The Feast of the Epiphany celebrates a manifestatio—epiphaneia—the revealing of a light. But whose light? And to whom is it revealed? To grasp the Gospel of today, it helps to remember that January 6 was, in the ancient world, the feast of light itself. Long before Christianity, people of the East celebrated around this date the victory of light over darkness following the winter solstice. What Christians proclaimed, however, was something radically new: the manifestation of the true light from heaven—Christ himself.
With the coming of Christ, the ancient symbolism of light is transformed. The Epiphany proclaims that God is no longer distant. In Jesus, light reveals the face of a God whose very nature is love—tender, faithful, and unconditional. As Zechariah sang, this is the dawn from on high that visits those who dwell in darkness and guides our steps on the way of peace (cf. Luke 1:78–79).
Matthew’s Gospel presents this epiphany through a theological narrative, not a mere chronicle: Two groups of people stand before the light. On the one hand are the magi—seekers from the East—who lift their eyes beyond the earth and allow themselves to be questioned by an inner restlessness. They see a star and set out. Their journey expresses the longing of every human heart for meaning and truth that does not pass away. They represent all who refuse to settle for the logic of this world and instead dare to follow the light that comes from above.
On the other side stands Herod, along with all Jerusalem, troubled and fearful. This reaction reveals another response to the light: resistance. Those who are settled in power—political or religious—often fear new insights, because light exposes their false securities and unmasks unjust structures. Herod trembles because the light threatens his kingdom, built on violence and fear. Jerusalem trembles because it represents an old religious system that had turned God into an object of transaction rather than a relationship of love.
Significantly, the magi see the star again only after leaving Jerusalem. It is an invitation to step out of the logic of worldly success, accumulation, and domination. Only then we experience joy. True joy, Matthew tells us, flows from welcoming the light of Christ, because we carry his image and likeness – our deepest identity.
The gifts offered—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—express what it means to belong to this new kingdom. Gold acknowledges Christ as king. Frankincense reveals a new priesthood, where true worship is love lived in service. Myrrh speaks of an intimate, faithful relationship with God, no longer marked by fear but by covenantal love.
Finally, the magi return home by another way. Having encountered the light, they cannot walk the same paths again. Epiphany leaves us with a question: which star are we following? Only Christ, the true light, can lead our lives to meaning, joy, and peace. To follow him is to allow our story, too, to be rewritten by the light that never fades.
Father Josekutty Matthew CMF
