Reflection - The Epiphany of the Lord

        We have made it through the Christmas and the New Year’s holidays.  Many of us have gotten a break from work, a much-needed break in the midst of the pandemic.  Although our secular society has moved on from Christmas, we in our Catholic faith are in the midst of our joyful celebration of the Christmas season.  Today, we celebrate the visit of the wise men in the Epiphany of the Lord.  

         In Sacred Scripture, we don’t get a lot of details about the mysterious visitors from the East to the baby Jesus in the manger in Bethlehem.  It does not even say how many wise men there were, even though our Tradition passes down that there were three of them.  In fact, there is a sarcophagus above the high altar in the Cathedral in Cologne, Germany that contains the remains of the three wise men. According to Tradition, the relics of three wise men were housed in Constantinople, where they were moved to Italy and in the possession of the Roman Emperor Constantine, and then were given to the Archbishop of Cologne in 1164, where they reside today in the Cathedral in Cologne.  

        The three wise men may have been these mysterious strangers from the East, but the message of today’s feast is that for God there are no foreigners, no strangers, no outsiders.  From the point of view of God, we are all his beloved children.  The Jews of Ancient Israel thought that the Messiah would be sent exclusively to them.  However, the salvation that Jesus brought in his incarnation is meant for all.  There may be external physical and cultural differences that exist between us, but we are one family with God the Father.  We are all brothers and sisters in Christ.  

          We are journeying together in this midst of this Christmas season.  There have been many challenges for us this year.  The message of the three wise men and the entire Christmas season is to give us hope and encouragement.  Blessings to all of you this Christmas season.  Father Lincoln.