About Today for Saturday in the 13th week of Ordinary Time or Blessed Virgin Mary
January 6 or the Sunday between January 2 and January 8
The Epiphany of the Lord
Solemnity
“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising” (Is 60:1-3). [1]
Today we honor the “mystery of the manifestation of Our Lord, Jesus Christ to all peoples.” [2] The feast began in the East in the 3rd century. Today’s celebration embraces the visit of the Magi, Jesus’ baptism, and His first miracle at Cana. Together they represent the appearance of God to mankind, the Theophany. Today’s Epiphany presents us with Jesus’ divinity and we come to understand that His saving work is available to all. [3]
Written by Sarah Ciotti
Reviewed by Fr. Hugh Feiss, OSB, STD
[1] Revised Standard Version s.v., “Isaiah, The Book of.”
[2] Benedict XVI, Angelus, January 6, 2012.
[3] F.L. Cross and E.A. Livingstone, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (London: Oxford University Press, 1974), 465.
