A renewing Christmas shaped by active expectation of fresh and future possibilities suggest that we do not need to cling to the familiarity of 2018. The New Year 2019 stretches before us like a blank white piece of paper and clean slate provides opportunity to set some goals to work toward. The Second Sunday of Christmas being celebrated as Epiphany Sunday serves as opportunity to refocus on our spiritual pilgrimages as the Magi, as well as the holy family’s flight to Egypt. The English word “Epiphany” comes from the Greek word epiphaneia, which means “appearing” or “revealing.” The feast of Epiphany on January 6 began in the third century as a season— extending in some church traditions for several weeks to the beginning of Lent. According to Augustine, Epiphany is a ‘noteworthy celebration … throughout the world,’ in which we celebrate God’s manifestation in Christ Jesus. In the third century, Epiphany highlighted Christ’s baptism; by the fourth century, it also marked his manifestation to Gentiles in the persons of the Magi; later it included Christ self-revelation by creating new wine for the wedding at Cana.

 Epiphany marks Jesus’ first appearance to the Gentiles.  It was indeed a great challenge for the whole land and people that Jesus Christ was born in their midst, and they should first become aware of it through the heathen people living so far away. Herod was threatened by the announcement of a new king.  Often when we take on a new project or a new way of living, our schedules, our habits, our priorities, and our routine ways of living are challenged.  Like Herod there are parts of us that are threatened if we “pay homage” or surrender our lives to God.  The reflection is, what are the attitudes or parts of yourself that play the role of Herod when you think of complete surrender to God?

 The Magi were not Kings, but a caste of Persian priests who served Kings using their skills in interpreting dreams and watching movements of stars.  The Magi offered gold, in recognition of Jesus as the King of the Jews; frankincense, in acknowledgement that He was God, and myrrh as a symbol of His human nature. Gold, frankincense and myrrh may be thought of as prophesying Jesus’ future.  Gold was a gift for Kings; frankincense (an ancient air purifier and perfume), was offered to God in Temple worship (Ex. 30:37); and myrrh (an oriental remedy for intestinal worms in infants), was used by the High Priest as an anointing oil (Ex. 30:23), and to prepare bodies for burial.  These gifts were expensive but portable.  As true magi, we are called to relinquish our treasures of golden possessions.

In the images of the Magi and symbol for our journey through life to Christ, celebrating Epiphany as a promise in the future towards which we are journeying may be a comfort for us and an opportunity for growth.  The Magi’s encounter with the evil King Herod symbolises three reactions to Jesus’ birth:  hatred, indifference, and adoration. Herod and another group of priests and scribes planned to kill and ignored Jesus while the shepherds and the Magi adored Jesus. The message at Epiphany through the lens of the Magi being warned in a dream is about going home another way thereby overcoming and avoiding Herods inside and outside us. There are Herods of our time and in us ‘who try to trick us into the subtle cynicism of believing that wonder and dreams and imagination are the venues of children alone and not for so-­called grown up, practical men and women. Contemporary Herods may be very smart, but they will not be very wise.’ The contemporary Herods are all those people, institutions, and cultural assumptions that kill the childlike wonder in us all. Herods inside or outside us always say “It can’t be done … there is no way … you must never take a chance … everything you do must be useful and efficient … imagination is worth nothing … playing is wasteful … do not follow stars.”

The Magi symbolises a change to worship God with the gold of our love, the myrrh of our humility and the frankincense of our adoration. It is also a call to plot a better path for our lives.  Just as the Magi chose another route to return to their homes, we are called to choose a better way of life, abstaining from proud and impure thoughts, evil habits and selfish behaviour.  It is also a call to become become the Star, leading others to Jesus, as the star led the Magi to Him.   We can remove or lessen the darkness of the evil around us by being, if not like stars, at least like candles, radiating Jesus’ love by selfless service, unconditional forgiveness and compassionate care. The heart of the Epiphany celebration is about using our geographical journeys to shape spiritual journeys. According to Jimmy Buffett, “Changes in latitudes [lead to] changes in attitudes.” Whether these changes are the result of a change of heart, forced pilgrimage, or spiritual experience, they can be windows into divine transformation.