Walking with Jesus on the Ephiphany of the Lord

For Sunday, January 4, 2026

Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6; Matthew 2:1-12


Today we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. The word epiphany means revelation — the purpose of God’s appearance in the world. It is the manifestation — the showing forth — of Emmanuel, a Greek word meaning God is with us. It is a drawing of all nations together, represented by the Magi. There are only two fully developed infancy narratives in the Gospel: Matthew and Luke. Mark and John have no infancy narratives at all. Luke was Greek and Matthew was Jewish, filled with the history of the promise of the Messiah and God’s interaction through the Ages — starting with Abraham and leading through Moses’ sojourn in Egypt, leading God’s enslaved people to the Promised Land. So what was Matthew trying to tell us here? What were the meanings of his symbols?

There are many traditions among the world’s cultures about Epiphany, which also is known as “Little Christmas.” Some churches offer a service focusing on God as revealed through Christ with readings and a lighted candle symbolizing the star the Magi followed. Some have a “King Cake” (in French, a “Galette des Rois”), a sweet cake inside which a figure of the baby Jesus is hidden. Some cultures celebrate a blessing of homes using blessed chalk to write the initials “C.M.B.” for the Magi — Casper, Melchior and Balthazar — and the phrase, “May Christ bless this house.” Some also feature a procession through the house remembering the magi’s journey, while others give gifts. All, however, share the overall message of the celebration: God is God for all, God is God over all, God is creator and sustainer.

In the Catholic tradition the focus is not only on the birth of Christ, the visit of the Magi and the implication of that visit; it also is on the glorious manifestation of GOD to all the people of the world. Thematically, Matthew portrays Jerusalem as the source of light for the nations, and Christ is the revelation of God to all the nations — establishing new relationships in Christ between Jews and Gentiles. Matthew presents interesting elements, the first of which is the Star. In the Near East, people commonly thought that each individual had his or her own star and that very important people were born under special stars. Even today we speak of “being born under a good star” — i.e., a favorable horoscope. In the Book of Numbers, Balaam prophesies: “A star shall advance from Jacob” [Numbers 24:17]. When a Messiah appears, some will see this star of Jacob rise and recognize it.

Also seeing a star, the Magi, prophesied by Isaiah in our first reading, come on “caravans of camels … bearing gold and frankincense … and proclaiming the praise of the Lord.” The Magi are a big reminder to Matthew’s Jewish readers that Christ is also the Savior of the Gentiles ... a fact they didn't really want to hear. This reverberates in the common hostility to Christ in the first century. It illustrates an important point that people of goodwill, regardless of their ethnic religious background, respond positively to the revelation of God in Jesus. God brings all people to Him. Next are the Gifts: “All kings shall pay Him homage, all nations shall serve Him.” Finally there is Herod the Great — and the hostility of Herod and his successors toward Jesus, both at His birth and death — coupled with the inhabitants of Jerusalem being totally against Jesus.

We look at ourselves today. Christ offers the spirit of holiness as the grounds for our relationship. This new, universal belonging will be manifest in a community of believers who live no longer in the darkness of exclusivity and sin, but by grace: God helps each day — helping us to love, to forgive, to bring others to an awareness of what Jesus did for us and promised for all — Heaven. How? By following this Savior whom the entire world chooses to follow with sincere loyalty and generous love. We bring the gift of ourselves in gratitude by bringing Jesus the gift of ourselves, by trying to make Him the center of our lives — simply by following Him as our only King and Lord.

So I reflect on:

• There is a deep longing for God within each human heart and my heart. How do I find myself watching and waiting? Who is this Messiah for me advocating peace, nonviolence and love?
• In my recent trips I’ve reflected on how others treated me. Where and how did they inspire me?

Sacred Space 2026 states:

“Every year has moments of light and shade, so this is an opportunity to recall the good times and good things that come our way during the past year with gratitude and thanks, while not forgetting the moments that were much more challenging. We try to remember that wherever our lives take us — even in the less desirable situations we may have to face — God walks with us on the journey.”