Spiritual Exercise for Epiphany

For those who would love to go on retreat but don't have the time to go away - here is something you can do by putting aside some time at home. This spiritual exercise will take you through to Epiphany or the feast of the Magi. Epiphany is the climax of the Advent/Christmas Season and the twelve days of Christmas, which are usually counted from the evening of December 25th until the morning of January 6th, which is the Twelfth Day.

Advent is marked by expectation and anticipation in preparing to celebrate the coming of Jesus. Christmas Day celebrates the birth of Jesus, the incarnation of God and lasts for Twelve days until Epiphany, January 6, which looks ahead to the mission of the church to the world in light of the Nativity.

The term epiphany means "to show" or "to make known" or even "to reveal." We remember the coming of the wise men bringing gifts to visit the Christ child, who by so doing "reveal" Jesus to the world as Lord and King.

As with most aspects of the Christian liturgical calendar, Epiphany has theological significance as a teaching tool in the church. The Wise Men or Magi who brought gifts to the infant Jesus were the first Gentiles to acknowledge Jesus as "King" and so were the first to "show" or "reveal" Jesus to a wider world as the incarnate Christ. This act of worship by the Magi, which corresponded to Simeon’s blessing that this child Jesus would be "a light for revelation to the Gentiles" (Luke 2:32), was one of the first indications that Jesus came for all people, of all nations, of all races, and that the work of God in the world would not be limited to only a few.
The day is now observed as a time of focusing on the mission of the church in reaching others by "showing" Jesus as the Savior of all people. It is also a time of focusing on Christian brotherhood and fellowship, especially in healing the divisions of prejudices in the church.

The Exercise - read through the passage Matthew 2.1-12 and consider that the journey began long before we see the account in Matthew. Take time to reflect on all, some or one of the following aspects of the journey and consider how it relates to you. As you do this you might want to think about it specifically for the year that has passed and anticipate the new year ahead.

1) The decision to set out - what was it that got the Magi to go on this journey?
Question to consider - What are the desires at the heart of me which draw me to something more?

2) Coping - the light of the star fades or is covered in cloud for some of their journey.
Question to consider - What keeps me going when the way ahead is not clear?

3) Travelling together - travelling in community
Question to consider - Where do I find companionship / community on my faith journey?

4) Facing barriers and blocks on the journey - Herod's deception sought to block the journey of the Magi.
Question to consider - Where have I encountered things which might seek to oppose / deceive/ destroy me and act as barriers to my journey?

5) The moment of encountering mystery - a surprise ending to the Magi's search for a King
Question to consider - Where have I found and encountered God in unexpected ways on my journey - where have I been surprised by God?

6) The choice to give - brought and offered gifts
Question to consider - Where have I received the giftedness of others and what gifts has God given me that I might share with others?

7) Going home by another way - changed by their experience, their encounter with mystery
Question to consider - How am I changed by my encounter with God or where my sense of who God is has been changed or is changing?

By entering into their story we can be helped to find meaning in our own story.

This is a great exercise to do at the close of the year - a bit like an examen of consciousness where we discern the movement of God in our lives. I did this last year and am taking time to look at it again this year.