Epiphany – the light will conquer the darkness

Andrea Mantegna: Adoration of the Magi

Matthew the Evangelist writes:

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, (2) asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." (3) When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; (4) and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. (5) They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: (6) 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" (7) Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. (8) Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." (9) When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. (10) When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. (11) On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (12) And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. (Matthew 2:1-12)

Jesus was born in difficult circumstances - not so different from the circumstances in which we live today. Yet, despite the darkness surrounding him, there are those who find their way to the manger in order to adore him and give him honor and glory. God does not abandon us in the times of darkness and continues to guide us to the light even if we must struggle with the darkness that seeks to swallow us.

When Jesus is born, there are figures from the Jewish people who gather around him in the manger: his mother Mary, Joseph, the shepherds who arrived, guided by the angels. The Jewish people had been waiting (and most of the people is still waiting) for the Messiah (Christ) who is the king of glory. One of the most important ways, in fact the principal one, to reach the Messiah is through the Scriptures of the people of Israel - the Bible (the Old Testament and the New Testament too, written by Jews learned in the Scriptures). One can find the Word of God in the Scriptures and the Word guides us to the light. The priests and scribes in Herod's court also knew how to reach the Messiah: they opened the Scriptures and interpreted them and thus knew how to answer the question of the king: Where will the Messiah be born? Contemplating the Word of God, which is in the Scriptures, serves the Church until today as an essential way to get to the light.

However, the wise men from the East were from among the nations and they did not have the Scriptures of Israel. Despite this, God opens for them another way to reach the light: through meditating on the world, created by the same Creator who is the Father of one and all. The wise men followed a star that led them first of all to Jerusalem, the city of divine revelation, and there they consulted with the representatives of the people of Israel before continuing their way to Bethlehem, where they found the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and adored him. Yes, God has written another book for us - the book of a wonderful creation, which we tend to overlook in times of darkness. Like the Bible, creation too tells of the Creator and his wonderful plan for our lives. The story of creation tells us that life is stronger than death, that the light will vanquish the darkness. We must know how to read: both the Bible and creation in order to reach the manger and adore the new born infant.

There is another prominent element in the story of the wise men, that of the meeting with King Herod. Matthew describes the king in shades that are easily identifiable for whoever knows the history of salvation. Precisely conforming to the Pharaoh in Egypt, the king does not bless the coming of the light into the world but rather seeks to destroy it. Pharaoh sought to drown the new born people in water and Herod also plans to put an end to the life of the tender newborn. The light lights up the darkness but the darkness does not want this because it carries out its evil acts in hiding. The wise men offer the baby their gifts - expected gifts - for a king, gold and for a high priest, incense (as mentioned in the Book of Isaiah 60:6). Then they bring out of their pouches myrrh as well - a sign that heralds the fate of the baby because myrrh is used to prepare a corpse for burial. Darkness will still try to extinguish the light... but will never succeed.

In this feast, we repeat our fidelity to the one and only king - the merciful and compassionate Father who seeks out all His children in order to give them life and blessing, light and joy in excess. On this feast, He reveals His son to the world. Come, let us go the manger in order to give him all we have. We know he will give us more than we can ever imagine and also his peace.