On January 6, the Church celebrates the Epiphany Feast, also known as Epiphany, and colloquially the Epiphany. It is a memento of the one described in the Gospel of St. Matthew, the homage paid by the Three Kings to the Child Jesus.
Epiphany is closely related to Christmas. The adoration of the Magi from the East to the Child Jesus is described in the Gospel by St. Matthew.
Epiphany. What does the 6th day of January symbolize?
As we mentioned earlier, for the followers of Christianity, Epiphany is the Feast of the Epiphany. It is one of the first holidays established by the Church. On this day, the events described in the Gospel of St. Matthew, and more precisely paying homage to the Child Jesus by the Three Wise Men from the East.
At the end of the 25th century, two separate celebrations appeared in the liturgy of the Universal Church - Christmas, which we celebrate on December XNUMX, and the Epiphany feast became independent of it. It is the last stage in the cycle of religious celebrations. The revelation of the Lord has its own symbolism - it is an adoration of both parts of the pagan world and people from various social and national strata.
The meaning of the Epiphany
Why is this event so important? Because it was the beginning of the acceptance of faith in Christ by the Gentile peoples, in accordance with the promise God made to Abraham, about which the Book of Genesis says: "Through you the peoples of the whole earth will be blessed" (Gen 12: 3). While Mary, Joseph and the shepherds of Bethlehem are representatives of the people of Israel who received the Lord, the Magi are the firstfruits of nations who are also to belong to the Church, the new People of God, who are no longer linked by ethnic, linguistic or cultural homogeneity, but only by a common faith in Jesus , The Son of God. The revelation of Christ is therefore also a revelation of the Church, that is, a manifestation of her vocation and universal mission ”.
(Pope Benedict XVI, Meditation before the Angelus, 6.01.2007 January XNUMX).
Source: catholic no
See our next article: How the Epiphany is celebrated in the world
