Collect of the Day: O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
First Reading: Isaiah 60:1-6
Gradual: Psalm 72:1-7,10-14
Second Reading: Ephesians 3:1-12
Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish film director considered one of the greatest filmmakers of the 20th century. When asked what was the apex of cinematic imagery, Bergman responded thus:
“The close-up– the correctly illuminated, directed, and acted close-up of an actor– is and remains the height of cinematography… That strange and mysterious contact you can suddenly experience with another soul through an actor’s gaze. A sudden thought, blood that drains away or blood that pumps into the face, the trembling nostrils, the suddenly shiny complexion or mute silence…that is to me some of the most incredible and fascinating moments you will experience.”1
For Bergman, the human face was the most profound image in cinema because the face tells us so much about a person– their history, their emotions, and in some rare cases, a glimpse of their soul.
One of the hardest parts of the past year has been that we when we are in public, half our face is covered with a mask! Like all of you, I look forward to the time when I can see the full expressions of others and connect with people in the way that until recently we took for granted.
Why do I begin the homily with this reflection? Because the Feast of the Epiphany is a celebration that God has revealed His glory in the face of Jesus.2
That’s what Epiphany means: revelation. Manifestation. Appearing. There was something that was hidden… and then what was hidden becomes revealed in spectacular fashion.
There are many such moments in the life of Christ—God suddenly and unexpectedly and wonderfully revealing His glory. One thinks of Christ multiplying the loaves and fishes. Christ walking on the water. Christ being transfigured on the mountain. But the foundation of all these epiphanies of divine glory is the Incarnation. God has become a human being in the person of Jesus. God now has a human face… Jesus’ face.
To look upon the face of Jesus is to look upon the human face of God: his swarthy complexion, darkened by hours in the harsh Palestine sun. The wrinkles around his eyes from smiling at his family and disciples. The eyes which could look unflinchingly into a person’s soul and know their flaws and yet love them perfectly. The mouth which spoke the most beautiful words ever spoken—and that remained closed when silence was necessary.
The first instance in which Gentiles looked upon the face of Christ was the visit of the Magi, those wise men from the East. Through their study of the heavenly bodies, they knew that the star which they had seen was the sign that a great ruler had been born in the land of Israel. And they were willing to make an arduous trek to see this kingly child. It was not enough to know that someone glorious had been born and to record it for posterity—they needed to behold this glory, personally, face to face.
And so, they made their journey of hundreds of miles, over several months, to the birthplace of the newborn King. After their audience with the reigning king, Herod, they arrived at the house—not the manger, as the crèche would have it—the house in Bethlehem where the Holy Family was staying. The Magi knelt before the Christ Child and his mother and presented their gifts.
This is the glory of God. This child. Not Herod, who was so threatened by the idea that someone would supplant him that he attempted to destroy the competition. Herod’s idea of glory was self-serving power. Herod was not interested in defending the needy among the people or rescuing the poor from oppression.3 His only interest was grabbing onto power and holding onto it by any means necessary. And if there was a possibility that someone else could come into power, his reaction was to lash out in violence. He encouraged his soldiers—his supporters—to use violence against the innocent so he could hold onto power. That was the “glory” of Herod, and of all other human rulers who put their lust for power before the well-being of those they rule.
On this Feast of the Epiphany, we celebrate that the the glory of God is revealed, not in displays of human violence, or in the attitude that “might makes right,” or in the fading glory of authoritarian despots. The glory of God is revealed most fully in the beauty of that single human face. The glory of God is revealed in Jesus.
And like the Magi, we can adore him on bended knee, and offer the gifts of our lives in homage. Amen.
References:
1 https://alexchocholko.medium.com/close-up-and-personal-exploring-ingmar-bergmans-faces-43634e89e4a8
2 2 Corinthians 4:6
3 Psalm 72:4
The Pulpit and the Altar 