Happy Epiphany! When was the last time you had an epiphany? I would love to hear about it. The Native Americans have a device called a Dream Catcher. But I would like to introduce Epiphany Catcher—not a device but a skill.
Epiphanies can be big or small, subtle or vivid, but each epiphany raises our consciousness to a higher level, enriching our lives with meaning, joy, and hope.
I had an epiphany recently. Sophie and I went for the First Day Hike on Mount Taurus in Cold Spring, New York, on New Year’s Day. This part used to be the estate of the Cornish family, covering about 650 acres of breathtakingly beautiful land on Hudson Highlands.
We stopped by the remains of the impressive stone and brick Cornish mansion overlooking the Hudson River. Later, we arrived at a waterfall, and our guide told us that it was the end of the guided hike. We were free to continue hiking or return with him to the parking lot with the guide.
Sophie and I chose to hike further since we didn’t feel tired yet, and the weather was not bad. It was cloudy, but it didn’t rain until we returned to the car later. On our way, we saw a vast old broken cistern.
Having just seen a waterfall, I remember the Lord’s Word through Jeremiah,
“My people have committed two evils:
they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water,
and dug out cisterns for themselves,
cracked cisterns that can hold no water.” (Jer 2:13).
We just saw a waterfall and now a cistern, and it was as if this verse had come to life. The natural waterfall still flows like living water, but this manmade cistern is broken. The two images and this verse stayed in my head for the whole week. It was an epiphany for me!
Throughout history, people have kept committing these two evils—forsaking the Lord, the fountain of living water, and digging out cisterns for themselves that cannot hold water. We forsake the eternal for the temporal. It reminds me to embrace the eternal over temporal.
If you are wondering what epiphany means, it’s translated from the Greek “ἐπιφαίνω (epiphaínō),” which is usually translated as “appearance” or “manifestation.” The root word “φαίνω (phaínō)” means “to shine” or “to come to light.” In that case, it also means “enlightenment.”
So, epiphany is something you see that enlightens you and takes you to a higher level of consciousness. Simply put, your epiphany is your “aha” moment due to what you see.
Epiphany of the Lord is a Christian festival after the twelve days of Christmas. I am glad that our faith fathers designated a day and a season of Epiphany to remind us of the importance of epiphany. There are four to nine weeks after Epiphany before Lent.
We should use this season to cultivate the skill to catch epiphanies. An epiphany can be a life-changing experience. If you have frequent epiphanies, life can become very exciting. Life is not worth living without epiphanies.
Epiphany is also known as the Three Kings Day because it commemorates the visit of the three wise men or magi to baby Jesus. Two thousand years ago, a group of wise men from the Far East paid attention to the signs of the divine and noticed that a significant King was born.
It was so significant that they journeyed seven thousand miles to pay homage to this child. So, today, let us learn to capture epiphanies by learning from the story of these wise men so we can also enjoy life with hope, excitement, and wonder. Let’s begin!
The Scripture lesson for today is from the Gospel of Matthew 2:1-12. [Listen to the word of the Lord!]
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.”
9 When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. (Mt 2:1–12).
[Blessed are those who delight in God’s Word. Thanks be to God!]
The Bible only briefly describes these fascinating and mysterious visitors from the East, leaving Christians and scholars wondering who they really were.
A few years ago, I discovered a book called “The Revelation of the Magi,” translated from an ancient manuscript dating to before the 5th century C.E. Some believe the manuscript might have been written by the magi, sharing their epiphanies.
The manuscript stayed dormant and neglected by biblical scholars, maybe because they thought these magi’s story was insignificant in the grand scheme of Jesus’ life.
I was glad that someone finally translated the manuscript because, like many of you, I have been fascinated by these mysterious wise men and their epiphanies. (The book is available on Amazon.)
According to Brent Landau, the translator of this manuscript, these wise men most likely came from China through the Silk Road in the first century.
According to historians, the silk and spice merchants traveled between Rome and China, taking one or two years round trips. The road was treacherous, crossing deserts, mountains, and harsh terrains.
By the time these wise men arrived in Bethlehem, Jesus was already over a year old. According to the manuscript, Jesus was already talking. Verse 11 of our scripture lesson says,
“On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage.” (Mt 2:11a).
So, unlike what we usually see in Christmas pageants, Jesus was no longer in a manger when the magi found him but had already moved into a house. He was about a year old, and that is also why King Herod ordered the killing of all boys under two years old after he realized the wise men did not return to tell him where they found the child.
The Savior of humanity was born under King Herod’s nose, but he failed to notice it. However, people who lived 7,000 miles away noticed it. The contrast between the wise men and King Herod gives us clues to capturing epiphanies.
1. You Must Pay Attention
“Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” (Mt 2:2).
The wise men were alert to divine signs and communication. They saw the star and discerned its meaning. Meanwhile, Herod was caught off guard by the wise men’s revelation. He was oblivious to the spiritual significance of the events unfolding in his kingdom.
