We just celebrated Christmas, a time when God has entered into our human history as a  human being  like all of us. He entered through a specific group of people, the Jewish people. So his race is Jewish. But the feast of Epiphany reminds us that God has actually come for all of us. Represented by the wise men in our gospel today, we can say that God wishes everyone to hear and listen to him. He wishes to reveal himself to everyone, regardless of color, race, language, etc.

Our readings today suggest that God manifests himself to us in two ways. First, He gave us signs of him. But like the wise men, we have to study the signs carefully because the devil is also trying to distract us from looking at God. Second, is that God wants to meet us wherever we are. We sometimes are afraid to face God because yes, we believe that he comforts the afflicted, but he also afflicts the comfortable.  However, he really wants to meet us where we are. Like  Mary and Joseph,  God has revealed himself to them, in their poverty and simplicity.

Epiphany therefore challenges us to let God be God, to allow God to manifest himself to us, and to open our hearts unto him.

Happy feast on the Epiphany.