Episode Transcript
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It would be a mistake to think of this feast,
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the Epiphany, as the end of the Christmas celebration.
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A time to put away the Christmas tree, and take down the decorations.
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At one point in history, this feast day together with Easter,
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was the primary feast in the life of the Church,
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and still is in the Eastern and Orthodox traditions.
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Epiphany is about God revealing and manifesting Godself
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in the person and event of Jesus Christ.
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A Theophany.
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In the Gospels,
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there are many accounts of an Epiphany or revelation of who Jesus Christ
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is as the manifestation,
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revelation of God.
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In the baptism in the Jordan, the Transfiguration,
and the wedding feast at Cana
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these are certain moments of revelation in the Gospels.
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Today in our tradition,
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the visitation of the Magi recalls the revelation of who God is
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for all nations and peoples
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at the birth and the life of Jesus.
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He is God come into human history for the salvation
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and redemption of all peoples.
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Born into humble circumstances,
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in a small town, Bethlehem
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under the rule of the Roman emperor,
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and threatened by genocide.
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Yet in these humble and unexpected circumstances,
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God chooses to reveal Godself
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born into scandal, as a part of a refugee family.
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Thus, todays the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord
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challenges us, the Church, not to just treat the birth and life of Jesus Christ
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as a one off moment in history.
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Saint Paul reminds us in the second reading
and encourages us as the disciples of Christ
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become a part of the unfolding mystery of the Epiphany,
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of who God is for all people.
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God’s manifestation occurs at times and in places
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as God, who loves us, humbles Godself to be with us,
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and brings to human reality the gift of hope, joy, and the promise of peace,
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as we become ourselves caught up in God’s Epiphany
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particularly in a world scarred by war and violence,
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exploitation, and economic hardship.
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As we celebrate this great Feast,
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may we become more and more a part of the revelation of who God is
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for all people,
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in the way we strive to live and manifest the life of Christ
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in our own lives for others.
