Gospel: Matthew 2: 1-12
In modern times the word 'epiphany' has come to mean a coming to awareness or having some insight on some weighty matter. Yet, the word simply means 'manifestation' or 'revelation'. Its original meaning had to do with the fact of God revealing himself to the world. It is less about ourselves and more about God's work in the world that we later have some awareness or realization about.
Epiphany is a three-fold event: the manifestation of God to the Magi in the person of the infant Jesus; the baptism of the Lord wherein God manifests Jesus' identity to the world; the wedding feast of Cana where Jesus performed his first miracle. Each of these events represents the various ways God is made manifest in the world: in the works of nature and in persons; in sacramental actions and signs; and in the quiet and hidden events of each day where the miraculous occurs amid the ordinary.
God still manifests himself to us each day in these various ways. We can become aware of these realities and come to realize their presence in our lives by a daily examination and reflection of the events of our day. Today's feast is a call to reflect on how God has manifest himself to us in our own lives, and what our response and gift back to God will be.
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