Depending on where you are in the world, you might be celebrating either Epiphany or the Baptism of the Lord this Sunday. Though we tend to think of Epiphany as simply commemorating the visit of the wise men and God\u2019s revelation of Himself to the Gentiles, these two feasts are actually quite intimately related and were originally a single celebration. In the earliest days of the Church, before even Christmas existed as its own celebration, Epiphany celebrated the revelation of God\u2019s Son to humanity: in His birth, His revelation to the magi, His baptism, and His miracle at the Wedding at Cana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jesus\u2019 entire earthly life revolved around our salvation and the revelation of God to humanity. With different feasts and Sundays commemorating just about every event in Jesus\u2019 life separately, we risk losing sight of the deep unity of the mystery of Jesus Christ. Every event in Jesus\u2019 life is connected to all the others! Let\u2019s take a quick look at how this applies to the mysteries that the Church has celebrated at Epiphany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Each epiphany of Christ can be related to both our salvation and God\u2019s self-revelation. In the visit of the magi, the God of Israel finally makes Himself known to the Gentiles, foreshadowing the day when all people would be welcomed into God\u2019s Church. The gifts brought by the wise men also reveal Jesus as priest, king, and sacrificial victim, pointing to the mystery of Good Friday and Easter. The gold proclaims that Jesus is and will be king, which will come through His perfect act of worship\u2014His self-offering throughout His life, culminating with the Cross. The frankincense recalls this worship, while the myrrh points to His death and burial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Jesus\u2019 baptism, the Fathers of the Church held that Jesus, who did not need baptism, sanctified the water so that through the Holy Spirit it would have the power to save us. Baptism is also a symbolic burial, especially in Jesus\u2019 day, when baptism always meant being fully immersed in the water. Jesus\u2019 baptism points forward to His death. His participation in the baptism of John alongside sinners points towards the death that Jesus\u2019 shared with sinners and for them. The Holy Spirit descends at Jesus\u2019 baptism and a voice proclaims that He is God\u2019s beloved Son, revealing this humble man as the anointed one of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The wedding at Cana reveals Jesus\u2019 divine power and is the moment when \u201cJesus [\u2026] manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him\u201d (John 2:11). Jesus\u2019 miracle doesn\u2019t just manifest His divine power. It is also connected with His Passion and death. When Mary asks Him to do something about the wine, Jesus at first says, \u201cWoman, my hour has not yet come\u201d (John 2:4). In John\u2019s gospel, Jesus\u2019 \u201chour\u201d always refers to the time of his Passion. When Jesus performs this miracle, it sets Him on the path that leads to the Cross. It also foreshadows the Eucharist. Jesus changes water into wine, just like He will one day change wine into His blood. The Eucharist is a way for us to share not just in Jesus\u2019 body and blood, but also His sacrifice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is it that draws all these epiphanies together? The fact that not only does is Jesus revealed as God through them, but also that they proclaim the salvation that Jesus was to win for us through the Cross! These are not isolated events. Together they announce God\u2019s presence among us and herald His saving sacrifice, which reconciled us to Him after generations of separation and brought light after centuries of darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Andrew Sheedy<\/strong> \u2013 St. Joseph Seminary, Edmonton, Alberta<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fot. Tim Umphreysu\/Unsplash.com<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Epiphany<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":2201,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,17,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2736","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-strona-glowna-najnowsze","category-strona-glowna-slider"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n