THE SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY - CHRISTMAS AT THE CRESCENDO OF SALVATION............

Two weeks into our Christmas celebration, with one day remaining in this Redemptive Season, of the Holy Birth of Christ Our Savior, we commemorate the Solemnity of the Epiphany, the traditional twelvth day of Christmas.  Epiphany, a word from the Greek, means manifestation, or showing.  It celebrates that on the Epiphany Day of the first Christmas, Three Kings, Wise Men, also known as Magi, came from the East and the Gentile world, following the brightness of the light of One, Radiant, Shining, Star, to find and pay homage to the Christ Child in the manager.  These three Wisemen came bearing opulent gifts, but gifts that also ratified the priestly, prophetic, and kingly, life the Christ Child ultimately lived: Gold, His Divine Kingship over All Creation; Frankenincense, His Sacrificial Priesthood for the reconciliation of Humankind; Myrrh, His Prophetic Death and Burial, which He would overcome in Glorious Resurrection.  The Epiphany causes us to realize the universality of the Savior born at Christmas, more than 2,000 years ago - as the Light of the Nations, Who is now and forever the Light of the World Without End,  Alleluia !!!  Amen !!!............Fr.  Troy