EPIPHANY 25

EPIPHANY 2025, 05 JANUARY: ISAIAH 60. 1-6; EPH 3. 2-3a; MATTHEW 2. 1-12 Thrust: God reveals! Indicative: God revealed Himself in many different ways in course of history. But when the fullness of time had come, He had revealed Himself in and through His own Son, Jesus Christ 1. Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. Epiphany comes from the Greek word that means “to reveal”. It is the day of God’s revelation. In fact, on the day of Christmas itself, God reveals Himself in His Incarnate Son as the Saviour. 2. But Epiphany marks a special and unique day of God’s revelation. It is on that day the three kings or magi or wise men from the East come and pay homage to him. Thus, God reveals and manifests His divine glory to the whole universe symbolised by the three magi. 3. Epiphany as God’s revelation indicates that God’s salvation through the Incarnation of His Son is open to all. It does not exclude or discriminate against anyone. Though He is born in a particular place and at a particular time, His grace is not limited or conditioned, or restricted. 4. In this sense, Epiphany is a strong caution against all the exclusive, discriminatory and sectarian tendencies and attempts to promote and perpetuate divisions and discriminations, hatred, and hostility, in the name of God and religion. 5. God is not a “private property” of anyone. His grace is for all. His revelation and manifestation cannot be “domesticated” or “barricaded”. Religion is not a prohibited territory where God is safely protected or bound! 6. Thus, Epiphany is a clarion call against all senseless religious fanaticism, and communal violence. It is absurd that some frenzy and highly inflated people claim themselves to be “religious” and act irreligiously. 7. They degenerate into inhuman cruelty inflicting untold violence on others. They install themselves as self-appointed and self-proclaimed ‘saviours’ and ‘protectors’ of God Himself. Who makes them petty “gods” over God Himself? 8. In fact, God’s revelation has not yet reached and touched these people. In the name of disclosing God to others, they are only closing God’s grace. These are exactly like king Herod in the gospel. When he hears about the birth of the Messiah, he is disturbed and agitated. He regards the newborn king of hearts as a threat to his throne. He plots evil to terminate the incarnate God. 9. In contrast, today this celebration of Epiphany invites us to think and act like the three magi. They were truly wise. They see in him the Saviour and Liberator of the world. They long to encounter him personally. They use human resources like intelligence, knowledge, scriptures, astronomy, et cetera to discern and discover his presence. 10. Their spirit of yearning, search, and determination is such that they undertake a challenging journey. They are also docile to accept God’s “special assistance” in the form of a star. God’s ways are so caring that the star guides them to the incarnate Saviour. Commendable is their humility and surrender that they kneel before the Lord and pay homage to him. 11. Their human effort was richly rewarded. They could encounter the Saviour of the world. It was a rare grace and privilege that was not granted to many around him itself. Imperative: Like the three wise men, we are also called to constantly journey toward God in a spirit of search and surrender. Only such a spirit would lead us to a personal encounter and loyalty to God