Reflection on the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

We recently celebrated Christmasm and now we celebrate the Epiphany.  We know those events took place in the Middle East. The only white people in this story were probably from the Roman Empire of Italic descent, and they were a conglomeration of tribes and peoples. Mary and Joseph were Middle Eastern people as was Jesus. 

And we see strangers in the form of shepherds and the Wise Men coming to offer gifts to a child and a family in need. We see the Wise Men’s wisdom in the decision not to report back to Herod what they had discovered and where. 

Within this story we see the inclusion and unity of all creation in God’s plan of salvation. Poor shepherds were called by God to witness the event, and I imagine they may have provided some assistance. The Magi, strangers from other lands and most likely other religions, came to offer homage and gifts for the newborn king of the Jews. Nature cooperated by providing the needed light to guide the Magi.

The second reading reinforces the universal connection of this event by reminding us that the Gentiles are co-heirs and co-partners in the promise of Christ Jesus. Different religions are included, the rich and the poor are included, the strangers are welcomed when they arrive. Even the civilian government is included in the story, and we see the choice that Herod made. The Feast of the Epiphany is the first public manifestation of Jesus’ presence and love for the entire world.

In between the celebrations of Christmas and Epiphany we commemorated the Slaughter of the Innocents. We see the response of a fearful civic leader who wants to hold on to power at any cost.

And we see elements of this story playing out 2,000 years later in our own country and around the world. We know what it looks like when a leader is filled with fear of the other, even if the other is an innocent child. We have seen people fleeing their country just as Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt when they heard of Herod’s violent decrees. We see what the lives of immigrants and refugees might look like. 

We don’t know much about the hospitality of the Egyptians in the time of Jesus’ birth, but we know they stayed there until it was safe to return. Egypt was a logical refuge. It was part of the Roman empire, but outside Herod’s domain, and some cities had significant Jewish communities. The well-trodden Via Maris (“way of the sea”) through Gaza and the northern Sinai coast made travel easy and relatively safe. We see today how impossible that flight into Egypt has become for others.

Two Biblical scholars affirm that “there is no reason to doubt the historicity of the story of the family’s flight into Egypt. The Old Testament abounds in references to individuals and families taking refuge in Egypt, in flight either from persecution or revenge, or in the face of economic pressure.” Some things have not changed over these 2,000 years.

In reading some materials about the Epiphany I learned that some scholars think that the Magi visited Jesus and the Holy Family in Nazareth, after they had returned from exile. Whether they visited in Bethlehem, Egypt or Nazareth, the divine guidance that led these wise men to seek Jesus gives us a sense of the universality of Jesus’ mission and grace for all people.

And now, just as Mary and Joseph and the wise men did so many years ago, we step out in faith and trust in God, knowing that even the seemingly impossible is possible with God. We know that our faith teaches us to provide hospitality to the stranger, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. We know that the Gospels teach us to love all of God’s creation and to celebrate, not fear, the diversity that God has created. May we continue to put ourselves and our gifts in the service of this call.