41 — EPIPHANY

January 6

Presence of God. — O little Jesus, in You I recognize the King of heaven and earth: grant that I may adore You with the faith and love of the Magi.

Meditation

1 — “Today the world has recognized Him whom the Virgin brought forth... today shines the feast of His manifestation” (BR.). Today Jesus manifests Himself to the world as God.

The Introit of the Mass introduces us directly into this spirit, presenting Jesus in the royal majesty of His Divinity: “Behold the sovereign Lord has come: He holds in His hands the scepter, the power and the empire.” The Epistle (Is. 60, 1-6) bursts into a hymn of joy announcing the vocation of the Gentiles to faith; they too will recognize and adore in Jesus their God: “Arise, shine, O Jerusalem, for your light has come... And the nations shall walk in your light and kings in the splendor that shall arise from you... All those of Sheba shall come bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praises of the Lord.” Around the manger no longer the humble scene of shepherds, but the sumptuous cortege of the Magi from the East, come as representatives of pagan peoples and of all kings of the earth to render homage to the Child-God.

Epiphany (or Theophany) means “appearance of God”; and this appearance of God we see realized in Jesus, who today manifests Himself to the world as its God and Lord. A first prodigy had already revealed His divinity: the extraordinary star that appeared in the East; but recalling this miracle, which in today’s liturgy occupies first place, the Church adds briefly two others: the water turned into wine at Cana’s wedding, and Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan, while from heaven a voice attests: this is my beloved Son. “Three miracles have illumined the holy day we celebrate today,” sings the Magnificat antiphon; three miracles that should dispose us to recognize and adore, with living faith, in the Child Jesus our God, our King.

2 — “We have seen His star in the East and have come with gifts to adore the Lord”; thus in the verses of today’s Mass the conduct of the Magi is summarized. Seeing the star and setting out were one and the same. They did not doubt: their faith was firm, sure, whole. They did not waver before the toils of the long journey: their heart was generous. They did not postpone to another time: their spirit was ready.

Even in the sky of our soul many times a star appears: it is God’s intimate, clear inspiration that invites us to a generous act, to detachment, to a life of more intimate union with Him. We should always know how to follow our star with the faith, trust, and promptness of the Magi; followed thus, it will undoubtedly lead us to the Lord, it will make us find Him whom we seek.

The Magi persevered in their search even when the star disappeared from their sight; so we too must persevere in good even amid interior darkness: it is the trial of faith, overcome only by intense exercise of pure, naked faith. I know God wills it, I know God calls me, and this is enough for me: Scio cui credidi et certus sum (2 Tim. 1, 12); I know in whom I have believed, and whatever happens I cannot doubt Him.

With these dispositions let us go with the Magi to the manger. “And, as they with their treasures offered mystical gifts to the Lord, so may we too know how to draw from our hearts gifts worthy of God” (BR.).

Colloquy

“O Jesus, I adore You, for You are my Lord God... You are a great God and King of all kings. In Your hands are all the ends of the earth and You behold the heights of the mountains. Yours is the sea and You are He who made it, and on Your hands the earth is founded... And we are Your people and the sheep of Your hand” (cf. Ps. 94). Yes, O Jesus, I am one of Your little sheep, one of Your creatures, and I rejoice in acknowledging my nothingness before You. But I rejoice still more in recognizing and adoring in You, most lovable Child, my God and my Creator. How I wish all peoples might recognize You for who You are, that all might prostrate themselves before You, adoring You as their God and Lord.

O Lord, You can do it: show all Your Divinity; and, as one day You led to Yourself the Magi of the East, so now gather around Your manger all peoples, all nations.

But You make me understand that You want my poor collaboration for the coming of Your kingdom: You want me to pray, suffer, and work for the conversion of near and distant souls. You want me too to bring to Your manger the gifts of the Magi: the incense of prayer, the myrrh of mortification and of suffering generously embraced for love of You, the gold of charity; charity that makes my heart wholly and exclusively Yours; charity that urges me to work, to give myself for the conversion of sinners, of unbelievers, for the greater sanctification of Your elect.

O my sweetest King, create in me the heart of an apostle. How I would like today to bring to Your feet the praises and sincere adorations of all the people of the earth!

But, O Jesus, while I pray You to manifest Yourself to the world, I also pray You to manifest Yourself ever more to my poor soul. Grant that today Your star may also shine for me and indicate the way that leads to You; grant that today it may also be for me a true Epiphany, that is, a new manifestation of You to my mind and to my heart. The more one knows You, the more one loves You, O Lord; and I desire to know You solely in order to love You, to give myself to You with ever-growing generosity.