EPIPHANY ADORATION

"ADORATION OF THE MAGI," William Morris

Epiphany, or Theophany as it is referred to in the East, falls on this day and marks the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas.

The term Epiphany means "to show" or "to make known" or even "to reveal." In Western Catholic and Protestant churches, it commemorates the coming of the Wisemen - who by bringing gifts and visiting the Christ child, "reveal" Jesus to the world as Lord and King.

How many of us as children loved the song of "The Little Drummer Boy" (perfect for the Twelfth Day of Christmas!)  He too wanted the "finest gift to bring" to the Newborn King.  I have given this board book version of Ezra Jack Keats' book to several little ones for Christmas, and their Mommies have told me they ask for it to be read (or sung) to them again and again...

You may have heard of Henry Van Dyke's short novel, The Other Wise Man - (if not you can read it HERE on Project Gutenberg) - but did you know there is a children's picture book version?  Henry Van Dyke wrote his enduring classic, The Other Wise Man in 1896.  Pamela Kennedy retells the story for the young reader, making it easy to understand, while retaining the magic of Van Dyke's words. Robert Barrett's rich oil paintings create a tapestry of colour that adds to the mystery of the ancient world.

Another exceptional picture book about the Magi and their gifts is The Third Gift, by Linda Sue Park.  My book review of The Third Gift can be found here.

In my Eastern Orthodox tradition, the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child is commemorated on Christmas Day.  For us, Epiphany commemorates Jesus' baptism and the divine revelation of the Holy Trinity.  

The word Epiphany in Greek means "to show forth" and is used interchangeably with the word Theophany, which translates from Greek as "appearance of God".

At the baptism of Christ the Holy Trinity appeared clearly to mankind for the first time -- the Father's voice is heard from Heaven, the Son of God is incarnate and standing physically in the Jordan, and the Holy Spirit descends on Him in the form of a dove.

A hymn that will be sung in our church service today is a wonderful reminder of God's presence with us today and everyday: 

Today You appeared to the world, 

and Your light, O Lord, has left its mark upon us 

as in fuller understanding we sing to You: 

“You came, You were made manifest, the unapproachable light."

ONE MORE GIFT...for the 12th Day of Christmas

January 6th is the Feast of Epiphany, also known as Theophany. It was one of the first "feast days" of the early church, and originally included the celebration of the Birth of Christ, the Adoration of the Magi, and Christ's Presentation into the Temple. Separate feast days for each of these events were not adopted until the fourth century. [source]

Have you ever wondered about the significance of the gifts the Magi brought to the child Jesus, in honor of His birth?
"And when they [the Magi] had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh." (Matthew 2:11 NKJV)

Linda Sue Park wondered about it - especially the last gift,  myrrh - and it led her to write the tender story, THE THIRD GIFT, with captivating illustrations by Bagram Ibatoulline. A boy helps his father harvest the resin ("tears") of shrub trees native to the Arabian Peninsula...

"The tears are used for many things. They can be ground up as medicine for headaches...used to flavor wine.  The best tears, the most expensive ones, are used for funerals...when you smell the tears at a funeral, you know that someone truly beloved has died."

One day the boy finds "the biggest tear yet."  When he and his father go to the marketplace, the merchant tells them he has some important customers waiting for them.  These three brightly robed strangers are looking for a gift to bring to a special baby. They already have gold and frankincense, but are looking for a third gift.

In the Author's Notes at the end of the book, Linda Sue Park wonders about the connotations of Christ's death in connection with the Wise Men's gift of myrrh, brought to Him as a baby.  She cites a reference to this foreshadowing as noted on a curator's label of the 16th century Brueghel painting, The Adoration of the Kings, hanging in the National Gallery in London.

What the author may not be aware of is that St. Irenaeus (a 2nd century Bishop from Lyon, France) also wrote about the gifts of the Kings to the Christ Child:
Matthew says that the Magi, coming from the east, exclaimed "For we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him;” and that, having been led by the star into the house of Jacob to Emmanuel, they showed, by these gifts which they offered, Who it was that was worshipped: myrrh, because it was He who should die and be buried for the mortal human race; gold, because He was a King, “of whose kingdom is no end;” and frankincense, because He was God, who also “was made known in Judea,” and was “declared to those who sought Him not". [source]

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To this day, in every Orthodox Church at Christmas, the significance of the Magi’s gifts is revealed in a hymn sung at the Compline of the Nativity:

When the Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, the Magi came from the east and worshipped Him as incarnate God. Eagerly they opened their treasures and offered Him precious gifts—pure gold for that He is King of the ages; frankincense in that He is God of all; and as dead for three days they offered myrrh to the deathless One. Wherefore, come, all ye nations, let us worship Him Who was born to save our souls.

Why is this hymn not sung in Orthodox churches on the feast of Epiphany? In Eastern Orthodox tradition, the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child is commemorated on Christmas Day.  Epiphany commemorates Jesus' baptism.  The word Epiphany in Greek means "to show forth" and is used interchangably with the word Theophany, which translates from Greek as "appearance of God".

The feast day is called Theophany because at the baptism of Christ the Holy Trinity appeared clearly to mankind for the first time -- the Father's voice is heard from Heaven, the Son of God is incarnate and standing physically in the Jordan, and the Holy Spirit descends on Him in the form of a dove. (You can see last year's post and book recommendation for Theophany HERE.)

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