Daily Jots

Thought of the Day:
And there were in the same country shepherds watching, and keeping the night watches over their flock.
And behold an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round about them; and they feared with a great fear.
And the angel said to them: Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people:
For, this day, is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David.
And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God, and saying:
Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will.
And it came to pass, after the angels departed from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another: Let us go over to Bethlehem, and let us see this word that is come to pass, which the Lord hath shewed to us.
And they came with haste; and they found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger.
And seeing, they understood of the word that had been spoken to them concerning this child.
And all that heard, wondered; and at those things that were told them by the shepherds.
But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God, for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.”
(Douay-Rheims Bible, Luke 8-20)

Thinking Outside of the Box:
The word “epiphany” has two definitions. The first refers to the proper noun, which is the Holy Day of Epiphany. The second explains why that is the name chosen for this day. The definition of the word reads, “a sudden manifestation of the essence or meaning of something.” (dictionary.com) It means an instantaneous realization of the truth about something.

We celebrate Christmas in December with nativity scenes, but often forget that it didn’t all happen on that one night. That is what Epiphany is all about. That was the night the magi arrived and discovered the Holy Family and recognized exactly what was going on.

They had their clue in the form of a star that was both familar to them and unique at the same time. Hence the star on the top of a Christmas tree as a modern tradition. It was a clear signal that something very different and very important was being communicated. We all know the end of the story but what we take from it is as relevant today as it was on that night over 2,000 years ago.

We tend, as a society, to think epiphanies are something of the distant past. Something that applied to those in Biblical times. But these sudden bursts of clarity and truth still happen today. God still speaks to us. There is nothing wrong with His voice. We just have to train our ears to hear Him and with that, we may find what could only be considered an epiphany.

Just think about it.

For More Information:
The Church’s History of Epiphany
The Seasons of Epiphany
Epiphany – Three Kings

Comments Off