Celebrating the Epiphany

By John Sacco

The Epiphany, a public holiday in many countries, is celebrated annually Jan. 6.

It marks two events in Jesus Christ’s life — the Three Wise Men visiting the infant Jesus and the baby’s baptism by St. John the Baptist.

For Father Michael J. Crookston, Pastor of The Epiphany of Our Lord Parish, Monessen, and St. Sebastian Parish, Belle Vernon, it goes deeper than two events.

He notes that Epiphany means manifestation.

“When you look at the Wise Men, they were manifesting to the world their discovery of baby Jesus and their discovery of not only the star, but the child that the star led them to,”
Father Crookston said.

“It’s an opportunity, especially during the pandemic; we all need to have that epiphany. We all need to be like those Wise Men, who traveled in uncharted territory and did not know where the journey would take them or what they would find. As the Epiphany of our Lord, all of us, we are journeying through this world and like the Wise Men we follow that star.

“We follow the star of goodness, the star of peace, the star of justice and the star of love. That star leads us to many people. It becomes our responsibility, really our task in life, to become those Wise Men and journey to distant places, searching out the hope and joy that star led them to.”

The feast of the Epiphany commemorates principally, but not solely, the visit of the Magi to the Christ child, and thus Jesus’ physical manifestation to the Gentiles. It is sometimes called Three Kings Day, and in some traditions is celebrated as Little Christmas.