The Epiphany of the Lord. January 8, 2017 [Matthew 2:1-12]

 “We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage (Mat 2:2).”

Today we are celebrating the Epiphany of the Lord. The word Epiphany comes from the Greek word ‘epiphananie’, meaning ‘appearance’.  Therefore, today is also known as the feast of the manifestation of the Lord. This celebration is considered to be one of the oldest and most important because the Baby God invited not only the Jews but also the Gentiles, represented by the Magi, to visit and finally worship Him. In His earliest appearance, Jesus brought light to all the nations.

One little question may linger: why did the Magi from the East follow the star? Their journey was based on an ancient belief that the birth of a great king was signified by the appearance of a new star in the sky. Yet, we are never sure what ‘star’ the Magi actually saw. Was it a comet, a supernova, an unusual constellation, a planet, or a supernatural light? One thing we are sure of, this star possessed the greatest importance, that Gaspar, Balthazar, and Melchior abandoned the comfort of their homeland, traveled thousand miles westward and faced all the dangers and uncertainties.

 Now if we look at the night sky, we may observe hundreds and hundreds of stars. Then, we may ask what makes this star of Jesus different from the rest of the lights? These Magi were expert in astronomy or studies of celestial bodies, and they were able to distinguish the star as the one that would bring them to the newborn King. This star does not simply shine just like the rest, but it also illuminates and guides. Like the seasoned fishermen, before the discovery of GPS, they would depend their lives on the light of the stars, and among billion stars on the clear sky, they recognize that only a few truly point them the true directions.

We are all called to be a star. But the temptation is that we simply shine and attract others to ourselves. We fail to recognize that the light that God has given us is to illuminate and guide others to Jesus. When St. Thomas Aquinas was asked what makes his Order more prominent than other congregations, he answered that just like it is better to illuminate than to shine, so it is better to share one’s fruits of contemplate than just merely to contemplate. Of course, the Benedictines will disagree! One of the major features in the image of St. Dominic is the star at his forehead. Certainly, this is a symbol of guidance and direction for anyone who seeks God. No wonder if St. Dominic is less famous than other Dominican saints like St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Catherine of Siena or St. Martin de Porres, it is because until the end of his life, like a guiding star, his life always pointed to God.

To have the light is not enough. We may become stars that merely shine brightly. We turn to be a campus star, company star, parish star or even star preacher. Certainly, to receive a lot of attention from many people gives pleasure and sense of fulfillment, but that is not the true purpose of our light. Epiphany is the appearance of the Lord, but who among us have tried to cover Him with our dazzling lights? How many people have we led to Jesus? Yet, it is not too late. Epiphany is a time for us to realign with the real objective of our light: not to merely shine, but to illuminate.

 Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP