THE GIFT OF JESUS TO THE WORLD

The Feast of Epiphany focuses on revealing Jesus to the world. Following the Christmas celebration, the liturgical year lays out a series of manifestations in which Jesus is made known publicly. From its very beginning, the Christian community highlighted three events in the life of Jesus. These are the Epiphany, the Baptism of the Lord and the wedding feast of Cana.

The Epiphany reveals Jesus to the gentiles, represented by the magi from the East. The accounts of Jesus’ baptism reveal his identity and mission, along with introducing him to those to whom he was sent. The miracle of turning water into wine at the wedding feast of Cana, unique to John’s Gospel, is the first public sign that Jesus performs, thus manifesting his public identity and his powers.

Today these three feasts are usually celebrated on three successive Sundays: Epiphany, the Baptism of the Lord which is usually the Sunday following Epiphany, and the wedding feast of Cana, which is proclaimed on the 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time in the Lectionary Year C.

These feasts connect around the concept of the public manifestation of Jesus to the world. They help us to know who Jesus is and what he is about. And so our Christmas Season continues.

Happy New Year to all. May 2022 be a better year and may you be filled with God’s many blessings.