We celebrate the feast of the Epiphany today. “Epiphany” means to appear with great intensity.
When I wonder about the wise people, I say wise people because I believe there had to be at least one woman among the group of wise travelers. I wonder what did they see in the sky that first night? What was so special about this great light? Why did they want to pack and begin a journey to who knows where? Who, what, and why, was in the sky, in their mind, and their heart?
We don’t know much about these wise travelers and their journeys. St. Matthew says they came from the East maybe from Persia. We don’t even know the number of travelers for sure. Throughout the centuries the number has ranged from 1 to 10. Who were they? We call them Caspar, Malk-key-or, and Bal-tha-zar. What were their professions, astronomers, priests, scientists, wise wo/men?
And “the star?” Was it just a regular star, a bright light, a comet, or a gathering of planets?
This Epiphany journey is not just the wise men’s journey but our journey today as well.
I do know I can’t fully understand or even imagine what was in the sky, what they saw, what they thought that night they headed out. What was the weather like? Was there a conversation? Were they discussing what they expected to find? Was it quiet? Did they whisper in hushed tones? I wonder what they hoped for, wanted, or dreamed of finding.
I do know each of us has Epiphanies in our lives. An ahhh moment. When it happens, we might be surprised, anxious, or uncertain of what next is about to happen. But we know there is something that encouraged us to move forward, to take a step forward. To have an epiphany is when something moves, us, calls us out of our comfort zone and to experience and see God in a new way.
The Magi brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Gold for a king.
Frankincense as an offering to God
Myrrh to the King who would die for our salvation.
All the gifts testify that we know who this baby is.
The wise men traveled, saw, and believed.
Something stirred within them, and they began to wonder, to imagine.
Could it be that the one who created life, who hung the stars in the sky, noticed them, knew them, lived within them, and was calling them?
Could it be that the light they saw in the sky was a reflection of the divine light that burned within them, that burns within each one of us?
The wise men came with questions. They found their answer in Mary’s arms. It’s the same for us, God knows each by name, and He knows the number of hairs on our head. He knows when we sit and when we stand. He lives within us.
Yes. God notices us, knows us, lives within us, and calls us by name. He is waiting for us to search for Him with open hearts and minds.
We are all invited into the epiphany of our Lord.
We come from all over. We are all different, but we still come.
We lay down and surrender our lives and worship him.
Take a moment a moment of silence…What does your Epiphany look like?
While I was thinking about the Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord. I thought of the Star of Bethlehem and that reminded me of a movie, Paint Your Wagon, that I saw as a teenager. There was one song that stayed with me for a long time. The name of that song was A Wand’rin Star. Lee Marvin sings in a deep gravely voice “I was born under a wand’rin star.” The scene is gray, raining, and a wagon train is heading out of town westward.
I thought about all those people heading out just like the Wise People of so long ago. I want my wagon hitched to the Star of Bethlehem not just some wandering star. I want to follow the one true light. Jesus Christ.
Words That Sing 