Sermon 202
SERMO 202
ON THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD
The Epiphany of Christ is a manifestation.
The solemnity of today, known throughout the entire world, advises us, by its recurring celebration, to speak about what festivity it brings us and what it commemorates through its annual repetition. "Epiphany," in Greek, can be said as "manifestation" in Latin. For on this day, the Magi are reported to have adored the Lord; having been informed by the appearing star and guided by it. Indeed, on the day He was born, they saw the star in the East and recognized whom it indicated as born. From that day to this day they traveled, alarming King Herod with their message, and, with the Jews responding from the prophetic Scripture, found Bethlehem, the city where the Lord was born. Then, being led by the same star, they came to the Lord Himself, adored the one shown to them, offered gold, incense, and myrrh, and returned by another route. Indeed, the Lord was also manifested on the very day of His birth to shepherds warned by an angel; and on that same day, He was announced by the star to those in the distant East: but on this day He was adored by them. Therefore, the entire Church of the Gentiles devoutly adopted this day to be celebrated; for what, then, were those Magi but the firstfruits of the Gentiles? Israelite shepherds, Gentile Magi: the former were near, the latter far: yet both ran to the cornerstone. For, as the Apostle says, "Coming, He preached peace to us who were far, and peace to those who were near." For He is our peace, who made both one, and created in Himself one new man from the two, making peace, and reconciled both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the enmity in Himself.
The first fruits of the Gentiles gathered in the magi.
Rightly, the heretical Donatists have never wished to celebrate this day with us: because they neither love unity nor communicate with the Eastern Church, where that star appeared. However, let us celebrate the manifestation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, by which He brought the firstfruits of the Gentiles, in the unity of the Gentiles. For then as a child, before He knew how to call father or mother, as had been prophesied about Him, He received the strength of Damascus, and the spoils of Samaria: that is, before He spoke human words through human flesh, He received the strength of Damascus, namely, that from which Damascus boasted. Indeed, that city had once boasted in its worldly riches. But in riches, royalty is conferred with gold, which the Magi humbly offered to Christ. The spoils of Samaria were indeed the same as those who inhabited it. For Samaria is used as a symbol of idolatry. For there the people of Israel, turned away from the Lord, turned to worship idols. Christ, intending to lay waste to the kingdom of the devil throughout the whole world with a spiritual sword, first took away these spoils of idolatry as a child, so that He might turn the Magi to Himself, turning them away from the plague of that superstition, and spoke from heaven by the star, although not yet speaking on earth with a tongue; to show who He was, why He came, and for whom, not by a voice of flesh, but by the power of the Word made flesh. For this Word, which was in the beginning with God and was God, was already made flesh to dwell among us, had come to us, and remained with the Father; not deserting the angels above, and gathering men to Himself below through the angels; shining with unchangeable truth to the celestial inhabitants according to the Word, and laying in a narrow crib for the sake of a tiny dwelling. He was pointed out by the star in heaven, and shown to be worshiped on earth. And yet, as an infant so powerful, so great, He fled to Egypt with His parents to escape Herod’s enmity: thus, not yet speaking in words, but already speaking through His actions to His members, and silently saying: "If they persecute you in one city, flee to another." Carrying mortal flesh, in which He prefigured us and in which He was also going to die for us at the appropriate time. Hence, from those Magi, He not only received gold to be honored, and frankincense to be adored, but also myrrh to be buried. How innocent and humble those who would die for His name must be, He showed in the little ones whom Herod killed. For the whole Law and the Prophets depend on those same commandments, and He signified that number by their two-year-old age.
The Jews show Christ by their rites.
But now, who does not become attentive, considering what is meant by the Jews' response from Scripture to the inquiry of the Magi about where Christ was born, and yet they themselves did not worship Him with them? Do we not see this even now, when among those very sacraments, to which their hardness is subjected, nothing else but Christ, whom they refuse to believe in, is shown? Do they not also, when they kill the lamb and eat the Passover, demonstrate Christ to the Gentiles, whom they themselves do not worship with them? For what about this, that often from the prophetic testimonies by which Christ was foretold, and for those doubting men who might think that they were composed not before but after the events by the Christians, we call upon the books of the Jews to strengthen the minds of the doubters? Do not the Jews even then show Christ to the Gentiles, whom they refuse to worship with the Gentiles?
The way changed, life changed.
Therefore, beloved, we, of whom those Magi were the first fruits, we, the inheritance of Christ to the ends of the earth, for whose sake blindness in part happened to Israel, so that the fullness of the Gentiles might enter, having known our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who for our consolation lay then in a small lodging, now for our exaltation sits in heaven; let us so announce Him in this land, in this region of our flesh, that we do not return the way we came, nor retrace the footsteps of our former conduct. For this is what those Magi did; they did not return the way they came. The way was changed, the life was changed. And the heavens have declared to us the glory of God; and the shining truth from the Gospel, as a star from heaven, has led us to worship Christ; and we have heard with a faithful ear the prophecy celebrated among the Jewish people, as a sign of the Jews not journeying with us; and recognizing and praising Christ as king and priest and who died for us, we have honored Him as with gold, frankincense, and myrrh: it remains for us to take a new path, evangelizing Him, and not return the way we came.