The Epiphany of the Lord

01-04-2026Weekly ReflectionFr. Abraham Orapankal, Pastor

Dear OLP Family,

Happy Feast of Epiphany! Usually I take my vacation in January. As you read this, God willing, I will be far away in Kerala, India. I use this time to be with my mom who is in her 90’s and visit my siblings, family, and friends.

Let me now share with you a reflection on Epiphany. That word, in its Greek origin, refers to God’s revelation to humans.

Today we focus on the wise men or magi whom later legends have named as Melchior, Casper and Balthazar. They may have been of noble birth, educated, wealthy, and influential. Whether we agree or not with the non-biblical descriptions about them, one thing is certain: they had apparently studied the Hebrew Scriptures, in particular, the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. They knew the words of Balaam: “A Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Numbers 24:17). They certainly were acquainted with the prophecy of Micah: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel” (Micah 5:2; see also Matthew 2:5, 6). They probably also knew and understood the time from the prophecy of Daniel regarding the appearance of the Messiah (see Daniel 9:25, 26). Their study of the Scriptures led them to the Messiah and they adored him.

There is a lesson for us all. Reading and praying the Scriptures is the surest way to know the Messiah. “The more we seek him, the more we find him…” a famous worship song declares. The wise men must be admired for their willingness to spend their time, inconveniencing themselves a lot, in order to find Jesus and worship him. Decision to read the Bible daily is an excellent New Year resolution that can be made on this first Sunday of 2026. Later, during Lent, I plan to introduce a wonderful program of Bible sharing in small groups. Stay tuned to hear more about this exciting opportunity that will help us become more familiar with Bible.

May be today is the right time to ask: Did we begin the New Year in the right spirit? St. Paul gives an excellent piece of advice he practiced himself: “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13). The spirit he advocates is to be forward-looking at the possibilities that we have in the call of God in Christ Jesus.

“Forgetting what lies behind” is an invitation to not dwell on the past failures, hurts and wrong choices but to learn from them in the light that Jesus brings into our lives. No doubt our desire is to be better persons, to live better lives, to make more healthy choices and to live with all in harmony and peace. “Straining forward to what lies ahead” is the promise of the fulfillment of our longings in Jesus. As we celebrate Epiphany today, let us remember that the wise men reached their goal because they strained forward to what lay ahead. Their guide was the star that led them from the beginning of their quest that was based on their study of the Scriptures. We too need to keep our eyes on the star for guidance. That star, for us, is Jesus he Word of God. Let us make His Word more central to our lives this New Year.

Your brother in Christ.