Today, we celebrate the Epiphany of our Lord – the revelation of Jesus as the Savior of all the world.
In the gospel of today’s Mass we hear the familiar narrative of the Three Kings’ journey and their paying homage to the Christ child (Matthew 2:1-12). We are once again left to ponder the awesome profundity of God’s desire to share our human nature, to come live and walk among his creation, to guide and teach us, to heal and protect us, to save us.
With today’s celebration we are presented with two most profound truths – that Jesus Christ is the perfect revelation of God, and that this revelation is meant for all, that God’s salvation is extended to all.
It is Jesus who most perfectly reveals God to us. It is Jesus who shows us that God is a personal God, not aloof and remote, but ever-present to us, keenly interested in us, and willing to share in both our joys and sorrows. It is Jesus who shows us the great love that God has for us, a selfless and sacrificing love that is impossible for us to fully comprehend. It is Jesus who shows us the faithful persistence of God – a God who extends infinite mercy and forgiveness over and over again, a God who never gives up on us no matter what.
The second truth is no less important. Two thousand years ago God’s epiphany reached beyond the chosen Jewish people who had faithfully prepared the way for their Messiah. At that first Christmas, God’s epiphany was extended to all people. And it is the same two thousand years later. God’s revelation and the saving grace achieved by Jesus are meant for all – no one is left out. No matter our differences, we are all equal children of God, none of whom fall outside the reach of God’s saving power. And maybe, more than anything else, this is our “common denominator”, what connects all of us as one family, one body, one people of God.
And of course there is a third truth – a most important truth. Jesus not only reveals God to all of us, but also reveals how all of us must respond to God. Jesus commands that we live in imitation of him. And, in the scripture of today’s Mass, Saint Paul reinforces this. It is as “stewards of God’s grace” (Ephesians 3:2) that we best respond to God. It is by paying forward God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness that we best imitate Jesus. Saint Paul reminds us that we are all called to be a reflection of God’s goodness so that our lives might be epiphanies for each other, so that all of us together can come to experience God’s love, peace, friendship, and the fullness of life that God desires for us.