Significance
and Meaning of Epiphany
The term epiphany
means "to show" or "to make known" or even
"to reveal." In Western churches, it remembers the
coming of the wise men bringing gifts to visit the Christ child,
who by so doing "reveal" Jesus to the world as Lord
and King. In some Central and South American countries
influenced by Catholic tradition, Three Kings’ Day, or the
night before, is the time for opening Christmas presents. In
some eastern churches, Epiphany or the Theophany commemorates
Jesus’ baptism, with the visit of the Magi linked to
Christmas. In some churches the day is celebrated as Christmas,
with Epiphany/Theophany occurring on January 19th.
The
colors of Epiphany are usually the colors of Christmas, white
and gold, the colors of celebration, newness, and hope that mark
the most sacred days of the church year. In traditions that only
observe a single day for Epiphany, the colors are often changed
after Epiphany to the colors of Ordinary Time, usually green or
thematic sanctuary colors, until Transfiguration Sunday, the
last Sunday before the beginning of Lent.
As with
most aspects of the Christian liturgical calendar, Epiphany has
theological significance as a teaching tool in the church. The
Wise Men or Magi who brought gifts to the infant Jesus were the
first Gentiles to acknowledge Jesus as "King" and so
were the first to "show" or "reveal" Jesus
to a wider world as the incarnate Christ. This act of worship by
the Magi, which corresponded to Simeon’s blessing that this
child Jesus would be "a light for revelation to the
Gentiles" (Luke 2:32), was one of the first indications
that Jesus came for all people, of all nations, of all races,
and that the work of God in the world would not be limited to
only a few.
The day
is now observed as a time of focusing on the mission of the
church in reaching others by "showing" Jesus as the
Savior of all people. It is also a time of focusing on Christian
brotherhood and fellowship, especially in healing the divisions
of prejudice and bigotry that we all too often create between
God’s children. |