[Pearls Ep 153: Preparing for Sunday.]
With this Sunday being the Feast of the Epiphany, we’re looking at what epiphanies mean to our interior life. Yesterday we looked at three interrelated aspects of epiphanies. They are:
- the revelation of something right before us,
- an encounter with Christ,
- something that illuminates our life.
Let’s start with #3 (the last shall be first), and we’ll look at #1 and #2 next week (#2 has some particularly interesting ramifications…).
Authentic epiphanies- manifestations of Christ in our life – are illuminating. They open our mind and our heart to something unseen.
Sometimes epiphanies are bolts of lightning – like Saul being knocked off his horse and blinded by the light of Christ. Other times epiphanies are answers to something long sought. Such was the case of Holy Simeon, who had prayed to see the salvation of Israel and at long last encountered the Christ Child at His presentation in the temple.
That brings us to the point of this message – we should pray for epiphanies.
Which is to say, if we are hitting a wall with overcoming a vice or growing in a particular virtue; or if we are struggling to find the answer to a troubling problem; or, in short, if we search ourselves and others and cannot find a way forward, and need some manner of breakthrough – it’s time to pray for an epiphany.
How?
One suggestion is to pray for “light and insight” (in the words of St. Ignatius) and meditate on one of the three passages for the Feast of the Epiphany:
The Magi (Mt 2:1-12): place yourself with the Magi. Bring Christ the gift of your complete trust in Him.
The Wedding Feast (John 2:1-12): place yourself with the wedding stewards and, in the words of Mary, “do whatever Christ tells you.”
Christ’s Baptism (Mt 3:13-17: place yourself in the Jordan river with Christ. Hear our Father’s words, “This is my Son with whom I am well pleased” – and honor the Father by giving complete authority to Jesus to guide you. Pray for the Holy Spirit to descend on you and illuminate You, just as the Spirit descended at the baptism.
To be sure, we can’t compel an epiphany. But we can place our needs before God. And, in praying this way, we make ourselves more attuned and docile to God’s prompting when, in His perfecting timing, the epiphany arrives.
Christmas blessings –
Steve and Karen Smith
Interior Life