The Epiphany Of The Lord-- The Divine Light Within

I saw a comic strip recently about the star that guided the magi from the east. The star is nervous and sweating while placing a desperate 911 call, saying:

“Operator, these three men on camels have been following me all night! I stop, they stop. I go, they go. I’m so scared….”

The epiphany is the light of God’s salvation breaking into our heart and soul by the realization of our participation in the divine life of Jesus Christ.

Even if no one else can see it.

After all, as Isaiah notes: Darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the LORD shines. Isaiah 60:2

The only evidence the Magi had as they entered the shabby surroundings of a manger was that this baby was being shined on by a star.

In our First Reading, the only evidence the people had was the prophetic word when they returned to their ancient city after Exile and saw collapsed walls and rubble, but Isaiah tells them,

"Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you.” Isaiah 60:1

Thus, the first characteristic of an epiphany is light radiating from a divine source which is Jesus Christ in your soul so that you are illuminated in your intellect.

And you will know it because the words that describe an epiphany are: “Your light has come.” Grammatically, this is in the past perfect tense known as the prophetic perfect. It’s already happened and it continues to happen.

E.g. As I get ready to celebrate a funeral for Cary Thomas who never stopped asking for prayers and hoping for a miracle of healing, I think he got his answer by an illumination; a divine enlightenment of his security of salvation in Jesus Christ, without any presumption, and I belief that Cary died as if passing from one star lit chamber to another on the threshold of eternal glory.

2. Worship is the second part of an epiphany.

“On entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage.” Matthew 2:11

The Eastern Orthodox theologian Alexander Schmemann once wrote that the cure to our contemporary, societal crisis of faith is in part recognition that the human person is a worshiping being that yearns to praise God.

3. The third constitutive element of an epiphany is that it will spill out into the world around you by your actions. The Magi “were overjoyed at seeing the star,” and Isaiah says “your heart shall throb and overflow.”

We minister by the overflow of Christ’s abundant glory, and return to contemplative prayer on the Word frequently to keep the illumination.

It begins with you as eventually all nations shall walk by this light, and kings by Christ’s shining radiance. It will happen, for it has been written by the Prophet, which means “it is so written” or “the inspired text says.”

The Rev. Kristin Saylor wrote, “This Epiphany, where is God’s light shining in our own world? And how are we, like the disciples, being invited to share that divine light with a world in need?

The Lord is our light and our salvation. Of whom shall we be afraid?”

Amen.