Your Epiphany Awaits

Shiva & Shakti

Feast of the Epiphany
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Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Epiphany. We all love the story of the Three Magi who outwitted King Herod, and who now arrive at Bethlehem on their camels with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh for the baby Jesus. Many of us see this as the charming epilogue to the story of Christmas.

But rather than looking at the Epiphany as just a minor holiday in the Church year, we should really stop to examine what this celebration is truly about—and it’s pretty amazing.

The word “epiphany” itself means a sudden and illuminating discovery of God, because he has revealed himself in a simple but dramatic way. The Wise Men were given the gift of this epiphany, since they were the first Gentiles to come to know Christ.

And therein is the first startling truth: there is no exclusive “in crowd” in the call from God. Jesus did not come just for the Jews. The Gentiles are not mere last-minute additions to the saved. They are co-heirs with the Jews, and that was God’s plan from the beginning.

All through the Scriptures, we see how God draws the unlikeliest characters into his plan of salvation. Alongside of believers and saints, we find prostitutes, adulterers, thieves, pagans, schemers and rogues of every description. Just consider the genealogy at the beginning of the gospel of Matthew to see who made up Jesus’ family tree!

So it shouldn’t really come as a big surprise to see that the Magi were actually pagan astrologers who worshiped and studied the stars. Most likely, they were members of the ancient religious sect of Zoroastrians.

Ironically, many of their beliefs would have been at odds with the teachings of Judaism and Christianity, so our first inclination might be to reject them or condemn them. But our Lord did not do that. On the contrary, he loved them and embraced them, and made them a vital part of his plan.

Now consider our own times. As followers of Jesus Christ, we all know and spout the “party line” of Christianity: love all people… judge not … forgive your neighbor.

But do we?

I’m afraid most of us have created for ourselves a mental image of what a “proper” Catholic should really be like. I don’t know about this. Do we really think God needs us to be his gatekeepers? You ought to test yourself on this. Is there a welcome place here for people who don’t fit your mold? Perhaps for people who have been married and divorced two or three times? For women who have had an abortion, or a child out of wedlock, or people who think that women should have a right to choose? For gays and lesbians? For convicted sex offenders? For people who have crippling addictions or emotional problems and really make us feel uncomfortable? For people who are too poor, or too liberal, or too flamboyant, or too whatever?

Yes, we can all learn a lot from Jesus on how to be more accepting of our brothers and sisters, because that’s always the first step to win their heart.

And there’s also a flip side to all this: if you fall in any of these categories, do you feel that God through his Church has somehow pushed you aside … that you’re not fully welcome… that you can’t be yourself without fear of being condemned…? What a tragedy to feel as though you’re not good enough for God!

Well, dear friends in Christ, it’s time for another epiphany that flows out of today’s feast day: all of you are loved—and wanted—and important—and filled with the gift of God’s grace. The crucial thing is not to give up on God. He cherishes you and will never give up on you.

There’s a wonderful parable from India about the divine couple in Hinduism, Shiva and Shakti. They are in their heavenly abode watching over the earth, and they are touched by the challenges of human life and human suffering.

As they’re watching, Shakti sees a miserably poor man walking down a road. His clothes are shabby and his sandals are held together with a rope. Her heart is filled with compassion. Touched by the man’s goodness and his struggle, Shakti turns to her divine husband and begs him to give this man some gold. Shiva looks at the man for a long moment. “My dearest wife,” he says, “I cannot do that.” Shakti is astounded. “Why, what do you mean, Husband? You are Lord of the Universe. Why can’t you do this simple thing?”

Shiva answers, “I cannot give this to him because he is not yet ready to receive it.” Shakti becomes angry. “Do you mean to say that you cannot drop a bag of gold in his path?”

“Surely I can,” Shiva replies, “but that is not the issue.”

“Please, Husband,” says Shakti.

And so with a divine sigh Shiva drops a bag of gold in the man’s path.

The man meanwhile walks along thinking to himself, “I wonder if I will find dinner tonight—or shall I go hungry again?” Turning a bend in the road, he sees something on the path in his way. “Aha,” he says. “Look there, a large rock. How fortunate that I have seen it. I might have torn these poor sandals of mine even further.” And carefully stepping over the bag of gold, he goes on his way.

It seems that life—make that: God—drops many bags of gold in our path. Rarely do they look like what they are.

The very thing that you hate about yourself or your life… the very thing that you wish that God would have made different… there! There is your bag of gold. Pray on this in the silence of your heart, in the presence of the Lord. Let God reveal himself to you in a flash of perception, so that at long last you might find peace and experience His joyful love.

Like the Magi, your epiphany awaits…