I'm sometimes saddened that the Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord gets lost in all the post-Christmas hangover.
Heck, even this post is three weeks late.
But as someone, somewhere once said, late is better than never. So here goes ...
As most of you probably know, there are three Epiphanies that we celebrate on that feast day, and each serves as a powerful moment in time when Christ's Divinity is revealed to mankind.
- The visit of the Magi
- The baptism in the Jordan
- The miracle at Cana
As I spent time reflecting on the power of each of those this month, I kept asking myself one question ... which would I go back to see live, if I could?
After weeks of debating, I know my answer. But I'd love to hear yours.
Would you choose to watch the Magi lay their eyes on the Baby for the first time? To see the expression on their faces when their interpretation was proven correct? To know how long they stayed, what they said, and how many of them there actually were? Or maybe just to see what the whole scene looked like and what was going on around them?
Or would you choose to be there when John baptized our Savior? To see what it looked like when the Heavens opened up? To hear God's voice boom down to His Son? Or perhaps just to see how many others were on hand to witness the event and how they reacted?
What about the wedding at Cana? Would you elect to be there to see Christ's first public miracle? To see how hard his knowing Mother nudged Him? To watch the expression on the servant's face? Or maybe just to see Jesus having fun at a celebration with His friends?
Post your answer in the comments section, and I'll do the same next week. In the meantime, feel free to pass along this question. There are no "rules" to this meme ... just have everyone post their answers in the comments section here (or at my blog) so we can read them all and have some fun reflecting on the Glory of our Lord.
God Bless.
What a difficult question Michael.
ReplyDeleteWhat would it have been like to be present at the time Jesus walked this earth? Not just these three scenes you depict, but all the time.
More important, how would we have reacted?
Wopuld we have believed in Him and followed Him? Or would we be doubtful and un-believing? What about the threat of being arrested and possibly killed if we followed Him? Would we really have risked our lives for Him had we been there then?
How about today? We believe in safety where we live. What if we were threatened for our Christian beliefs?
Michael, your post has really set me thinking. Thank you.
P.S. I would have liked to have been at Christ's Baptism and witness the Holy Spirit.
God bless.
Michael, you will be pleased to know that in the Extraordinary Form liturgical calendar we label every Sunday after Epiphany as the nth Sunday after Epiphany until Septuagesima Sunday. All three of the feasts you mention are celebrated during that time.
ReplyDeleteAs to the feasts, I'm a piggy so I choose all. All are exciting and wonderful to contemplate, but if I only had one, it would be the wedding at Cana so I could see the body language and facial expressions of the people in the story.
Oh my...3 of my favorite scenes from the Holy Scriptures, to be sure! But, alas, if I had to choose just one, I would VERY MUCH LOVE to be present near our Infant King when the wise men from afar bow down and acknowledge him as GOD. Too awesome for words. LOL I wrote that and then noticed that Colleen wrote the SAME words in her comment! You see? This means it is true! We BOTH recognize that these Epiphanies are too awesome for words! Thanks for this wonderful reflection.
ReplyDeleteI would like to see the Baptism in the Jordan with the Trinity first revealed to us in the Father's voice, the Spirit as a dove, and Jesus condescended as a Man. If only could see it for myself and spend the rest of my life in contemplation of the enormity I had witnessed that day!
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