According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, “epiphany” is defined as “an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure.” In our Church, we acknowledge the Feast of the Epiphany and the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord to close out the Christmas season. Each year, based on my own experiences, these feasts highlight different discoveries in my faith journey.
As in past years during Advent I shared with my students Barbara Robinson’s novel The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, ending our novel study with the short religious video, “He Came to Get Messy” by The Skit Guys.
We discussed ways in which the characters in the novel, along with the narrator of the video, shed light on the reality of the Christmas Story: the Holy Family was tired, frightened, alone, and forced to deliver their child in a dirty barn. The scene may look idyllic in our nativity sets, but the reality would have been much different. Jesus’ humble beginnings teach us that God is with us; the setting also reveals that our “messy” world needs God. I loved reading the children’s written reflections on their Advent insights. One girl aptly titled hers “Perfectly Imperfect” – a phrase that speaks to me in my personal life as well.
As stated, I teach about Jesus’ humility in entering the world’s messiness, as symbolized by his birth in a stable. I teach about our need for reconciliation, both with God and with each other. I teach of the need to put ourselves in the shoes of others and to share the Gospel message verbally and through our actions. I believe everything I teach, and I strive to mediate on these concepts as I set goals for my own self-growth; however, the day after I went to confession during the third week of Advent, the stress of the past few months flooded out of me in a “less-than-Gospel-sharing” light.
Praying before Mass on the 4th Sunday of Advent I experienced great remorse. Although I had been trying to do everything possible to welcome the Infant Jesus into my heart, I lost my composure more than once. I felt that Jesus would not want to come to me in my current state, and I begged for help to improve. Then, kneeling before the nativity scene, my epiphany came early in a “perfectly imperfect” way. I suddenly realized that my imperfect actions were not barriers to Jesus’ coming, but mere reminders of why I need him so much. In short, I was a mess, and I realized that Jesus came to enter not just the world’s general mess, but my own.
As the Feast of Epiphany arrives, I continue to hold this discovery close to my heart. I look to feasts peppered throughout the Christmas season, recalling the sacrifices of the first martyrs – Stephen and the Holy Innocents – as well as the models of faith and family found in Mary, Joseph, and the Holy Family. I also recall the humility shown by Jesus who taught us that acknowledging our original sin – our messiness! – through baptism is the way to begin a life of service to God.
On the Feast of the Holy Family, as we reflected on the second reading, Father Steve Wlusek shared the acronym “ACRE” (Affirmation, Communication, Reconciliation, and Effort) for a sure way to live out the Gospel message in our family lives. Combined with prayer, each of these actions will allow us to follow St. Paul’s words: “as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another … as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Col. 3: 12–14).
As we work through the messes in our world and most importantly the messes in our own lives, let us rely on the love of Christ which binds us all together. Let us remember the acronym ACRE in our relationships. Let us forgive ourselves as well and seek personal epiphanies. For Christmas is not merely a day but a season; its impact should last the whole year long, as seen in “The Work of Christmas” by Howard Thurman, below.
Welcome, Lord Jesus, to my mess.
The Work of Christmas
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and the princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.
—Howard Thurman
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