Church liturgy helps us to pass through a series of epiphanies, i.e., revelations of God, in this ‘Epiphany Octave’ or Epiphany week starting from last Sunday, ‘Epiphany Sunday’. Epiphany Monday’s gospel (Mt. 4:12-17, 23-25) gave the epiphany of “Jesus as a light” by presenting the starting of Jesus’ Galilean ministry as the coming of light into the people who sit in darkness!
Tuesday’s (Epiphany Tuesday) gospel (Mk 6:34-44) pictures Jesus miraculous feeding of a great multitude as an extraordinary epiphany that God’s love, mercy and compassion.
Yesterday’s gospel (Mk 6:45-52) through the epiphany “IT IS I” Jesus’ revealed of His divine power and Identity to feared disciples who were torn between awe and disbelief amidst ferocious sea! In today’s gospel (Lk 4:14-22), Jesus makes the epiphany that
he is “the Anointed One’ by referring to the words of prophet Isiah about him. It takes place in the synagogue in Nazareth on a Sabbath morning.
The first reading today uses another word for ‘anointed one’ (Christ) i.e., Christ (1 Jn. 5:4). “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been begotten of God”. ‘For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world’ (1 Jn. 5:4). It is an epiphany about us that we too are also anointed ones filled with Holy Spirit in the sacrament of baptism and confirmation. Conquering the world for us has nothing to do with worldly weapons like bombs and guns.
We conquer the world mainly in three ways; (1) by overcoming temptations, (2) by forgiving and loving enemies, (3) by defeating enemies. Amen.
Fr. Jerry Joseph Vallomkunnel MCBS