HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD
Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi
Reading 1: Isaiah 60:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: 71:1-2, 7-8, 10-13 Response cf. v. 11
Reading 2: Eph. 3:2-3, 5-6
Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12
The word ‘Epiphany’ comes from the Greek epiphaneia which translates as ‘a manifestation’ or ‘a striking appearance’. This is a Solemnity that celebrates the manifestation of the God-man, Jesus Christ, to the world in search of Him. This Solemnity remembers principally the visit of the magi to the Infant Jesus and Jesus’ manifestation of Himself to the Gentiles. Little wonder, then, that it could also be called ‘the Feast of the Three Kings’ who went to see the Infant King, Jesus. We are reminded that we too have been made in the image of God ‘to see’ the manifested Jesus, the King of the Universe, who has been born for us. We are called on by the manifested God-man to arise and shine like the star in order to show Jesus to the people of our time.
The Magi belonged to a caste of wise men, associated variously with the interpretation of dreams, astrology and magic. They were alleged to have come from Medea, which was part of the Persian empire (which is why the Bible recorded that they come from the East). History has it that the caste tried to overthrow the ruling powers, but that the attempt failed. Thereafter, the caste changed tack and put all their efforts into the search for holiness and wisdom instead of power and prestige. In Persia the caste became the equivalent of the Levites in Israel. They were the instructors and teachers of the Persian kings, and no sacrifice could be offered satisfactorily unless one of the magi were present. These men were skilled in philosophy, medicine and the natural sciences, and were known for their goodness, truthfulness and holiness.
In those ancient times, there was a firm belief in astrology and in how it affected people’s lives. People believed that the stars influenced (or were connected to) a person’s destiny. The magi shared in this belief, and attempted to interpret the stars in connection with human destiny. Now we know that, we are in a position to understand how the Gospel of St. Matthew (Mt. 2:1-12) speaks of the way some magi divined their way to Jerusalem by reading the stars. The way people come into our lives, apparently by chance or coincidence, is an illustration of this pre-Christian belief. For instance, through a chance encounter - on a bus, on a train, at a party, at an event - a person comes into the life of another person who eventually becomes the husband, the wife, a son-in-law, a daughter-in-law or a business partner. No one knows or can anticipate what surprises the Lord has in store for us.
The star identified in the gospel reading must have been of immense significance to the magi. In those days, on the first day of the Egyptian month, Mesori (Sirius, the dog star) rose at sunrise and shone with extraordinary brilliance. The name ‘mesori’ means ‘the birth of a prince’; and to those ancient astrologers, such a star would undoubtedly have indicated the birth of a king. We don’t know what star these magi actually saw. What we can say is that their expertise lay in watching the stars and planets – ‘the heavens’ - and that they interpreted a previously-unseen brilliance as marking the entry of a hugely-important king into the world. Their star trek began!
It might seem extraordinary to us that those men embarked on a journey from the East to find and pay homage to a new-born king; but the marvellous thing is that, round about the time that Jesus was born, there was a strange feeling of expectation in the air in that part of the world about the coming of a king. How marvellous and extraordinary it is that God chose to manifest Himself first of all to Gentiles. The wise men from the East were Gentiles, not Jews, not members of the Chosen People of God. This is highlighted in the Second Reading (Eph. 3:2-3a.5-6): that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promises of Christ Jesus through the Gospel. The manifested king, Jesus Christ, is the Universal King. His Kingdom knows no discrimination, for we all belong to a chosen race - a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people set apart to sing the glory of the Lord (1Pet. 2:9).
These wise men, the magi, sought out God in their geographical situation and through the depth of learning required by their profession. They discovered the King of the Universe through their dedicated efforts within their area of specialization. As interpreters of the stars, they searched for and found the Messiah. We too can find the Messiah. Our love of Jesus, our relationship with Him, plus our knowledge of what He taught and of what His Church teaches, all these serve to influence what we actually do. When we take Him seriously, our understanding of the mission inherent in our vocation and career shines through. Think for a moment about the deep learning of the wise men. Did all that effort and experience lead them to discover the evil plan in the message of Herod?
Well, yes it did. Their experience of interpreting dreams led them to conceal information from Herod and to avoid further contact with him. Their decision to rely on their interpretative powers allowed salvation history to go ahead unhindered. And so the world was saved by the life, death, Resurrection and Ascension of Our Beloved Lord. Our careers in life are the routes God expects us to follow to save the world in our own day. It is good practice to emulate the wise men, who rejoiced and promoted the cause of the divine in their own lifetime. We can do this too, both by allowing ourselves to be amazed by God’s wonders, and also by working together to fulfil His will continually on earth. Amen. We have been encouraged by the journey, the pilgrimage, of the magi; let us then continue on our own pilgrimage of life. Let us become the citizens of that city of God, the Heavenly Jerusalem, that are called forth in the First Reading (Isaiah 60:1-6) to ‘arise’ and ‘shine’. God bless you.
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