An Epiphany is simply a manifestation or revealing of some reality. In the western Church, the twelve days of Christmas close with the Epiphany, observing the story of the visit of the Magi. Within the eastern Church, Epiphany is the story of the baptism of Jesus, which we observe on Sunday.
Both are highly relevant epiphanies. The story of the Magi first appears in Luke's gospel from the early Nineties of the common era after synagogue and church had separated and the fate of the new Christian religion was cast in a gentile mould. Not surprising then that the characters in this story happen to be non-Jews attracted to Jesus. In addition they bring gifts of gold (appropriate to a king), frankincense (gift for a priest), and myrrh (appropriate to a martyr). So they "predict" the story of Jesus' life and ministry in the form of those gifts, which beyond symbolism would be rather odd in childbirth context. However, I rather like the cartoon I saw last week, depicting three Wise Women who arrive later with gifts of diapers, casseroles, and formula!
The Baptism we observe in the West varies in detail among the three synoptic gospels. Curiously, within John's gospel, the Baptiser says he didn't recognize Jesus until the latter showed up for baptism, whereas Luke has told us that their mothers were close cousins. Even more curious, Luke tells us that the Baptiser was already in prison before Jesus came out for baptism, so someone else baptised Jesus. All of this reminds us that in reading Scripture we are reading theology, not history.
The notion that Jesus came out for a ritual pitched as baptism for forgiveness of personal sins was embarrasing to the early Church and so it was necessary to articulate what was going on in a better way. I think it is done beautifully in Pasolini's film "The Gospel of Saint Matthew." The Baptiser zips all around the water, washing off people's sins and then goes to Jesus, in the centre, whom we observe absorbing the sins as he is baptised. For he is the one who will take on our Dark Side -- confront and defeat the powers of sin and death.
For those of us in the Catholic Tradition, our journey begins with baptism, the primal sacrament, through which we enter a new family, a faith family spanning almost two thousand years. As there cannot be an age at which one "understands" and qualifies for the sacrament, we bring to the font children and adults of all ages. "Let the little children come to me! Do not hinder them, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven," says Jesus (Jno. 10:14)
Any epiphany, or manifestation is hollow, unless Christ is manifest in us in our place and time, unless we see and serve him in the poor and oppressed, unless we take us his passion for peace and justice, unless we strive to build the Kingdom of God. Jesus manifested little interest in doctrine, dogma and theology, but everything in carrying out the will of his Father. That is our business now.
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