Epiphany of the Lord
6th January 2025
Holy Day of Obligation

Epiphany is the moment when the meaning of Christmas can no longer remain private. What began quietly in Bethlehem now steps into the open. Christ is revealed — not to the secure or the settled, but to seekers who were willing to move.

The Magi matter because they disrupt every comfortable assumption. They are not part of the inner circle. They do not belong to the religious establishment. They arrive asking questions that unsettle power: “Where is the child who has been born king?” Even Herod is shaken — because truth always disturbs those who rely on control.

Epiphany tells us something essential about faith: Christ is not found by standing still. The Magi followed light before they understood it. They trusted movement before certainty. And when they finally encountered Christ, they recognised Him not through strength or spectacle, but through humility.

That is the challenge Epiphany still places before the Church.

The Adoration of the Magi — Fra Angelico and Fra Filippo Lippi.
Public domain image via Wikimedia Commons

The light of Christ is not given so it can be admired safely within familiar walls. It is given so it can draw others — especially those who do not yet belong, who are unsure, who are searching without knowing exactly what they seek. Like the star, the Church exists not to attract attention to itself, but to point beyond itself.

At St Charles Borromeo, Epiphany asks an honest question: are we content with maintenance, or are we willing to be a place of revelation? A parish is not meant to be a private club for the already convinced. It is meant to be a sign — visible, steady, and unmistakably oriented towards Christ.

The Magi returned home “by another way” because encountering Christ always changes direction. Epiphany reminds us that faith without movement becomes habit, and habit without mission becomes empty.

The work of Epiphany is never finished. Christ is still revealed — whenever the Church chooses light over comfort, truth over ease, and mission over mediocrity.

During the Season of Epiphany, the Church reflects on Christ revealed to the world. This hymn proclaims the fulfilment of God’s promise in Christ, whose coming brings light and hope to all nations.