The birth of Jesus was prophesied in the Hebrew scriptures. King Herod should have been among the first to expect the advent of Christ and know when it took place. However, he was intoxicated by power and luxury. His violence against innocent children reveals how corrupt he was.
Only when the magi showed up to ask him about the child did he rush to gather information from the scriptures and scholars and discover that he was more than a year late.
It’s like the story of Jacob and Esau. Their father’s inheritance was supposed to go to Esau, the elder son, but Esau was oblivious. Jacob was observant and always paying attention to what matters most.
The magi’s story tells us that if you pay attention, you can be on the opposite side of the globe and still notice divine signs. Conversely, self-absorbed, King Herod misses the opportunity.
One of Jesus’ frequent warnings is that we must stay awake. Jesus said,
“What I say to you I say to all: Stay awake!” (Mk 13:37).
If you want an epiphany, you must cultivate spiritual attentiveness. Pay attention to how God speaks and moves, even so subtly. Don’t let life’s busyness and distractions make you oblivious to God’s activity.
The Bible is a good place to start developing the skills to catch epiphanies because it contains numerous records of how God revealed himself in human history.
Have you wondered why the magi would risk a year-long 7,000-mile journey to Israel to see a child? Recognizing the signs is one thing, but being willing to take the long and treacherous journey to experience the epiphany is another.
That gives us the second clue to catch an epiphany.
2. You Must Pay the Price
“When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.” (Mt 2:10).
Their joy reveals how much they treasure the opportunity. The Bible often contrasts the wise and the foolish, especially in the Book of Proverbs. Jesus also frequently discusses the wise and the foolish, warning us that it could mean heaven or hell.
I know I am not among the wise, but I don’t want to be left behind along with the foolish. So, I studied how to be wise. I’ve noticed that the wise appreciate the good stuff and are willing to pay the price for it.
I discovered that some noble people appreciate fine art, exquisite cuisine, classical music, good books, etc. When I enter their world, it’s a whole new world and a different way of living. I’ve also discovered that the wisest people have a taste for what is divine. For instance, classical music is mostly divine.
Again, in Esau and Jacob’s story, Jacob was willing to pay the price to inherit their father’s blessings, passed down from Abraham, which Esau didn’t appreciate. Even though they were twins, they belonged to two different worlds. One was a phoenix, but the other was a pheasant.
That’s why God said,
“I have loved Jacob,
but I have hated Esau.” (Ro 9:13).
My heart breaks each time I encounter this verse. I feel a sense of injustice. They are the same human beings, but God treats them differently. Why? All because one was wise and the other foolish. Again, the wise appreciate what’s divine, but the foolish are egocentric.
Jesus gave several parables about how the wise are willing to pay the price for what’s divine. For example, the Parable of the Pearl. He said,
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Mt 13:45-46).
It says the merchant sold everything he had to buy it. He must have been trained for a long time to recognize the value of a pearl, which is worth everything he had.
You must also train your eyes like a pearl merchant and become a merchant of epiphany to know it when you see it. Then, you must be willing to pay the price for it—the price is your sacrifice. Sometimes, it means the sacrifice of ego. Like the pearl merchant, the wise would sacrifice for an epiphany.
Jesus knows what is precious and sacrificed his life to redeem us. That means we are like precious pearls in his eyes. The devil sees our plight, but Jesus sees our potential. Like the pearl merchant, Jesus foresees the kingdom and pays the price for it.
The epiphanies are the signs of the kingdom, but you must pay the price to experience it. It’s worth the price because it rewards you with a life-changing experience. That leads to the third clue.
3. You Must Know the Reward
The reward is life transformation. As I said, an epiphany will change your life forever. What you have seen cannot be unseen, so be careful what you see. The TV channel you watch or the website you visit will leave a permanent image in your mind and may transform you for the worse.
In the same way, an epiphany is a divine revelation that leaves a permanent image in your mind and raises you to a higher level of consciousness. You will never be the same again. Your epiphany will take you on another road like it did to the magi. The last verse says,
“And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.” (Mt 2:12).
Through their dream, the wise men realized what kind of king Herod was. He didn’t deserve to know where Jesus was, and he was unworthy to be in Jesus’ presence. Even though they were all kings, they belonged to different paths, so the wise kings went by another road.
The wise men came already at a higher level of consciousness, but their experience of seeing the Christ child raised them to an even higher level of consciousness. They went home on a higher road.
In the same way, an epiphany changes you forever. I hiked up Mount Taurus, and I came down as a different person.
Another thing I notice is that once you have an epiphany, you want to have more because you realize there’s another level of living.
Christians are epiphany catchers. Like the pearl merchant, Jesus wants us to become epiphany merchants—paying attention to precious pearls, paying the price to get them, and enjoying the transformation they bring to our lives.
Let’s catch some epiphanies in 2025!
Until we meet again, keep your light shining brighter and broader and harvest the fruit of profound felicity, freedom, and fulfillment.
Amen!
Bye now!
