Sunday, January 4, 2026

 

THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD, January 4, 2026
(Isaiah 60:1–6; Ephesians 3:2–3, 5–6; Matthew 2:1–12)

Today’s Gospel contains one of the most cherished stories in the entire Bible. It has been called “the Gospel in miniature” because it presents some of the most basic themes of the New Testament: 1) it reveals Jesus as king and savior; 2) it contrasts the eagerness of foreigners to find him with the resistance of the Jewish people; and 3) it hints at the painful destiny of Jesus at the end of the Gospel. Since the Church proclaims this Gospel today under the title of “the Epiphany,” let us consider these themes in the light of this strange word.

The word “epiphany” comes from the Greek epiphaneia, meaning “manifestation,” “appearance,” or “revelation.” The “Epiphany of the Lord” presents Jesus as the Son of God. There are several epiphanies in the Gospels, such as the Baptism in Matthew when the voice of God the Father declares Jesus his “beloved Son.” The Transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain is also an epiphany. Nevertheless, today’s Gospel account is the clearest instance of epiphany, for it shows how men from a faraway place come to adore the King of the Jews.

The story begins with the Magi observing a new star in the sky. Matthew certainly understands this star to represent Jesus. But the star also symbolizes the human capacity to know God through nature. The First Vatican Council taught that human reason can come to know the existence of God, but only with difficulty and with a mixture of error. For this reason, the Magi must stop in Jerusalem to consult the Scriptures. Only when the scribes discover that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem can they reach their destination.

This process of human coming to know God through nature is repeated even in our own day. It is often assumed that most contemporary scientists are atheists. Yet, according to reliable sources, a growing number of scientists acknowledge the existence of a Creator. Put simply, science cannot fully explain the convergence of factors that makes life on earth possible. If the earth’s temperatures were not moderate; if the mixture of gases in the atmosphere were not exactly 21 percent oxygen and 78 percent nitrogen; if there were not a large moon and the other planets, among many other factors, life on earth could not exist.

But all this knowledge tells us little about God’s compassion and about his will that human beings practice justice. To know God better, the Scriptures are necessary. And to know him as fully as possible, the Gospel is needed, because Jesus is the perfect revelation of God.

The second reading explains that the apostles brought the Gospel to the Gentiles. This also continues today. We may ask: what moves people to take an interest in God? Some are still drawn to Christ by science, which raises questions that are not fully explained. Many more come to know Christ through the lives of the saints, who sacrificed everything out of love for him. Some are deeply moved by the beauty of shrines, sacred music, and art, and they seek their source. Still others are so impressed by the good and ordered lives of ordinary Christians that they wish to imitate them.

In truth, it does not matter very much what brings us to Christ. What matters is that we embrace him and follow him. He is the way to God, because he is God. And being God, he will give us the happiness we seek in life.