TFTD: JANUARY 6

EPIPHANY

Baptism is the formal sacrament by which one becomes part of the Christian Church. The rite of sprinkling water for  purification is ancient. As per Christian sacred history, when Christ, coming from Nazareth to Galilee, was baptized in the River Jordan, the heavens opened, and the Spirit in the form of a dove descended upon him, and there was a voice from above which said: “Thou art my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.” [Mark:1: 9-11] So, through baptism, a person is infused with the spiritual dimension that is otherwise absent in him or her. Since the Trinity was revealed through the baptism of Christ, those who don’t accept the Christian Trinity don’t go through the baptismal rite. The Baptism of Christ was an event in which the Divine became manifest. Hence it was called Epiphany (showing or  displaying).  It has been reckoned to have occurred on a day corresponding to our January 6. It was during the 4th century that the Feast of Epiphany was declared by the Eastern Church to be  “the most honored festival.” Its main feature is the Solemn Blessing of Water –in accordance with prescribed rules.

Traditionally, the priest also blesses the homes of the Church members on this day. We have the story of the Three Wise Men: Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, who, guided by a moving star, came to Bethlehem with gold, frankincense, and myrrh as gifts for New-born Jesus. The Greeks called them magoi (magi in Latin), derived from the Persian word for priest (magu) in Zoroastrianism,  leading to our magic. Legends sometimes acquire flesh and blood, as in this case: For it is stated that their bodies were taken to Constantinople, then to Milan, and finally ended up in the two-spire Gothic Cathedral in Cologne, or so we are told. Relics tend to reinforce religious beliefs.

In some traditions, the wise men are said to have been kings: In Spanish countries Epiphany is celebrated as el día de los tres reyes (the day of the three kings).Then again, as we read in the Gospel according to John (2: 1 – 11) Jesus performed his first miracle at a wedding in a place called Canaa. When there wasn’t enough wine left for the guests, Jesus ordered pots to be filled with water to the brim, and transformed it all into good wine. This too is remembered on the day of Epiphany.

The chronological coincidence of  Christ’s baptism, the arrival of the Magi, and the miracle in Canaa  has no relevance to Epiphany. When the roots of traditions are examined with a scholar’s microscope, it has little impact on religious beliefs. Like the parent who loves the child even when the latter becomes rebellious, commitment to traditions is seldom affected by lack of sufficient proof, historical inconsistencies, or even logical loopholes. The poetry of religion transcends scientific nitpicking.

In the collective memory of cultures and traditions, sacred history is no less important than monuments to kings and soldiers. Aside from the recall of events they carry inner meaning and inspiration. The baptism of Christ is an affirmation of his spiritual glory, the three wise men represent the rejoicing and gratitude of humanity, and the miracle is to remind us of the extraordinary powers of the divine.

Verrochio’s The Baptism of Christ and Botticelli’s Adoration of the Magi, both at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, are among the magnificent masterpieces that have commemorated two of the Epiphany episodes. It is said that Epiphany was celebrated with great fanfare in Shakespeare’s time. That’s why Shakespeare renamed his play What you Will, which was to be performed on that occasion, as The Twelfth Night.