Dig Deeper into this Sunday’s Gospel: Read Matthew 2:1–12
“Dad, can you come upstairs?”
That was my first clue something was amiss—something in my heart immediately sensed it. I heard my husband’s footsteps as he walked the upstairs hallway into my oldest son’s bedroom.
Fifteen minutes later, as I was putting dishes in the dishwasher, my husband's voice called, “Jeannine, will you come upstairs?”
I walked past my other children, whose eyebrows went up as if to say, Don’t look at us. We don’t know anything.
As I reached the top of the stairs, my husband stopped me. “I need you not to yell.”
Okay. Not a great start. But here we go.
“You’re scaring me.” I whispered as I followed my husband to my son’s room, where I found my taller-than-me boy, who just yesterday it seemed was lying heady on my shoulder with his blanket, nuzzling into my neck, telling me how much he loved me. Yet, there he was standing before me, all 15 years of him, tears in his eyes, lips trembling, holding the same blanket (though a bit more worn), telling me, “I’m so sorry, Mom.”
For reasons you likely understand, I cannot share the details of the conversation that took place that Sunday evening. However, I can tell you that my son was deeply moved by a homily given during Mass that morning. This profound impact led Liam to confess to his father and me about a choice he had made—one he knew we would disapprove of and had been hiding for weeks. As so often is the case, this choice led him to make several other decisions that were not in his best interest.
What I witnessed in my son that evening was more than a difficult conversation or a moment of truth—it was a revelation. Something hidden had been brought into the light. Love met honesty. And grace, quietly but powerfully, went to work. Moments like these help us understand what the Church means when she speaks of the Epiphany.
The word epiphany comes from the Greek epiphaneia, meaning manifestation or appearance. This feast day is celebrated by both our Church and the Eastern Churches, but with differing observances. In the East, it commemorates the journey of the Magi, the birth of Jesus, His baptism in the Jordan, and the miracle at Cana.
In the Western Church, the gospel recounts the journey of the Magi, revealing Jesus as the Son of God and Savior for all, signifying that God's covenant includes all nations and invites everyone into His family.
We know the story of the wise men, the Magi, seekers who followed a star that others overlooked. Their routines and lives were disrupted in ways they could not have anticipated as they left behind comfort, familiarity, predictability, and reputation to follow a sign they didn’t fully understand. Ultimately, their journey culminated not in a palace or a throne, but in finding a mother and her Son. There was no grandeur, no spectacle; only presence. They discovered God’s profound presence in the ordinary: God's manifestation on earth in a young boy and His mother.
Holiness, then, is not reserved for the dramatic; it is woven into the small, faithful acts of love that fill our days. We, too, can have our own epiphanies and witness manifestations of God as Savior, Redeemer, and Lover of our souls in everyday moments—in the kitchen, sitting in the school car line, or stuck in traffic on our morning commute.
We can find Christ in the kindness of a neighbor or in a small smile from a stranger. We can encounter Christ through a text from a friend checking in on us or a word of encouragement. Christ is so often experienced in the quiet places where we pour ourselves out without applause or celebration, in the gift of self we offer when we love others, and in the sacrifices we choose to make to fulfill our vocations.
Moreover, Christ can be found in the words of a beloved priest who reminds us of who we are, whose we are, and who we are called to be: a light in the darkness, marked by God, chosen by Him to be epiphanies of Christ, bearers of Jesus to others.
There are so many lessons we can take away from our gospel for the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord; so many important and valuable lessons to ponder and hold in our hearts. This year, as I embark on another year of pursuing holiness, I am committing to opening my eyes to the daily epiphanies He provides. However, it cannot end with merely noticing these epiphanies for what they are: manifestations of the one, true God.
The Magi’s epiphany led them to adoration. Revelation inspired reverence, and encounter resulted in offerings. They knelt before Christ, presenting Him with their treasures in a moment of surrender, love, and recognition.
All who encounter Christ and experience a true epiphany are transformed. If we allow it, our hearts, souls, and minds can shift, if only slightly, moving us toward the light. Whatever we offer to Him, whatever gifts we bring, as imperfect as they may be, will be embraced by our God, who loves us with everlasting and unconditional love.
When we truly encounter Christ, we cannot return the way we came.
My son experienced his epiphany, a revelation of Christ’s presence and power, through the words of Scripture and the thoughtful homily delivered by a shepherd of our Church. And (praise God!), it didn’t end there. This experience led him to further discernment and to recognize the enemy lurking around him. The radiant light of Christ’s love illumined for Liam the truth of his dignity as a beloved son and dispelled the fog of confusion and lies. He realized that he was not alone; God was with him, and the Spirit led him to people who loved him.
This epiphany Liam experienced did not end with him. It caught fire in my heart and my husband’s. And, with God’s grace, perhaps your own heart too.
May your celebration of this feast lead you to deeper recognition of all the epiphanies God places before you, that we all might walk forward with courage, trusting that His light is always leading us home to His heart.
Following His light,
Jeannine
Food for thought or journaling …
Where have I recently seen or felt God bringing something into the light of my heart? And, how is He inviting me to respond with trust, discernment, and courage?
Lord, Jesus, Light of the World, help me notice the ways You are gently revealing Yourself in my life. Give me the courage to step into Your truth and follow where Your light leads, trusting in Your love. Amen.
[1] “What is ‘Epiphany’ in the Catholic Church?” Jesus Everyday, accessed December 21, 2025, https://www.jesus-everyday.com/what-is-epiphany-in-the-catholic-church/#google_vignette.
