I don’t know who the author is, but I like this Epiphany story.
Once upon a time, there was a man who didn’t believe in God, and he let everyone know it. His wife, however, was a believer and she raised the children to have faith in God and believe in Jesus.
She used to ask her husband to come to church with her and the children on Christmas and Easter, but he refused. “It is too crowded,” he would say. Then she began to ask him to come to Mass on the Feast of the Epiphany, as it was usually the first Sunday of the New Year, and it was known as “the little Christmas.”
His response was always the same. “That story about God becoming a human person is ridiculous and nonsense. Why would God want to become like us?”
Her response was always the same: “Because God loves us so much, God gave us the gift of his Son.” And so, she and the children would go off to Mass without him.
It happened on one particular Feast of the Epiphany an unexpected snowstorm and blizzard suddenly blew in. He heard a loud thud and something hit the window. Then he heard it again. He went outside and saw a flock of wild geese. They were caught in the snowstorm and unable to continue their flight south, lost and without food or shelter. He felt sorry for them and wanted to help.
He walked over to the barn and opened the doors wide, hoping the geese would fly into the safety of the barn. He tried to get their attention and shoo them into safety, but he only scared the geese further away.
Then he got some bread and made a trail leading into the barn, but that didn’t work either.
Finally, he went to get a goose belonging to his children that was trained by them. That goose went right into flock and led the wild geese into the safety of the barn.
The man stood there silently, thinking, “If I were a goose, I could have led them to safety.” Then he thought about what he had asked his wife, “Why would God want to become like us?” Suddenly, it made sense to him. He headed to his truck, thinking to himself, “We are like the geese, blind and hungering for safety. God became one like us to show us the way, the truth and the life.”
Christmas and Epiphany made sense to him now. It was a mystery that he now understood. It was the moment that he discovered why God became a person like us that he became actively involved in his Church and began going to Mass weekly.
The 17th-century French scientist, mathematician and philosopher, Blaise Pascal, inventor of the first calculating machine that eventually became a forerunner to the modern computer, is credited with saying:
“There are only three types of people:
We see these three types of people on this feast of the Epiphany.
Those who have found God and serve him are Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds.
Those who had not found God but seek God are the Magi. These Gentiles, who were regarded as an inferior race by the Jewish community, traveled some 500 miles from the East following a bright star that led them to Jerusalem. It was in Jerusalem that they asked one of the most challenging questions in all of Sacred Scripture: “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?”
Being Gentiles and from the East, they knew nothing of the Jewish scripture. It is chief priests and scribes who are asked by Herod to do the research and find in the fifth chapter of the Book of Micah that it is in Bethlehem that the ruler will be born. With this knowledge, the Magi continue their pilgrimage and find the Christ child to whom they give homage and gifts, and fall to their knees in worship.
Herod is the example of one who does not bother seeking or finding God. He could have traveled the six miles from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to find the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, but he stayed put. His concern was to defend his power. Herod was a man tortured by suspicions. He was far from happy. He even murdered his wife and two sons.
The Emperor Caesar Augustus is credited with remarking, “I would rather be Herod’s pig, than Herod’s sons.”
The Greek word Epiphany means manifestation. What is manifested is the universality of salvation.
Our Second Reading from Ephesians, clearly states “the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.”
This is not an earthshaking statement for us, as we take it for granted that salvation is for all people. But for the first Christians, this was a profound truth. In fact, these first Christians in imitation of the Magi, exchanged small gifts on the feast of the Epiphany to celebrate this gift of universal salvation.
The Epiphany is celebrated in both the Western and Eastern Rites of the Church. Western churches recall the visit by the Magi, while the Eastern Rite celebrates the Baptism of Christ. Both traditions stress the manifestation of Christ.
Traditions in the Eastern Church include:
Traditions in the Western Church include:
The Magi asked, “Where is the new born king?” To find the answer, we have to “Go and search diligently.”
Do you notice God in the beauty of the stars and all of creation?
Do you notice God in the work you do?
Do you notice God in your wins and losses?
Do you notice God in the water you drink and the food you eat?
Do you notice God in the music you hear?
Do you notice God in distressing disguises, as Saint Mother Teresa describes, in the poor, imprisoned and marginalized?
Do you notice God in the elderly who are forgotten or sick or
without health insurance?
Do you notice God in the bread and wine at Mass?
Do you notice God who became one like us to show us
the way, the truth and the life?
If you remember only one thing from today’s readings and reflections, remember this:
WISE MEN AND WOMEN STILL SEEK HIM.
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