Meditations for Epiphany
Almighty God,
in the birth of your Son
you have poured on us the new light of your incarnate Word,
and shown us the fullness of your love:
Help us to walk in this light and dwell in his love
that we may know the fullness of his joy;
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
The hymn ‘Brightest and best’ is traditionally sung on the 12th day of Christmas, in celebration of the Epiphany. The word itself defines a moment when you feel that you understand, or suddenly become conscious of, something that is personally very important or meaningful to you. For Christians, it is the moment when the baby Jesus – the Messiah – is revealed, not through the religious structures that were expected, but to all the world; both Jew and Gentile as represented in the persons of the Magi.
The words are quite beautiful and evocative – it’s not hard to imagine the scene when the Magi first recognised that the light of the world has come – described in the book of Job (Job 38:3) as the day of creation ‘when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy’ in anticipation of the birth of Christ the firstborn son, the infant Redeemer. The gifts they bring are symbolic – gold for a tribute to a King, Frankincense to worship God, and Myrrh for anointing. But none of these are as important as a simple act of love and devotion.
Read the words and imagine the scene the Magi saw
Brightest and best of the sons of the morning,
dawn on our darkness and lend us your aid.
Star of the east, the horizon adorning,
guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.
Cold on his cradle the dewdrops are shining;
low lies his head with the beasts of the stall.
Angels adore him in slumber reclining,
maker and monarch and Savior of all.
Shall we yield him in costly devotion
rarest of fragrances, tribute divine,
gems of the mountain and pearls of the ocean,
myrrh from the forest and gold from the mine?
Vainly we offer each ample oblation,
vainly with gifts would his favour secure.
Richer by far is the heart’s adoration,
dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.
Brightest and best of the sons of the morning,
dawn on our darkness and lend us your aid.
Star of the east, the horizon adorning,
guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.
Isaiah 60: 1-3
Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
Nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
John 1:1-9
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
*****
There are many memorable images in John’s Gospel. One is when Jesus describes the reward of life in Him as being like streams of living water from the heart: another is when Jesus is revealed as the light of the world. Perhaps the latter is the more resonant in Ireland. We’re rarely short of water, but we treasure the light! Both images are present in a Baptism service: the candle lightens the way to the living water that washes away our sin. Even on the darkest night, a single candle can be seen from many miles away.
But even that light can dim unless it is trimmed, just as our faith can become obscured by everyday life pressures and concerns. Sometimes we need a new Epiphany. In the week before Christmas, I had a cataract operation. The result is truly remarkable. I can see, unaided, things I couldn’t see clearly even with glasses as my eyesight insidiously deteriorated with age – perhaps never before.
The Epiphany feast allows the same correction. With the same eyes as the Magi, we look into the manger, see the light of the world – be it for the first time, after a dark time, or in our daily devotions – and every time we see something new.
This song, ‘I speak Jesus’ is the choice for the New Year of David McClay, Bishop of Down & Dromore. It couldn’t be more relevant in the present state of the world.
An Epiphany Quote from Mary Olver’s poem ‘Sometimes’
Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.
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