Exhaling

… the manifestation of Himself, God enfleshed.

To the Magi.
To those seekers present at His Baptism in the Jordan.
To those with eyes to see at the wedding feast in Cana.

Epiphany:

\i-ˈpi-fə-nē\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English epiphanie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin epiphania, from Late Greek, plural, probably alteration of Greek epiphaneia appearance, manifestation, from epiphainein to manifest, from epi- + phainein to show

On this great feast, we celebrate that God is with us – not just by His immanence, but by His entering space and time; His physical presence on this earth long ago in Jerusalem and perpetually in the tabernacle, and by His interaction with us through the Sacraments and through one another.

We celebrate God’s manifestation of Himself in Christ, His participation in our very nature, His great love for us. It is this great love that impelled God to leap down from Heaven, to set aside His garment of light to walk among us; and it is this great love that keeps Him with us always, ever coming to us, ever calling to us, ever drawing us nearer. It is only love that makes all this possible, only love that could contrive such means beyond all comprehension, only love that could elevate us to become God’s true children.

Only love could constrain God to take on our flesh so that He could die. Only love could so desire our neverending life.

God has become visible to us, has manifest Himself to us, has become one of us. Let’s pray that all become open to the awe and wonder that this should stir up within us, so that in gratitude we can follow this Child in the way of holy childhood.

“The meaning of stability: God is not elsewhere.God is nearer to me than I am to myself; He is just as near to wood and stone, but they do not know it.”

And during these weeks we sing praise to a God Who is so near and Who draws even nearer by becoming one of us, one like us in all things but sin. We contemplate the mystery of God made man so that man can become one with God.

Let us not hesitate to sit at the Virgin’s knee and look into the clear eyes of innocence in her sheltering arms: an infant, with the pure eyes of Wisdom, looking on us with unearthly love. And this innocence and purity never fades, even as the child grows to a man. Even as He grew to know hardship and opposition, those eyes remained as clear and innocent as a child’s, disarming any fear in all those who had become as little children before God.