This visitation is a kind of Theophany or Hierophany. On Monday we will celebrate a Christophany. All these are just words expressing the same phenomenon—a manifestation. A theophany is an appearance of God, a hierophany is a showing of the sacred, an epiphany is a manifestation from above and a Christophany is the “presenting” of the Christ. Each of these terms has to do with the Divine making Himself known to us.
The Epiphany is the revelation of the Son of God to the entire world. However, our reach/span today is incredibly universal that it feels as if the entire world has shrunk to the point that we describe ourselves as a “global village”. Many of us recognise this type of experience, which is, today, one is here in Singapore and tomorrow, one is already in New York.[1] In a way, the fluidity of mass movement has relativised the Epiphany into a non-event. So, what is the big deal when everyone can be anywhere at the click of a button?
The point of the Epiphany is more than God becoming known to the world. It celebrates also that man’s search for God has found a definite answer. Creation hungers for God and the only answer that can fully fulfil is found in Jesus Christ. Therefore, if we pair the Epiphany with the Christophany of this coming Monday, that is, the feast of the Baptism of Jesus, perhaps we can come to a joyful appreciation of our Christian responsibility.
God has made known His salvation. According to the author of the Letter to the Hebrews, in the past, He spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; but in our time, the last days, He has spoken to us through His Son. We belong to these “last days” and are privileged to hear God speaking to us through Jesus Christ.
The entire pontificate of Pope Francis can be interpreted from this angle. The Holy Father wants to proclaim the message of salvation that Christ has brought to the entire world. He dialogues with cultures and even with human experiences which many of us may not appreciate. For example, rightly or wrongly, whether I agree or not, the controversy over the blessing of same sex couples can be interpreted from the perspective that this Jesuit Pope desires to dialogue with current reality. Furthermore, the Holy Father has consistently spoken to us on the environment, that according to him, is God’s gift and is part of the salvation that Jesus has come to bring. In a way, Pope Francis echoes what God has done by extending the message of Jesus Christ to the world. For the Pontiff, it feels as if the Church has kept that message to herself instead of sharing it as the “Gospel of Joy” to a world waiting to know Christ.
Perhaps Pope Francis is nothing but a poor echo of God’s word. This is not a condemnation of the Pope because everyone is a sinner. No one is an exception. Everyone is a poor sinner who does not always mirror God’s great news of salvation. We know that for a fact that we can be better but we are not. We should live up to the name of Christ but we do not. God’s desire in these last days to make known His salvation has frequently been frustrated or hampered by our sinfulness.
That the event of the Epiphany took place just before the Holy Family fled to Egypt is crucial to the celebration because the focus on the Magi makes us forget the other key player in this saga. The Magi were not the only ones looking for God. Herod was too. In fact, Herod was deeply enamoured by power believing that power was god. History has recorded Herod as a man whose exercise of power was terrifying. What both Herod and the Magi symbolise is the divine gift of human desire which is a powerful drive.
Creation in general and man in particular will never stop seeking the Saviour. When the search is misguided or misdirected, as in the case of Herod, it becomes destructive. But when the search is properly guided, as directed by the Star, it yields a great reward in Christ.
The Epiphany represents two movements. God’s movement towards humanity in Jesus Christ. Man and creation’s search for the Saviour. From the side of God, He has never stopped reaching out to humanity. From our side, sin which arises from the lack of correspondence between our words and our actions, our belief and our behaviour, makes us poor quality Gospel, dim stars, for those who are searching for the Way. Both the Magi’s search for the Saviour and Herod’s greed for power challenge us. How do we become like stars that guide others to find Jesus Christ and be saved.
The Epiphany proclaims to the world that Christ is the only answer to Man’s desire and search for the Saviour. For Jesus Christ to be known, it requires that we be attentive to His presence, most especially at Mass and in the tabernacles of our Churches and adoration rooms. At the same time be mindful of our sacred duty and mission to be better messengers of His in the world. May the light of our Christian witnessing lead others to know the Saviour, who is Jesus Christ the Lord.
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[1] Consider that the known world then was small and therefore the visit of the King is even more stupendous considering that practically nobody travelled the way we do. Like for example, the Americas, north and south were “discovered” only in the 15th century, according to accepted historical accounts. Of course, “discovered” sounds rather Eurocentric which makes the word “New” a description taken from a European perspective. Second, the more “politically-correct” term is “uncovered” because the existing continent uncovered the so-called European greed that brought about the destruction of existing cultures and religions. This is a “woke” interpretation of the event whereby two cultures collided or interacted.
