Homily: Epiphany of the Lord

January 5, 2025

My dear brothers and sisters, we are celebrating today the solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. In this solemnity we celebrate the first manifestation of the child Jesus born on Christmas as the Messiah of Israel, the Son of God and the Savior of the world. The child Jesus is shown to the universe us as the light of the whole world. Three wise men from another country; the Gentile world saw his star from the East and travelled for miles to behold this light.

Can human beings stop the light from the sun from reaching the earth, even if through advancement in science and technology, humans are able to block the light and the effects of the sun, they cannot prevent the light of Christ from shining in the world. While the townspeople of Jesus took no notice of His birth, while Herod was searching for Him in the darkness of the streets below to kill Him, His star was shining above. Three wise men from another country, a pagan country, saw the light of the world shining, they embarked on a journey to be witnesses to this light. They really wanted to radiate this light of Christ. This mystery remains valid till today. When anyone decides to grope in darkness to his or her own peril, let him or her know that the light of Christ continues to shine in the world and men and women from different parts of the world are following this light joining the company of the saints in light.

Brothers and sisters, ours is to shine out with the light of Christ. We belong to this kingdom of light and not the kingdom of darkness. Christ is the light of the world, take Christ away, the world will remain in darkness. This prophecy of Isaiah in the first reading is addressed to us all, “arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” We are in an age where some tend to think that the gospel message of Christ has no relevance in our world of full human actualization, production and other giant developmental strides. Where has such thought pattern led us if not enveloping the world more and more in darkness.

We have much to learn from these three wise kings from the East. No external obstacle was able to extinguish this light of Christ they bore in their hearts. Following the star was not an easy task for the wise men. It meant miles and miles of walking, many days and nights without rest, crossing fountains and mountains. Even the message given to them was not very clear. They had to study, probe and inquire. The star disappeared midway, and they got the wrong advice. They believed it and went in the wrong direction. Later on, they found themselves again on the right track. In all these trials, never once was it mentioned that they lost hope on their journey, they persevered till they arrived. This journey of theirs showcases an interior journey of faith, the journey of Christians focused on Christ that has come to us to illumine all darkness. Our journey on the path to salvation should be like theirs, no obstacle on the road should stop us till we see the fullness of the light of Christ.

After encountering the child Jesus, they paid heed to the warning not to go back to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. After encountering Jesus in the Sacraments, in prayers, in attendance of Masses, in good works, we should not go back to Herod, that is, those lifestyles and habits that seeks to kill the Jesus in us. After welcoming Jesus at Christmas, we have to embrace a new life in Christ Jesus. He is the light of the world. We are not to go back to darkness, to Herod, to the very old life that kills the child Jesus that has come to us.