{"id":5547,"date":"2021-01-03T20:51:30","date_gmt":"2021-01-04T02:51:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sarahdamm.com\/?p=5547"},"modified":"2021-08-10T21:15:27","modified_gmt":"2021-08-11T02:15:27","slug":"celebrating-epiphany-our-lord","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sarahdamm.com\/index.php\/2021\/01\/03\/celebrating-epiphany-our-lord\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating the Epiphany of Our Lord"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cOn entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.\u201d<\/span><\/i> \/\/ Matthew 2:11<\/span><\/p>\n

In the Gospel of St. Matthew, we read about the magi, the wise men, who followed the star of Bethlehem in search of the Newborn King. They traveled a long way to greet and adore the Christ Child, even though they were not members of the Jewish faith, which held a deep longing for the Messiah to come and \u201cransom captive Israel.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Traditional Roots of Epiphany<\/b><\/h2>\n

For centuries, Roman Catholics, as well as Christians in Eastern rites, have honored this pilgrimage of the magi within the <\/span>Christmas<\/span> season. In fact, Epiphany is considered the twelfth day of Christmas<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Theologically, <\/span>Epiphany commemorates the manifestation of Christ to the entire world. In other words, it is the event that reveals Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God. While we primarily focus on this revelation to the magi, the Church also teaches that this manifestation occurred at two other events:<\/span><\/p>\n

Christ\u2019s Baptism, when God\u2019s voice from Heaven said, <\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/i>This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.\u201d<\/span><\/i> \/\/ Matthew 3:13-17<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The wedding at Cana, when Jesus performed His first public miracle. \/\/ John 2:1-12<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Rejoice! It\u2019s Still Christmas<\/b><\/h2>\n

The Feast of the Epiphany, the twelfth day of Christmas, reminds us that while the world has long packed up Christmas for another year, we continue to celebrate the birth of our Savior.<\/span><\/p>\n

We are blessed with another day to ponder the profound meaning of the Incarnation: that Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, came down to earth to meet us in our need, to dwell and walk among us, and to save us from our sin.<\/span><\/p>\n

What an incredible gift worth celebrating and reverencing for more than one day!<\/span><\/p>\n

So, how can we respond to this gift? His gift of salvation? His gift of rescue? The gift of His complete and total love?<\/span><\/p>\n

Ponder, Pray, and Praise on Epiphany<\/b><\/h2>\n

On the Feast of the Epiphany, let us honor Christ\u2019s manifestation to the world by taking time to ponder, pray, and praise.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ponder<\/b><\/h3>\n

O come, let us adore Him. <\/b>The three magi traveled far to greet the Messiah. Legend says that their journey took three to twelve months! Let us ponder:<\/span><\/p>\n