In the Christian liturgical calendar, the season of Epiphany begins around January 6 or twelve days after Christmas. It is a quiet season of reflection. Epiphany is the celebration of the coming of the Wise Men from the east, following the star that brought them to Jesus. Wise men of the day probably knew astronomy and realized that this exceedingly bright star was a sign of a significant event. Whether these wise men knew about the Old Testament teachings of the coming of a Savior to the Jewish people, we aren’t told. We are told that they followed the star until it came to rest over the place where Jesus was found. What speculations might they have had as they journeyed, simply following the sign they were given? Before the wise men followed the star, shepherds listened to angels telling them to go and find Jesus. And they did. They, too, followed the signs they had been given.
Epiphany also harkens back to the story of the birth of Jesus. We are told in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, that Mary, a virgin, conceived and birthed Jesus, this sacred Child of God, and that she pondered many things in her heart. Imagine visits from shepherds and wise men at the birth of your child. In holiness and mystery was this gift given to Mary. Pondering certainly accompanies Divine Mystery.
In our lives what signs do we follow, not knowing where they will lead? How do we ponder Divine Mystery? If we follow the signs, wonders may unfold. And if, like Mary, we approach pondering in our virginal state – new, raw, natural, free of obstruction, empty of opinion, as if for the first time, God may come to us in mystery and glory, in awesomeness, and revelation.
Epiphany also harkens back to the story of the birth of Jesus. We are told in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, that Mary, a virgin, conceived and birthed Jesus, this sacred Child of God, and that she pondered many things in her heart. Imagine visits from shepherds and wise men at the birth of your child. In holiness and mystery was this gift given to Mary. Pondering certainly accompanies Divine Mystery.
In our lives what signs do we follow, not knowing where they will lead? How do we ponder Divine Mystery? If we follow the signs, wonders may unfold. And if, like Mary, we approach pondering in our virginal state – new, raw, natural, free of obstruction, empty of opinion, as if for the first time, God may come to us in mystery and glory, in awesomeness, and revelation.
RSS Feed