6th January 2013 - Epiphany Day

The feast of Epiphany celebrates the story told in St Matthew's Gospel of oriental Magii, not kings but royal astrologers travelling great distances from a place far to the east of Palestine, possibly Persia in their effort to decode the meaning of a new star which they have observed rising in the heavens. 

They visit Herod's court and give the tyrant's own astrologers and scribes a research task to undertake before advising them to look for something significant in Bethlehem, which the prophet Micah has suggested might be a place for someone of great importance to be born. 

Until this moment they are surprisingly unaware or even unconcerned about the new star to which their attention has been attracted. Perhaps it was not in their interests to raise issues with their despotic paymaster which might have given rise to alarm. 

When Herod did realise something different was happening, "... he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him." The subjects of a tyrant are the first to suffer from their master's anxieties, and on this occasion, consequences are brutal and terrifying, with the murder of innocent children following.

They had arrived at the court of Herod and being wise, they soon got the measure of a political situation about which they could have known little in advance of their long journey. They left no gifts, attempted to forge no diplomatic relationship with people in power. To return home, they went by a route avoiding Jerusalem, and further contact with Herod, his advisers and his troops.

For the Magii, their mission is accomplished when they find Mary, Joseph and the new born Jesus, now to be found in a house, rather than a stable. Nobody knows how many of them came, but three gifts were offered in homage, representing all the cultural and spiritual wealth they possessed. They are welcomed and their gifts received with humble wonder.

The story represents the recognition of the wider world beyond Palestine that something of cosmic significance happened with the birth of Jesus, something which will over time lead people of every 'tribe tongue people and nation' to turn to him and pay him homage because of the reign of divine love, truth and goodness which he comes to bring for the sake of all humankind. The coming of the Magii marks beginning of the world turning to God through Jesus, and the end of the beginning of of His Advent.

To the immortal, invisible, only wise God be blessing and honour and glory and might for ever and ever, Amen
  

5th January 2013

If we reckon days Jewish fashion as starting in the evening, Christmas Eve begins the festive season and this is the twelfth but not the last day of Christmastide. It is another day to reflect upon the mystery of incarnation, before the celebration of the Epiphany, which concludes Christmas festivities, begins tonight on the thirteenth night. Thirteen is one of those significant numbers, like seven and forty, all of which symbolise completion in numerlogical typology.

In very few places do the festivies of Christmas last a full thirteen days any more. Once New Year is reached, holidays finish and regular working patterns resume, with a further brief break in some countries to celebrate Epiphany. Yet, duties can be resumed refreshed and inspired by time spent with family and friends, time spent reflecting on life's true value, dreaming of a different future and making plans, time spent a little closer to the mysteries which give life meaning.

It is a time to remember how Jesus the Son of God, though infinitely rich, became poor for our sakes in solidarity with the disinherited and impoverished people of this world, that they might be uplifted by knowledge of his love for them.

Just as it is possible for God to be so much closer to us than we can be aware of, we poor narrow sighted human beings may hardly be aware of our true selves and what our Creator and Redeemer has made us capable of becoming in relation to Himself. St John writes: "Beloved we are God's children now. It does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as he is."

This assertion is a source of great hope and comfort, not only in the face of death, but also at any and every moment of failure, crisis and challenge that confronts us in life itself. It is a word of life for those moments when we may feel least capable of coping with what we know we must engage with. It is a word of light in the darkness of uncertainty and becoming, when we feel most alone, yet not alone because of Emmanuel - 'God with us'.