Saint Arnold considered the Prologue of Saint John as a splendid and unique Epiphany of the Divine Light, beginning with the act of Creation and reaching its historical culmination in the Incarnation. Indeed, the Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord was to be solemnly celebrated in the Steyl Foundation House, including a day of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The inclusion of the Magis in the dedication (1876-1882) reflected how the three wise sages were led by the Holy Spirit to pay homage to Xavier.

Faith is a journey (Lk 24: 13-35). In this life voyage God reveals Himself to us. That is what the shepherds, the wise men of the East, the simple and humble of heart have experienced. The faith demands us to walk with patience and perseverance, in the midst of difficulties, sufferings and problems. The discernment of each stage of this path is our responsibility.

“And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger” (Lk 1: 12), the Angel told the shepherds. Several elements are very strange there. Perhaps the strangest thing among them is the place, a stable. The straw manger was the best natural and simple warming material against the cold for the newborn. What caught their attention the most was the way the child was swaddled. It was the same way as they swaddled the lambs. That is to say, they carefully selected the lambs without spot or defects (Lev 22: 19) for the ritual sacrifice in the temple of Jerusalem. They protected them by carefully wrapping with a type of cloth so that their wool would not get stained nor be injured accidently.

That is why the sign “wrapped in swaddling clothes” has a deeper meaning than the reference to a piece of cloth. The swaddling clothes revealed in advance who this child is and will be. His birth is the beginning of a sacrifice that will culminate in the cross of Calvary. The English word Christmas, leaves us a clue; this is the combination of the Greek word Christo (Christ) and the Latin Misa (in English, Mass). Thus, with His Nativity begins the “Christ´s Mass”, the Christmas.

I wonder, was this swaddled cloth a precise announcement about this Christmas for the shepherds? Is this child going to be slaughtered like a lamb in the Temple of Jerusalem? The curious thing is that the image of the baby Jesus in the hands of Saint Arnold in the stained-glass window of the chapel of Saint Greger in Steyl, has been precisely wrapped in swaddling clothes in a similar way. John the Baptist pointed to Jesus as the “lamb God” (Jn 1: 30). The first epiphany was to the shepherds foretelling “you have revealed it to the simple” (Lk 10: 21. Mt 11: 25).

Secondly, in the Epiphany we remember the visit of Melchor, Gaspar and Balthasar, from the Middle East. Were they just three royal sages or were they leaders of three groups?

The Tanakh gives us some information. “He made donations to the sons of Abraham’s concubines and, while he was still alive, separated them from Isaac, sending them to the east, to the country of the East” (Gn 25: 6-7). He gave them a promise that when the Messiah comes, he will incorporate you into the lineage. It is explained also in the Talmud and the Mishnah. The Prophecy of the Star of Jacob, also known as the Prophecy of the Scepter of Jacob, is attributed to the prophet Balaam (Nm 24: 17). Those who believed it, followed the star and reached Bethlehem (Cf. Is 9: 2). Simeon was one of the said believers who lived in Jerusalem (Lk 2: 29-33).

I think that perhaps it would have been a huge number of people. Their representatives were Melchor, Gaspar and Balthasar. They went to ask king Herod where the King of Israel was born. That is one of the reasons Herod was scared and looked for a strategy to face the situation (Mt 2: 1-23).

Among the members of the above-mentioned three groups, some were kings and princes, and for them Melchor honored the baby Jesus with gold, as they do among kings. There were also some priests and Gaspar offered the incense on their behalf. It is the element that was used in the first place for the cult of the temple of Jerusalem. And finally, there were also prophets who found the prophet par excellence in the manger and Balthasar offered myrrh recognizing it. This way they worshiped the Child. For Fr. Arnold, the temple of our heart is wonderfully built by a divine master hand. There we bring to God the gold of our faith and our love and the myrrh of sufferings patiently endured.

From the religious point of view, we celebrate the Epiphany of God to all nations and cultures. He is light that illuminates those who are in darkness. Unlimited divine love is revealed to all, specially for the poor, marginalized and excluded.

We can consider Epiphany as the first international mission feast. Saint Arnold adored the infant Jesus like those wise men and prayed saying before the light of the Word and the Spirit of Grace, the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief disappear, and the heart of Jesus lives in the hearts of all. Also, Jesus Christ, the Word of God made Flesh, is to be adored and prayed to on this Feast of the Epiphany as our highest Lord. We should love and follow him for he is our way, truth and life. He leaves us these prayers as guidelines. To emphasize the importance, He asked for special worship on that day. Previously He did eight days of worship in preparation for this Feast.

Epiphany reminds us to find in Jesus and in the Bible, the light we need for our daily life and mission. Let us find, like Saint Arnold, the spiritual strength in the Epiphany.

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Saju George Aruvelil, SVD is from India. He is one of the first OTP who has gone to Argentina. He finished his theological studies for the priesthood also there. He then began his service in the education field in our SVD institutions. He obtained a licentiate in Spirituality from Pontifical University of Comillas, Madrid. He also holds a doctorate in Theology from the Pontifical University of Argentina, Buenos Aires. He also helps in the formation of laity and religious candidates. He gives retreats and leads workshops, seminars, etc. He has a radio program and writes in a local newspaper. At present he is a promoter of Laudato Si Movement for caring for the Earth together with his parish priestly pastoral activities.