Our Epiphany
By Paul Irvin Kosel
What would you think if I started singing the song, “The 12 Days of Christmas?” You would probably ask, “What has that got to do with the Christmas, or the Epiphany?” If I were to answer, “everything,” you would probably question me about it.
If you watch the ABC Family channel prior to Christmas, they have the 25 days of Christmas. Your favorite Christmas shows are shown 25 days prior to Christmas. Most people think that the 12 days of Christmas refers to the 12 days prior to Christmas. In reality, it is not. It actually refers to the 12 days AFTER Christmas. In most of the Western Church the 12 days are from Christmas until the beginning of Epiphany, January 6th. The 12 days count from December 25th until January 5th.
You might find this surprising, but the “12 Days of Christmas” has a Catholic origin. It was written in England as one of the “catechism songs” to help young Catholics learn the tenets of their faith – a memory aid. The songs gifts are hidden meanings to the teachings of the faith. They couldn’t openly talk about God, so this was one way to talk about God through the words of song.
On the 1st day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
A Partridge in a Pear Tree
The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, whose
birthday we celebrate on December 25, the first day of Christmas. In the song,
Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge that feigns injury to
decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, recalling the expression of
Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often
would I have sheltered you under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but you
would not have it so . . . ." (Luke 13:34)
On the 2nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Two Turtle Doves
The Old and New Testaments, which together bear witness to God's self-revelation
in history and the creation of a people to tell the Story of God to the world.
On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Three French Hens
The Three Theological Virtues:† 1) Faith, 2) Hope, and 3) Love (1 Corinthians
13:13)
On the 4th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Four Calling Birds
The Four Gospels: 1) Matthew, 2) Mark, 3) Luke, and 4) John, which proclaim
the Good News of God's reconciliation of the world to Himself in Jesus Christ.
On the 5th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Five Gold Rings
The first Five Books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the
Pentateuch:† 1) Genesis, 2) Exodus, 3) Leviticus, 4) Numbers, and 5)
Deuteronomy, which gives the history of humanity's sinful failure and God's
response of grace in the creation of a people to be a light to the world.
On the 6th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Six Geese A-laying
The six days of creation that confesses God as Creator and Sustainer of the
world (Genesis 1).
On the 7th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Seven Swans A-swimming
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit:†1) prophecy, 2) ministry, 3) teaching, 4)
exhortation, 5) giving, 6) leading, and 7) compassion (Romans 12:6-8; cf. 1
Corinthians 12:8-11)
On the 8th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Eight Maids A-milking
The eight Beatitudes:†1) Blessed are the poor in spirit, 2) those who mourn, 3)
the meek, 4) those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 5) the merciful, 6)
the pure in heart, 7) the peacemakers, 8) those who are persecuted for
righteousness' sake. (Matthew 5:3-10)
On the 9th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Nine Ladies Dancing
The nine Fruit of the Holy Spirit:†1) love,†2) joy, 3) peace,†4) patience,†5)
kindness, 6) generosity, 7) faithfulness, 8) gentleness, and 9) self-control.†
(Galatians 5:22)
On the 10th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Ten Lords A-leaping
The ten commandments: 1) You shall have no other gods before me; 2) Do not make
an idol; 3) Do not take God's name in vain; 4) Remember the Sabbath Day; 5)
Honor your father and mother; 6) Do not murder; 7) Do not commit adultery; 8) Do
not steal; 9) Do not bear false witness; 10) Do not covet. (Exodus 20:1-17) On
the 11th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Eleven Pipers Piping
The eleven Faithful Apostles:†1) Simon Peter, 2) Andrew, 3) James, 4) John, 5)
Philip, 6) Bartholomew, 7) Matthew, 8) Thomas, 9) James bar Alphaeus, 10) Simon
the Zealot, 11) Judas bar James.† (Luke 6:14-16).† The list does not include the
twelfth disciple, Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus to the religious leaders and
the Romans. On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
Twelve Drummers Drumming
The twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles' Creed:†1) I believe in God, the
Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. 2) I believe in Jesus Christ, his
only Son, our Lord. 3) He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born
of the virgin Mary. 4) He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died,
and was buried. He descended into hell [the grave]. 5) On the third day he rose
again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
6) He will come again to judge the living and the dead. 7) I believe in the Holy
Spirit, 8) the holy catholic Church, 9) the communion of saints, 10) the
forgiveness of sins, 11) the resurrection of the body, 12) and life everlasting.
The word epiphany means an appearance or manifestation, particularly of a divine
being –– or an illuminating discovery, especially one that comes unexpectedly.
