The Teaching Corner

The word epiphany means “an appearance.” The Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus to the world is celebrated January 6th, when we commemorate the visit of the magi, which is narrated in Matthew’s gospel.
 
Although the actual number of magi is not known, we often think of three visitors since the Scriptures identify three gifts that they presented: gold, a gift suitable for a royal child; frankincense used in worship; and myrrh, a fragrant resin used to prepare a body for burial. The magi may have been Zoroastrian priests from Persia (present-day Iran) who specialized in astronomy. The magi were Gentiles, not Jews, and thus Epiphany celebrates the revelation of Jesus as Christ to the whole world.

The Epiphany season, which follows the celebration of Epiphany, is the final part of the Christmas cycle of the church year and extends from January 6th to the Sunday before Ash Wednesday.   The first and last Sundays of the Epiphany season (unless Epiphany itself falls on a Sunday) are the festivals of the Baptism of Our Lord (this year January 11th) and the Transfiguration of Our Lord (this year February 15th).  These two Sundays bookend the Epiphany season with the voice of God from the heavens declaring Jesus to be God’s Son.  What we see throughout the Epiphany season then is Jesus revealed to us as the Son of God and all that this means for us and for the world.