In many liturgical scholars’ thoughts, this feast of Epiphany should perhaps be its own liturgical season, separate from Christmas, but more encompassing than just one Sunday with the appearance of our beloved Three Kings. The word ‘Epiphany’ is often referred to as a manifestation, or an experience of striking and sudden realization; its actual etymology comes from Greek and means ‘to appear’. This weekend, with the Three Kings, we have the first of these ‘epiphanies’. The Three Kings symbolize people gathered from the non-Jewish parts of the world at the time to pro-claim the importance of the birth of this Holy Child, an ‘epiphany’ of Christ to the World. The second ‘epiphany’ is viewed as Christ’s Baptism at the River Jordan, which happens next Sunday. At this point, His Father claims him as His ‘beloved Son’ – the manifestation of Christ as God’s own Son. The third ‘epiphany’ is seen at Jesus’ first miracle at the Wedding at Cana. This is a manifestation of Jesus’ own acceptance, and appearance, as the Son of God. At his first miracle, theologians view this as Christ’s acceptance of His role in the world and of what His entire ministry will mean. The hymn “Songs of Thankfulness and Praise” speaks of these three manifestations: manifested by the star to the sages from afar; manifest at Jordan’s stream, Prophet, Priest and King supreme; and at Cana, wedding guest, in thy Godhead manifest in power divine, changing water into wine. (Unfortunately in our current liturgical Cycle B, we only have the first two manifestations celebrated in the weekend liturgies this year.)
On this weekend, let us recall all three manifestations of our Lord, and most importantly, the manifestation of Christ as our own lives as Lord God and King of all.