We often think that the visit of the wise men marks the epiphany. The Epiphany
[Gr.,=showing], a prime Christian feast, celebrated Jan. 6, called also Twelfth
Day or Little Christmas. It commemorates three events—the baptism of Jesus (Mark
1), (which we will talk about next week) the visit of the Wise Men to Bethlehem
(Mat. 2), and the miracle at Cana (John 2). In his baptism Jesus' sonship to God
was manifested to the world; in the visit of the Wise Men he was manifested as
king to the Gentiles; and at the marriage feast at Cana his power to perform
miracles was shown. In popular celebration the feast is far more ancient than
Christmas. Technically it is more important than Christmas, ranking after Easter
and Pentecost. It is a day of gifts in many countries. In the Eastern Church the
waters are blessed on this day. Thus the actual appearance of God (as in the
burning bush) or a moment of divine revelation may be called an epiphany.
Now that we know about the 12 days of Christmas and about Epiphany, where does the star lead us in our life’s journey? Has there been an Epiphany in your life?
There was an Epiphany for the wisemen, the astrologers. We’re not sure why they were called kings as they were star watchers. Through their profession of being astrologers, they had been a witness to the star and knew that something special had happened. That a special baby had been born. The wisemen went to King Herod and said that a child was born, one that would be king of the Jews and that they were going to pay him homage.
That really didn’t set well with King Herod. In the Greek language, the word for pig is hus and the word for son is huios. Augustine, the Roman emperor, heard that Herod had murdered his own sons lest they try to take over his throne. Augustine said that it was safer to be Herod's hus –– his pig –– than it was to be Herod's huios –– his son.
He told the wisemen to go and search for this child, then bring word back to him so that he, too, could pay him homage. But that was not going to happen. God planted a dream in the wisemen not to return to King Herod, so they returned home another way.
The wisemen had an Epiphany. They had seen the Son of God. They brought him special gifts. The star had led them to Jesus Christ, even though they had no idea of what was all going to happen throughout Jesus’ short life on earth.
When I think of great Epiphanies, I think of one situation. The powerful words that came out of the mouth of a centurion when Jesus died on the cross. Do you remember those words from Mark 15:39? “And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God.” Those indeed are powerful words – a great Epiphany, an illuminating discovery.
When Jacob had his dream at Bethel about the stairway resting on earth with its top reaching to heaven and the angels going up and down it. When he awoke, he had a great Epiphany, an illuminating discovery. He said in Genesis 28:16, “Surely the Lord is in this place and I was not aware of it. How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”
Think about the Apostle Paul – when he was first Saul. On his way to Damascus, he saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around him and his companions. A voice then said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” It was then, Saul, changed to Paul, has a great Epiphany, an illuminating discovery.
Throughout the Bible there are records of many people who have had a great Epiphany, an illuminating discovery. Even people today have great discoveries.
It is neat to watch children as they learn. They will be thinking about something and then all of a sudden, a light bulb comes on. “Now I get it!” they will say. It’s an Epiphany for them – an illuminating discovery.
Now I come back to you, what is your great Epiphany? What is your great illuminating discovery? If you’re thinking to yourself, “I don’t have any,” then you’re not thinking hard enough. The great discovery in your life can be something small, like a mustard seed, but then it grows into a great bush.
I think I have had many Epiphanies. Individually, they may not seem like much, but together, they become a great star leading the way. Each step we take is a small step.
I realized when I was in junior high that I was not going to be an athletic type of a person, but I wanted to stay involved. So instead of playing, I wrote stories and kept the stats on all the basketball games. Soon I was writing for a newspaper, then I advanced to a larger paper to write stories. I went to college majored in Journalism. I worked for a daily paper in Lead and then ended up Groton. Later, I found myself writing sermons.
Now today, I talk about Jesus Christ, I read stories in the Old and New Testaments, we talk about faith, hope and love in our lives, we proclaim the good news in Mathew, Mark, Luke and John, we read about our origin in the first five books of the Bible and about how God created everything in six days. When we talk about the Holy Spirit, we talk about the seven gifts given to us and the nine fruits of the Spirit. We remember Jesus talking to the great multitudes about the eight beatitudes. Of course, the foundation of the law is the 10 commandments. We have the 11 faithful apostles who spread the wonderful word of God. And we confess our faith each week by saying the words of the Apostle’s Creed, mentioning the 12 points of doctrine.
A big Epiphany in our lives was when we learned about Jesus Christ. How this baby child would grow, preach, stand up to the government and end up with the biggest battle of life – the battle of death. But Jesus conquered death by being raised from the dead. Think of the Epiphany, the illuminating discovery, when Jesus appeared to Mary and the disciples after his death. That is our Epiphany. Our discovery. To realized that no matter what we have done, there is God’s grace given to us, free of charge, and to realize that our sins have been forgiven. As Paul said in our second reading today, “In him and through faith in him, we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Certainly, the words of Psalm 23:6 say it best, “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Amen.