Epiphany means to show, manifest. Drawing the Magi to himself, Jesus manifests that he belongs to all humanity and that human family is one; there are no outsiders, all are invited to taste the redeeming love of God in Jesus. Appearance of the star to guide the magi shows that the birth of Christ was a cosmic event, a new light upon the world. The magi, wise men, were Persian scholars who studied the stars and they could interpret dreams. When the magi saw signs in the stars of a great event, they began their search with wonder for the new born king, who will be a life changing light for all. Beholding baby Jesus, they realized that this baby is a priceless gift to the whole world, that he holds life’s mystery. Fanthrope. U. A wrote about the birth of Christ: ‘this was the moment when a few farm workers [shepherds] and three members of an obscure Persian sect [magi] walked haphazard by starlight straight into the kingdom of God’. We did something similar; we walked straight into the kingdom of God in our baptism.
In king Herod, we have a sample of humanity that opposes goodness. He was afraid of his own shadow and sought security in cruelty; light was offered to him but he preferred violence, abuse of his powers, a power that dominates and destroys, on the other hand, in baby Jesus, we see a power that illumines darkness in human hearts, the power of love that transforms. While Herod’s world was getting narrower, the light of Jesus reaches out to the ends of the earth to touch all. According to a Jewish story, “shattering of lights,” creation happened when “sacred vessels that originally contained God’s light shattered under God’s brilliant power.” We are sacred vessels of light or luminous stars but we could hide the light by darkness of ignorance, or choosing to remain in self-inflicted suffering, doubt or our unwillingness to long for an opening, light, newness or a star to follow. In Jesus, God’s brilliant light reentered our world to shatter our closed vessels and make us illumined new creation.
Life is a constant unveiling of mysteries. The pandemic unveils to us both good and bad in human hearts, also a meaningful way of living despite tragic deaths and it reveals the oneness of human family. When let darkness rule human hearts, we will have people like Herod but when we have a sense of wonder, spirit of seeking truth and humility to acknowledge the light given to us, we become like Mary and Joseph, like the magi. Christ child, his light descends into our desolation, rebellion that we may soften our hearts and take a new path to journey, the way of Christ. Gospel says that the star wasn’t seen at times, yet the magi kept going, trusting and longing that they will reach the end of their quest. Often we feel more comfortable living in our own world of indifference and that light is absent in life. The magi are begging us today to get up and start the journey. There is a story that when Mary and Joseph came to the stable the ox stepped aside, left its stable and food for Jesus to be born and become our food. What are the stable and food [unhealthy consumption of things, emotions] that we need to leave or let go, in order for that space to be filled with the light of Christ? The vessel of our life is constantly fed and illumined by Jesus the bread of life and light of the world, that we become stars that guide many to Jesus, that all may let Jesus possess the stable of their hearts, fill them with his peace.