Epiphany and the Jubilee of Hope!

The Feast of the Three Kings is called the Solemnity of the Epiphany. It is a day when we remember how God revealed Himself to everyone. No longer was the revelation given only to a certain group of people. No, God chose to manifest His presence to the entire world - Jews and non-Jews. The presence of the wise men symbolizes that divine act of epiphany, a radical act of hospitality.

The feast of the Wise Men is associated with gifts because Matthew tells us that the Three offered their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. However, if we look at the gospel story carefully, it is God who has given them a more precious gift - the gift of His friendship. The story of the wise men reminds us that, by sending His Son, God restores His friendship with all of us, and the relationship that was tainted by Adam and Eve. This tells us that from the very beginning, God has one dream, which is friendship with us. The birth of His Son is the revelation of that dream. The birth of His Son is the realization of that dream. That is the GIFT.

As we begin 2025, we also enter the Church’s Jubilee Year. At the core of the observance of the Holy Year, is the proclamation of God’s mercy. In the scriptures, the Jubilee reminds us that God continues to show favor to His people - to bring glad tidings to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.

The theme for this year of Jubilee is “Pilgrims of Hope.” Pope Francis invites us to be hope to everyone we meet. In a world that is experiencing the darkness of violence, war, and division, we need to be beacons of light and hope. We might not be able to put an end to these events, but we can certainly do something to help make a lasting change in the lives of others. When Christ was born, hope was born. Christ has been given to us; therefore, we must be people of hope which means that we must continue to bring Christ into the lives of others.

In a few days we will end this joyful season of Christmas and every year, at this time, I remind myself of what Christmas truly means. To help us in our reflection, I offer you once again Howard Thurman’s Poem: The Work of Christmas.

When the song of the angels is stilled,

When the star in the sky is gone,

When the kings and the princes are home,

When the shepherds are back with their flock,

The work of Christmas begins:

To find the lost,

To heal the broken,

To feed the hungry,

To release the prisoner,

To rebuild the nations,

To bring peace among brothers,

To make music in the heart.

Merry Christmas and Happy Jubilee Year of Hope!