What! Epiphany?

Is Epiphany the forgotten festival? Epiphany is the twelfth night of Christmas, celebrated on January 6, when the Magi are said to have visited the baby Jesus. But where did the name come from? As its name suggests, the Epiphany had its origin in the Eastern Church and has a number of meanings.

It comes from the Greek epiphania "manifestation," often referring to the appearance of a divine being. Christ's appearance to Paul on the Damascus road was an epiphany. The word is used to describe the first appearance of Christ to the Gentiles in the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus.

It also means, a sudden intuitive leap of understanding, typically through an ordinary but striking occurrence or burst of insight. In the life of faith it defines a particular manifestation of God’s presence in the created world.

Some years ago, Digby Anderson, an Anglican Priest and one time editor of the Spectator, recommended that Christians should celebrate Epiphany instead of Christmas, chiefly as an escape from the commercialism and excess of Christmas but also because it is ‘arguably of more importance to us since… it celebrates Our Lord’s appearance to the Gentiles’. Perhaps in a real sense we should wish everyone we meet a Happy Epiphany.

Epiphany is the shepherds recognizing the Messiah. It is the Magi acknowledging the king of glory. It is Peter's "You are the Christ...." It is the two disciples on the way to Emmaus having their eyes opened. It is any time that our eyes are opened to the manifestation of God in our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

In fact, we can say that the experience of Epiphany is the most important goal of Christian teaching or preaching. It is the moment when Christ is perceived by the eyes of faith.

As we enter the new year, perhaps our prayer should be the same as the Psalmist when he said,

63:1 God—you're my God! I can't get enough of you!
I've worked up such hunger and thirst for God,
traveling across dry and weary deserts.

2-4 So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open,
drinking in your strength and glory.
In your generous love I am really living at last!
My lips brim praises like fountains.
I bless you every time I take a breath;
My arms wave like banners of praise to you.

May 2009 be a truly happy Epiphany.