Ruminations of an Irascible Hermit.: The manifestation of God

Sunday, January 8, 2023

The manifestation of God - hidden glory revealed

Today we celebrate the wonderful feast of the Epiphany - the manifestation. This is also known as the Theophany - the appearance of God visibly manifesting himself.

Theophanies are remembered throughout the Old Testament with Jacob wrestling with God, Abraham and Sarah providing hospitality to the 3 angels, Moses seeing the Burning Bush , the Pillar of Fire and Cloud that led the Hebrews out of Egypt (Genesis 18:1-15, Genesis 32:24-30, Exodus 3:2, Exodus 13:20-22). These were special moments of encounter - God personally revealing and manifesting himself to his people to form relationship.

So what encounter is being remembered and celebrated today? For most people, today is associated with the Magi - the three wise kings who brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the newborn Jesus. However this feast celebrates more than just that.

This feast focuses on the manifestations of Christ as God in the flesh, the pivotal moments of the life of Christ that revealed or manifested the divinity of Jesus.

So today the Church celebrates - the homage of the 3 Magi, the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, and the miracle at the wedding of Cana. But what is it about these 3 events that are so pivotal to be highlighted in todays feast?

With the 3 Magi, we see the fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah chapter 60. This chapter mentions that foreigners and kings will worship the God of Israel, bring him homage as well as gifts of gold and incense. This is connected to Isaiah prophesying about the light of God that will shine on his people and the glory that will appear or manifest when the pagan nations help restore Jerusalem and the scattered remnants of Israel are brought back to Zion for a time of peace and worship.

So the 3 Magi bringing gifts to the newborn King of the Jews had messianic and salvific meaning. The gifts of gold recognise the kingship of Jesus, the frankincense his divinity - because frankincense was reserved for worship. But the Gospel also mentions myrrh - this is an embalming perfume ointment. So this gift symbolises the death that Jesus would undergo as part of our salvation. This is why the event of the 3 Magi is an Epiphany or Theophany - it manifested the hidden identity of Jesus Christ our Saviour.

The next event is the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan river. This is also celebrated as a separate feast in the Church because of the multiple meanings it has. So why is it connected to Epiphany?

When Jesus was baptised, the voice of the Father proclaimed “This is my beloved son” (Mathew 3:17, Luke 3:22) and the Holy Spirit appeared over him like a dove. So this was a full manifestation of the Holy Trinity - a Theophany. Jesus is revealed as the Beloved Son of the Father, filled with the Holy Spirit. The hovering of the Holy Spirit over Jesus is reminiscent of the Holy Spirit hovering over the waters of creation (Genesis 1:1-2), as well as the dove who brought Noah an olive branch after the flood (Genesis 8:10-11). This was to show that through his own baptism, Jesus has sanctified the waters of the new creation, so in baptism we become a new creation in him.

Then we come to the miracle at the wedding feast of Cana. This can seem a bit strange compared to the other two manifestations because it doesn’t have as much obvious symbolism. But the Gospel of John tells us that by the miracle of turning water into wine, Jesus was manifesting his glory (John 2:11). So the Gospel itself says that this was an epiphany.

This miracle is the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus. It is the inauguration of the Kingdom of God - through miracles, Jesus is revealing his divinity as the Son and manifesting the Kingdom of God is beginning. The Kingdom of God is inaugurated with a wedding feast, and will be completed at his own wedding feast - the Wedding of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9). Just as Jesus turns water into wine, so too he tells the Apostles after he institutes the Eucharist that he will not drink wine again until he enters into the Kingdom (Matthew 26:29, Luke 22:18).

So the miracle at the wedding of Cana is Eucharistic, but also Messianic. Through this first miracle, Jesus manifests his divinity and inaugurates the Kingdom of God.

As a child receiving homage from the Magi, at His baptism in which the Holy Trinity manifests, and at the wedding of Cana where he reveals his identify - these three moments powerfully proclaim, reveal and manifest the identity of Christ and our salvation.

This is what the Church celebrates today in this Feast of the Epiphany. The Messiah King descendant of David is acknowledged by the nations to bring them into worship of the true God. This King is also the High Priest who sacrifices himself to purify us from our sins, unites himself to us in the waters of baptism and leaves us the miraculous wine of the Eucharist - which is his wedding banquet that we will one day share in glory, but even now partake of in remembrance of him.

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Disclaimer

Please note. I am a Catholic layman, not a qualified theologian or philosopher. What I say and write here are my own personal thoughts and ideas, although I always try to conform my writings to the Magisterium of the Church.

I- with firm faith believe and profess everything that is contained in the symbol of faith: namely,

I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: By the power of the Holy Spirit, he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died and was buried. On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. I believe in the one holy catholic and apostolic church. I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

With firm faith I believe as well everything contained in God's word, written or handed down in tradition and proposed by the church--whether in solemn judgment or in the ordinary and universal Magisterium--as divinely revealed and called for faith.

I also firmly accept and hold each and every thing that is proposed by that same church definitively with regard to teaching concerning faith or morals.

What is more, I adhere with religious submission of will and intellect to the teachings which either the Roman pontiff or the college of bishops enunciate when they exercise the authentic Magisterium even if they proclaim those teachings in an act that is not definitive.