By Fr Antony Christy, SDB –
January 6, 2019: Solemnity of Epiphany
The Word became flesh and came to dwell among us; today the world gets to see its Messiah. The Son who was promised to the Hebrews through the prophets through the ages, then revealed to Mary and Joseph in their private life and dreams, is now revealed to the world – that is why the Magi from the East and East was then considered the end of the world.
The feast of Epiphany has three important symbols carrying three crucial messages for us disciples of Christ.
The first symbol is the Star: the guiding star which led the magi to the Lord. Stars shine, position themselves to be seen by all and remain above every thing unaffected! We all wish to be stars too…shining and glittering in the world of fame. The star of Christ or a star for Christ is called to shine too, not for personal glory but for people to be attracted. The star of Christ is called to be seen by all, not for adulation but for example! The star of Christ has to be above everything, not to insist on a superiority that is anti-Christian but to give hope to people at all moments including difficult ones. Everyone who claims to be a follower of Christ has to be a star that guides people to Christ. Are your thoughts, words and decisions shining enough to lead people to Christ?
The second symbol is the House: the star might have been magnificent but it rested on a simple manger. The signs and events might have been grand but the Messiah was found in a stable. What we are and what we have does not matter as much as who we are! Whether simple or sophisticated, whether learned or ordinary, whether rich or poor… we are called to possess the Lord, we are called to be one home that houses the Lord. People who come to us should be able to see, feel and experience the Lord and praise the Lord through us and for us. That is true Epiphany.
The third symbolic event is the Detour: the magi who came were asked to leave on a different way back. They had to make a detour… because they had truly seen the Messiah. Even we, if we truly see the Messiah, we would not be able to go back the same way that we came. We would have to make a detour for sure. That detour could be our sign of repentance, our change of ways, our going out of our way for the sake of someone else… in short, it is our New life, because we have come to know the Lord. How many we have heard, who speak of their moment when they met the Lord! It does not matter how many years or generations you are a ‘Christian’, but what matters is that you encounter the person of Christ – the moment of truth when you realise the meaning and call of your life! Once you do that, you cannot but take a detour!
God is made known… it is upto us to become God’s guiding stars, true dwelling places of God and people who are ready to arise and shine!
Fr Antony Christy is a Salesian Priest from 2005, who has a Masters in Philosophy (specialisation in Religion) and a Masters in Theology (Specialisation in Catechetics). He is currently pursuing his doctoral research in Theology at Salesian Pontifical University, Rome. Walking with the Young towards a World of Peace and Dialogue is the passion that fires him.