Dear Parishioners of Mary Immaculate and Saint Rose,

Today we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord. This Feast is observed by the universal Church on January 6th, but in the United States it is transferred to a Sunday. It is the time between December 25th and January 6th that we observe as the twelve days of Christmas. For most of the world, Christmas ended about the time that the last gift was opened on Christmas mornings. We Catholics continue to rejoice in the mystery of the Incarnation that Jesus became man and dwelt amongst us.

Epiphany means a manifestation that Jesus is God. So on the Feast of Epiphany, we are really rejoicing in three main manifestations of Jesus being revealed to us as the Son of God. The first, of course, is the visit of the Wise Men to the Infant Jesus. We call these Wise Men all sorts of names, like the Magi,  Wise Men from the East, and the Three Kings. We don’t even know who they really were. We don’t even know if there were three. They presented three gifts, so we assume one for each. Sacred Tradition tells us that there were three, and even gives them names, which appear in an ancient mosaic in a basilica in Ravenna, Italy, that dates from the 7th century. The names are Gaspar (or Casper), Melchior, and Balthazar.

What we do know is that the Wise Men were not Jewish. So they represent the gentiles being invited to witness the Incarnation from the very beginning. Their bowing down in worship acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God. The gifts of the Wise Men, gold, frankincense, and myrrh, give evidence that they see Jesus to be priest, prophet, and king. The myrrh gives us a foreshadowing of His death for His people.

Another Epiphany that has its own day of observance is the Baptism of the Lord. When Jesus is baptized, the heavens open and the voice of God says, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus is shown to be the Son of God.

The final Epiphany that we celebrate today is the first miracle of Jesus. At the wedding feast in Cana, they run out of wine. Mary, the mother of Jesus, asks Him to do something about it. She tells the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.” With very little fanfare, Jesus tells them to fill six jars with water and then He changes the water into wine. Jesus shows that He has power over the things of this earth and thus shows that He is the Son of God.

On this day, as we honor the Wise Men, we see them kneel in worship before the Son of God. They offer precious gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, but they receive and even greater gift, as they have the privilege to worship the newborn Son of God.

As we continue to celebrate the presence of God with us, let us kneel in awe and wonder as we worship. May the overwhelming love of God fill us with joy and peace.

Msgr. Cox
Adoration of the Kings, Jan Gossaert (1515)