Being the Epiphany

Epiphany is the manifestation of Christ, clearly showing the divinity of God. People who saw Jesus were drawn to him. His teaching and healing in themselves are epiphanies – they embody the Word made flesh.

So often we spend time analyzing why church attendance is down, especially with younger people. Imagine if we could go to church and see and hear Jesus teaching, meet with him for spiritual direction, or have lunch with him just to chat. I think the church would be packed, especially at a healing service. So here is my epiphany. The church is Jesus – the Body of Christ – the manifestation of divinity. Having said that, could our poor church attendance be because we have not been the manifestation, the embodiment of Jesus? As Athanasius said, “God became man so that man might become God.” (Today he probably would have said God became a person.) Through our Baptism we are plunged into Christ, to be in Him and He in us.

We are called to be the imitation of Christ, his very hands and feet. We can never become God, but we can become a good mirror image. People were attracted to St. Mother Teresa because she was Christ-like, not because of her celebrity, wealth, or beauty. So, rather than wasting time analyzing why people are not going to church, maybe I need to examine how I have been, and how I am going to be; the epiphany – the manifestation of Jesus for the next person I meet. If my neighbor does not see Christ in me, why would they accept an invitation to join me at church?