Epiphany
The manifestation of Jesus Christ to the world
Liturgically, during this season of Epiphany, we observe “Ordinary Time.” Most of us would agree, however, that these days feel anything but ordinary. Yesterday’s gospel reading from John 2 reminds us of Jesus’ first miracle at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. At that celebration, He turned large jars of water into wine, reminding us that often, the ordinary becomes extraordinary when Jesus is a part of it.
Yesterday afternoon, huge snowflakes provided excitement for a while, but the white flurries didn’t last long. I was struck by the beauty shared in friends’ photos though and found myself contemplating how God might be inviting us to see the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life these days.
In her blog, Diana Butler Bass writes, “Epiphany is about seeing the extraordinary in the everyday. Epiphany is a season of extraordinary time, the in-breaking of creation’s promise. Maybe our moment in history is an epiphany- the ordinary is being pulled back to reveal that which has been hidden from view. The mundane is charged with meaning and epiphanies are everywhere.”
A maturing faith- transformation- is extraordinary. It requires faithful obedience. The story of the wedding miracle reminds us to bring Jesus into our personal situations; to involve and include Him in an as many details of our lives as possible, not just the big stuff. If we have the eyes to see, epiphanies are everywhere.
Consider: Where in your life is Jesus asking you to believe that He is a Miracle Worker? How is Jesus asking you to join Him in the blessing of a miracle? Has He been encouraging you to do something, go somewhere, say something to someone, but you really don’t know why, or you thought it was just plain crazy? Could He want to bless you by inviting you into something that He’s doing for someone else? Maybe Jesus is asking you to open up to His abiding Presence. Perhaps He’s asking you to allow Him to bring joy into your life, or to be more aware of the beauty that surrounds us and the love that is within us.
My friends, I pray that we will have the eyes to see all that Jesus wants us to see this week.
I have a sense that, when we look for them, epiphanies will be everywhere.
