In common usage, having an “epiphany” is one of those “a-HA!” moments when a person has a sudden insight or revelation. On this Solemnity of the Epiphany we celebrate the insight of the wise men who bestow the presence of the Christ, the anointed One of God, in a most unlikely place, a barn, and in the form of a baby boy. The shepherds had a similar experience when they went to the same barn the night of Jesus’ birth. How as the recurring story of these epiphanies of the shepherds and Magi reveal the epiphanies in our lives? Epiphanies, like those of the shepherds and the Magi, often come as a surprise to us. They are suddenly there. We recognize them for what they are. And, just as we begin to wrap our minds around what has happened to us, they quickly leave us pondering about what they mean, just like Mary.
Who has led us to these epiphanies? The angels led the shepherds to the Christ. The Star led the Magi. Who has led us? In my life, it has been my children. I have encountered the presence, the mystery, and the wonder of God in the birth of my children. I have encountered the same at the deathbed of my sister, Mary, and the deathbeds of those to whom I have ministered over 41 years. I have heard the epiphany in a single chord in an orchestral piece, and recently in a piano piece I composed in memory of my unborn grandchild who died as a result of a miscarriage.
How have we in what we have said, or done, or lived our lives led others to a real encounter with the mystery of God? On this feat of the Epiphany, these are good questions for us to ponder, just like Mary did 2000 years ago.
