Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord
On this great Solemnity of the Epiphany, the Church celebrates the manifestation of the Incarnate Word to the Gentiles. The Magi, travelling from the East, represent all the nations of the earth called out of the darkness of paganism into the admirable light of Christ.
Led by the star—a symbol of actual grace—they embark on a journey of faith. In stark contrast sits King Herod and the scribes. They possess the Scriptures and know where the Messiah is to be born, but they lack the charity to seek Him. Knowledge without love is dead; the Magi, however, possess a living faith that acts.
Upon entering the house, they fall prostrate in adoration. They offer gifts that confess the dogma of the Incarnate God: Gold for His universal Kingship, Frankincense for His Divinity, and Myrrh for His Sacred Humanity, destined for the sacrifice of the Cross.
The Gospel concludes with a profound spiritual lesson: “they departed to their own country by another way.” Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen reminds us that no one meets Christ and remains the same. Once we have encountered the King of Kings, we cannot return to the old paths of sin. We must take “another way”—the way of conversion and new life.
May we, like the Magi, offer the gold of our charity, the frankincense of our prayer, and the myrrh of our daily sacrifices to the Infant King.
