What is Theophany? It is God’s very presence in our lives—His divine manifestation. This weekend’s Feast (the Epiphany), next weekend’s Feast (The Baptism of the Lord) and following weekend’s liturgy (The Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C—the wedding at Cana) form a three-Sunday “line up” of divine manifestation. These three events were the three major “theophanies” of Christ: Jesus is made manifest as divine in the appearance of the star; there is the dove and the voice at the River Jordan; and the water turned to wine at Cana (Jesus’ first miracle). Each ‘manifestation’ of the divine is called a theophany: the appearance of God in a visible form to human beings. We see this divine intervention in these three feasts, and how they are connected by that divine intervention.
But do we see that there is divine intervention in our lives now? Jesus taught us to find God incarnate in this world, in our neighbor, in the Eucharist—that is, in the ordinary elements of this earth. That’s a very different notion of typical religion. This perspective is sometimes called the “bias from the bottom.” (Thanks, Rev. Rohr!) Everything is turned up-side down on its head by God. Think of today’s feast: we celebrate three kings paying homage to a poor baby in a feed trough instead of a throne room. Our culture places the most value on fame, power, and money—but that is opposite from the downward path of Jesus. And once you can see that God is in the ordinary and every day you start honoring God in what Jesus calls “the least of the brothers and sisters” and in the common earth beneath our feet; and in our every day encounters with each other.
Today on this Solemnity of Epiphany, we sing “Star of wonder, star of light” about the divine intervention in our sky of a star pointing to Christ. In our own lives the mysteries and miracles of God are manifest—like that star—if we “have eyes to see.” These personal appearances may not be ‘official’ theophanies, but here and now God is revealed to us in so many ways: in the blessings of family, friends; faith, hope and love. If we have eyes to see, we will experience our own personal Theophanies and personal epiphanies in the actions of those around us: in the liturgy at Mass, in our families, in our daily lives, and in the joining of the past and the future with the present. We will experience God’s presence made manifest to us in the love of our family and friends.
Our liturgical calendar allows us to continue to dwell on the mystery and miracle of God’s love for us started as God in the person of Jesus (Incarnation/Christmas). Then we see Jesus as the light of the world to all nations (Epiphany). We see the Holy Trinity in next week’s Feast of the Baptism of the Lord—and then Jesus as ‘God in Flesh’ in his first miracle at Cana. All these instances of the divine lead us to the light of Christ and to God’s amazing love for us: a theophany for us.
Keep singing!
Elizabeth Dyc
There is an old Celtic blessing that says:
The light of the Christmas star to you
The warmth of home and hearth to you
The cheer and good will of friends to you
The love of the Son and God’s peace to you.
A perfect Epiphany blessing!
But do we see that there is divine intervention in our lives now? Jesus taught us to find God incarnate in this world, in our neighbor, in the Eucharist—that is, in the ordinary elements of this earth. That’s a very different notion of typical religion. This perspective is sometimes called the “bias from the bottom.” (Thanks, Rev. Rohr!) Everything is turned up-side down on its head by God. Think of today’s feast: we celebrate three kings paying homage to a poor baby in a feed trough instead of a throne room. Our culture places the most value on fame, power, and money—but that is opposite from the downward path of Jesus. And once you can see that God is in the ordinary and every day you start honoring God in what Jesus calls “the least of the brothers and sisters” and in the common earth beneath our feet; and in our every day encounters with each other.
Today on this Solemnity of Epiphany, we sing “Star of wonder, star of light” about the divine intervention in our sky of a star pointing to Christ. In our own lives the mysteries and miracles of God are manifest—like that star—if we “have eyes to see.” These personal appearances may not be ‘official’ theophanies, but here and now God is revealed to us in so many ways: in the blessings of family, friends; faith, hope and love. If we have eyes to see, we will experience our own personal Theophanies and personal epiphanies in the actions of those around us: in the liturgy at Mass, in our families, in our daily lives, and in the joining of the past and the future with the present. We will experience God’s presence made manifest to us in the love of our family and friends.
Our liturgical calendar allows us to continue to dwell on the mystery and miracle of God’s love for us started as God in the person of Jesus (Incarnation/Christmas). Then we see Jesus as the light of the world to all nations (Epiphany). We see the Holy Trinity in next week’s Feast of the Baptism of the Lord—and then Jesus as ‘God in Flesh’ in his first miracle at Cana. All these instances of the divine lead us to the light of Christ and to God’s amazing love for us: a theophany for us.
Keep singing!
Elizabeth Dyc
There is an old Celtic blessing that says:
The light of the Christmas star to you
The warmth of home and hearth to you
The cheer and good will of friends to you
The love of the Son and God’s peace to you.
A perfect Epiphany blessing!
RSS Feed
