The Epiphany of the Lord

01-04-2026Weekly ReflectionFr. Manasseh Iorchir, VC

The Epiphany of the Lord is traditionally celebrated on January 6, but here in the United States it is moved to the First Sunday of the New Year as it is done in other countries. In the Feast of the Epiphany, we celebrate Jesus revealing Himself, not as a mere “King of the Jews,” but as Savior of the whole world. This is the story of the Magi, noble men who saw His sign and traveled from the east to arrive at His birth place in order to worship Him.

They followed a visible sign to find reality itself, God made visible in the baby Jesus, in the most unlikely of places for royalty and Divinity: in Bethlehem of Judea, housed in a manger among shepherds and their flock and dwelling among men with quiet peace. They found the Son of God, the second person in the Most Holy Trinity, who had entered the history of humanity from within in the arms of His virgin mother and guarded by His foster father.

The Magi’s journey from the Oriental lands to an encounter with Divinity in Bethlehem mirrors our own individual and sometimes communal journey of faith. God led them through a sign towards Christ. God continues to call us to an encounter that ultimately leads to a righteous relationship with Him through signs. We see the beauty and the order of things that point to a benevolent creator and a loving Father. We receive the sacraments that confer grace, providing a sweet foretaste of life with God in eternity. We see love and unity, fruits the Church bears, and we can imagine full fellowship with Christ in Heaven.

But the wise men faltered a little. When they arrived in Jerusalem, instead of resolutely following the guidance provided by God for them to find Christ, they resorted to seeking counsel within the darkness, literally abandoning the light of the star which did not stop as they entered Jerusalem. On our way to Heaven, God provides scripture and the sacraments to guide us on the right path. Sometimes we seek the counsel of the “Herods of our time” who are most happy and ready to lead us astray. We are often lured away from truth by fear, greed, pride and the desire to be accepted by the world. There are wise men and women in our time who take social media too seriously and make very important and life-transforming decisions straight from what is trending on social media. By turning to this “Herod,” we put our salvation at risk as the Magi placed the safety of the Baby Jesus at risk.

No one can outdo God in providing us with second, and more, chances. When the Magi faltered, God redirected them. When they left Herod’s presence with a promise to report to him the exact location of the Newborn King, they found the star still waiting to lead them to the Nativity site. After offering gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh (again revealing His Kingship, priesthood and foretelling that He would die in order that we may live) they listened to God’s warning in a dream and returned home through a way that did not lead to Herod. It is never too late to make amends by turning away from evil or participation in it in order to return home.

May God continue to reveal Himself to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. May He keep us focused on the truth so that the distractions of this world do not lead us to drift away from His love. And may we never be ashamed to return to His loving embrace if we have strayed away from our loving Father.

Please be kind and may God bless you.

Fr. Manasseh Iorchir, VC