide.   Eventually, the celebration of the Nativity was separated out, in the West, into Christmas ; and shortly thereafter, Western Christians adopted the Eastern feast of the Epiphany, still celebrating the visit from the Wise Men, the Baptism, and the first miracle.  Thus, Epiphany came to mark the end of Christmastide, which began with the revelation of Christ to Israel in His Birth and ended with the revelation of Christ to the Gentiles at Epiphany.  Over the centuries, the various celebrations were further separated in the West, and now the Baptism of the Lord  is celebrated on the Sunday after January 6, and the wedding at Cana is commemorated on the Sunday after the Baptism of the Lord (https://www.learnreligions.com/epiphany-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-542471)

After Jesus was born, from the east his star is manifested and seen by many people but only these three wise men seriously considered and studied the star, and they found it and interpreted it as a sign of the birth of a new born king, in particular, of Israel. They traveled far and wide in searching for the new born babe guided by the same star shown to them in their own country of origins.  When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.' (Matthew 2: 1-2).  Until the star stopped and disappeared when they reached the place of Jerusalem, in Judea, in the kingdom of King Herod.  The three wise men (magi) gave a courtesy call to the king for they too are also kings in their kingdoms.  After the usual greeting of peace, they asked King Herod if he knew there was a new born baby who is destined to become a new King of Israel, for they saw his star at its rising or in its beginning to shine.  They were searching for him to give him homage and acceptance.  They asked King Herod the whereabouts of that infant King.

King Herod was shocked and dumbfounded.  He cannot speak or say any information about the newborn king to the three magi, for he did not know about it or he was busy in his kingdom.  He did not also expect that someone, a little child, will replace him in his throne, which he hated to happen. When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him (Matthew 2: 3).  King Herod was indescribably troubled and perplex at the same time mad and angry; so also when the palace personnel learned the sudden madness of King Herd, they too were bothered.

After giving rooms to rest for the three wise men in his palace, King Herod called for a meeting of the wisest and learned of the palace.  He gathered the chief priests and scribes, those experts of the Scriptures, to consult what the scripture says about the new born king of Israel (of the Jews) for King Herod was not a Jew.  He was the second son of Antipater the Idumaean, a high-ranking official under ethnarch Hycamus II, and Cypros, a Nabatean. Herod's father was by descent an Edomite (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herod_the_Great).  Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born (Matthew 2: 4).  Herod asked the expertise of the chief priests and scribes the place of birth of the new leader of Israel.

Based on their research and studies of the Books of Torah and the Prophets, they located the birthplace of supposedly the Messiah of the Jewish people.   They said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel' (Matthew 2: 5-6).  They reported to King Herod where the new leader of Israel will be born as foretold by a prophet Micah (5: 2).  It is in Bethlehem of Judea, the birthplace also of King David.

When the magi were already rested, King Herod called them to himself secretly.  Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star's appeared (Matthew 2: 7).  He scrutinized the three wise men about the star, when it appeared, how they knew that it was a sign of a birth of a newborn king, and many other questions and interrogations.

Afterwards, he sent them to Bethlehem, not far from Jerusalem, but did not give exact location.  He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 'Go and search diligently for the child.  When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage' (Matthew 2: 8).  He let them go to search in Bethlehem for the infant, more or less two years old as the day the star appeared in the east.

When they left the palace of King Herod, the star that appeared to them in their places and led them to Jerusalem, the land of Israelites re-appeared again and once more was guiding them in searching the babe of Bethlehem.   After their audience with the king they set out.  And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was (Matthew 2: 9).  The star led them to the place of the babe of Bethlehem. 

Why was it the star disappeared when it was reached Jerusalem?  Was it overshadowed by thick clouds that made it dark and the light coming from the star cannot penetrate the cloud?  Was it King Herod made the star disappeared? or the people in Jerusalem made the place dark? and many other speculations we can guess.  Nevertheless, the hearts of the magi overjoyed when they saw the star.  They were overjoyed at seeing the star (Matthew 2: 10), they followed the star wherever it went until they reached the house where the infant was lying

With due respect and honor and blessing, they entered the house . . . and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother.  They prostrated themselves and did him homage.  Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2: 11).  They were amazed when they saw the child and his mother, inspite of the poverty of the place, majesty and splendor are seen and experienced, filled with awe.  They can sense with their eyes to see, with their nose to smell, with their mouth to taste, with their hands to touch the holiness and goodness of the Lord.  They knelt down and gave him homage.  Then, one by one brought out their gifts, one brought gold, the other frankincense and another myrrh; all this symbolizing the royalty of the child as king represented by gold, frankincense representing the priesthood and myrrh as prophet, also it symbolizing the death of the Son of God and the Son of Man with the three gifts..

The three wise men stayed for a few days in the house and then went home.  But instead of passing King Herod's palace and to share the information they have got about the child they used another way in going back home.  And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their country by another way (Matthew 2: 12). Beside they were warned by the angel not to return to King Herod for they too were going to kill by him, because he was jealous for they too are kings, enemy of his throne (kaagaw sa kanyang trono), as he was with the child Jesus.