Epiphanies All Around

A retreat day for the parents of pre-schoolers can be dicey, sometimes punctuated by an inconsolable wail, an urgent need for snacks, or a caregiver requesting immediate help with a diaper. But into the chaos Isaiah sounds like bells:

Nations shall walk by your light, / and kings by your shining radiance. / Raise your eyes and look about; / they all gather and come to you: / your sons come from afar, / and your daughters in the arms of their nurses. Then you shall be radiant at what you see, / your heart shall throb and overflow…

To the ancient Hebrews, the real wealth was their children. They were on to something: parents’ faces light up as the littles tumble back into the room, covered with snot or chocolate, hair disheveled, clothes askew. In the noisy chaos, “the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.”

At the center of the Epiphany tableau is a child. Around that child are gathered adults who are childlike in the best sense. The magi know what it is to follow a seemingly impossible quest, a distant star, not knowing the answers, filled with curiosity.  Mary and Joseph had no recourse to experts, simply relied on God and each other, bumbled through and cherished.

Our own epiphanies are marked by similar qualities: vulnerability, curiosity, playfulness, delight that can quickly spiral into woe. When the disciples argued over ego-driven measures of success, Jesus held up a child (Mt. 18:3): oblivious to appearances, focused on love, filled with wonder. Where are we on that scale of values?

Returning puzzled and jet-lagged, did the magi maintain unshakeable joy? Do we?

Kathy Coffey, “Childlike, Radiant, Overjoyed,” from the Jan. ’25 issue of Give Us This Day giveusthisday.org (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2025). Used with permission.