Observe the wonders as they occur around you.

The liturgical season of Epiphany continues for the next five weeks. Today is the feast day of Epiphany. Also called twelfth day, it is a Christian feast day originally commemorating the baptism of Christ and secondarily the marriage feast at Cana. In the Western church, sometime between the fourth and the sixth centuries, it became a commemoration of the coming of the Magi as the occasion of the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles.

"Epiphany" comes from the Greek word for appearance or manifestation. Webster's Dictionary defines it as:

An appearance of revelatory manifestation of God or of a divine being. . . ; an incarnation of God or a god in earthly form; a sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something ("its soul, its whatness leaps to us from the vestment of its appearance . . . the object achieves its epiphany" James Joyce); an intuitive grasp of reality through something usually simple and striking . . . .

This word was also used in ancient times as a title for a ruler or monarch. Julius Caesar was honored in an inscription in the city of Ephesus as theous epiphanes (God manifest) in 48 BCE.

The reasons for calling Caesar God manifest should be obvious. But why would someone make that claim about a Jewish peasant sage from Galilee? Especially after he had been executed as a common criminal. What convinced the growing communities of Jesus' followers that he indeed had been God's anointed and had indeed manifested God in a unique and powerful way? These are the historical questions that New Testament scholars seek to answer. I am interested today in a more general reflection about the nature of an epiphany.

Is an epiphany an unusual, rare, once-in-a-lifetime kind of event, or might it happen more often than that? Is this a unique characteristic reserved for Jesus or can anything or anyone be a manifestation of God in some way?

Teilhard de Chardin wrote;

We spend our lives waiting for the great day, the great battle, or the great deed of power. But that external consummation is not given to many, nor is it necessary. So long as our being is tensed passionately into the spirit in everything, then that spirit will emerge from our hidden, nameless efforts.

To reach these priceless layers is to experience with equal truth that one has need of everything and that one has need of nothing. Everything is needed because the world will never be large enough to quench our tastes . . . And yet nothing is needed because the only reality that can satisfy us lies beyond the transparencies in which it is mirrored. But everything that fades away and dies between us and it will only give reality back to us with greater purity after all. Everything means both everything and nothing. Everything is God to me and everything is dust.

Teilhard de Chardin

There are several stories in the New Testament that recount epiphanies of various sorts:

Baptism of Jesus

Calling of the disciples

Transfiguration

Jesus' appearance on the road to Emmaus

Pentecost

But the story that I would like to share with you today is from Jack Kornfield's book, AFTER THE ECSTASY, THE LAUNDRY.

(Read story of Nachiketa and the Lord of Death, p, 41-44)

( Here are links to 2 versions of the Story of Nachiketa.
This first is a version much like the one read by Pastor Rick ( but with some introductory words ) in Wikipedia
Here is a somewhat longer version story of Nachiketa .)

Excerpts from the Infancy Gospel of James

and the First Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ

( See below for links to the full text of each of these Gospels. )

Joseph was soon ready to depart for Judea, but a great disturbance took place in Bethlehem in Judea. Astrologers came inquiring, "Where is the king of the Jews? You see, we saw his star in the east and have come to pay him homage."

When Herod heard about their visit, he was terrified and sent agents to the astrologers. He also sent for the high priests and questioned them: "What has been written about the Anointed? Where is he supposed to be born?"

And they said to him, "In Bethlehem in Judea is what the scripture says." And he dismissed the high priests. Then he questioned the astrologers: "What sign have you seen regarding the one who has been born king?"

And the astrologers said, "We saw a star of exceptional brilliance and it so dimmed the other stars that they disappeared. Consequently, we know that a king was born for Israel. And we have come to pay him homage."

Herod instructed them: "Go and begin your search, and if you find him, report back to me, so that I can also come and pay him homage."

The astrologers departed. Would you believe it, the star they had seen in the east went before them until they came to the cave; then the star stopped over the head of the child. After the astrologers saw him with his mother Mary, they took gold, frankincense, and myrrh out of their bag.

Then the lady Mary took one of his swaddling clothes in which the infant was wrapped, and gave it to them instead of a blessing, which they received from her as a most noble present.

Since they had been warned in a dream by the heavenly messengers not to go into Judea, they returned to their country by another route.

On their return their rulers came to them inquiring, What they had seen and done? What sort of journey and return they had? What company they had on the road?

But they produced the swaddling cloth which St. Mary had given to them, on account whereof they kept a feast. And having, according to the custom of their country, made a fire, they worshipped it. And casting the swaddling cloth into it, the fire took it, and kept it. And when the fire was put out, they took forth the swaddling cloth unhurt, as much as if the fire had not touched it. Then they began to kiss it, and put it on their heads and their eyes, saying, "This is certainly an undoubted truth and it is really surprising that the fire could not burn it, and consume it." Then they took it, and with the greatest respect laid it up among their treasures.