In the Western Church Epiphany is traditionally celebrated on January 6th. The time differs in other churches, for example, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates Epiphany on January 19. The name of the feast also differs even among the Western Catholic churches. It is known variously as the feast of Kings or the feast of the Magi, Twelfth Night or, as we call it, Epiphany, which means an appearance or revelation. In order to facilitate the celebration of this feast, the church has changed its date from 12 days after Christmas, January 6, to the first Sunday after New Years which in 2011 falls on January 2, today.
It would probably be more correct to say that Epiphany is not 12 days after Christmas but rather that Christmas is 12 days before Epiphany. This is because Epiphany was celebrated first and it was probably several generations later that the church decided to celebrate Christmas, the birth of Christ, on December 25, the first day of winter, the day when the sun once again begins to lengthen the days. The church simply did what she frequently does and baptized a pagan feast day, the feast of the Unconquerable Sun, simply because of its appropriateness. Actually the church did the same thing for Epiphany. It is a baptism of the celebration of the feast of Dionysius the god of wine as it was probably celebrated in Alexandria. It was thought that at midnight on this feast, the god, Dionysius, turned the waters of all the fountains into wine. The blessing of water so that it may become wine or, indeed, the blood of Christ, suggested to Christians two other important feast days celebrated on or close to this time. One was the feast of the baptism of Christ in the Jordan by John the Baptist. The connection is that when this happened the waters of the Jordan did not cleanse Christ but rather he cleansed all the waters of the world by his touch. The other feast is the wedding feast at Cana when Jesus changed water into wine. All three of these festivals, Epiphany, Christ's baptism and the wedding feast, celebrate beginnings. The beginnings of Christ's ministry to the world on Epiphany, the beginnings of his active ministry on his baptism in the Jordan, and the beginnings of his seven signs manifesting who he really was, at the wedding feast.
The wise man who brought gifts to the child Jesus were the first Gentiles to acknowledge him as king and who revealed him to the wider world. This was to fulfill the blessing of Simeon that "This child would be a light for revelation to the Gentiles." Jesus came for all people, of all nations, of all races, and the work of God would not be limited to only a few.
This day is now observed as a time to focus on the mission of the church in reaching out to others by showing Jesus as the savior of all people. It is also a time of focusing on Christian brotherhood and fellowship, especially in healing the divisions of prejudice and bigotry that we all too often create between God's children.
Please join with me now in this Epiphany prayer by which we may personally concretize the message and meaning of the feast we are celebrating.
Father, we thank you for revealing yourself to us in Jesus the Christ, we who once were not your people but whom you chose to adopt as your people. As ancient Israel confessed long ago, we realized that it was not because of our own righteousness, or our own superior wisdom, or strength, or power, or our numbers. It was simply because you loved us and you chose to show us that love in Jesus.
As you have accepted us when we did not deserve your love, will you help us to accept those whom we find it hard to love? Forgive us, O Lord, for any attitude that we harbor that on any level sees ourselves as better or more righteous than others. Will you help us to remove the barriers of prejudice and to tear down the walls of bigotry, religious or social? Oh Lord, help us realize that the walls that we erect for others only form our own prisons!
- Will you fill us so full of your love that there is no more room for intolerance. As you have forgiven us much, will you enable us with your strength to forgive others even more? Will you enable us through your abiding presence among us, communally and individually, to live our lives in a manner worthy of the Name we bear?
- May we, through your guidance, and our faithful obedience, find new avenues, in ways that we have not imagined, of holding the Light of your love so that it may be a Light of revelation for all people.
- Thank you for your love, we praise you for your gift, ask for your continued presence with us, and we make these petitions in the name of your son, who has truly revealed your heart. Amen
- May you be happy,
May you be free,
May you be loving,
May you be loved.
Fr. William Meninger, O.C.S.O. - Click here to join Fr. Meninger for an upcoming Centering Prayer Retreat at Holy Family on February 18-20, 2011.
