In the West, except in Rome, the celebration of Epiphany on 6 January predates the feast of the Nativity. At the end of the 4th century (300 A.D.), in Jerusalem, it had as its object the birth of Christ. But it is not certain that initially in the East, such an object was exclusive. In fact, it would be very difficult to explain why, after the introduction of Christmas in the East, Epiphany became oriented towards the baptism of Christ. The reason is that Epiphany already widely celebrated – in pagan worship – the manifestation of divinity. Apparently, the feast of Christmas was introduced in the East around 430, but only for a time. In fact, a writing from the 6th century (500 A.D.) attests that in Jerusalem the birth of Christ was celebrated on Epiphany, and David and James on 25 December. From 567 – 568, the feast of Christmas is celebrated alongside that of Epiphany.
In Constantinople and all of Asia Minor, there are no traces of Epiphany before the end of the 4th century. The festival of lights, or Epiphany, celebrates the Nativity. After the introduction of the feast of Christmas as such, the feast of lights celebrated the baptism of Christ.
In Egypt, Epiphany, of which we have no memory before the 4th century, has two objects: it celebrates both the baptism of Christ and his birth.
When the feast of Christmas was introduced around 432, the feast of the baptism of Christ was celebrated on 6 January.
The feast of Christmas comes from Rome and takes firm root everywhere in the East, towards the end of the 4th century. Thus the feast of the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on 6 January. But why was the date of 6 January chosen? From a letter of St Epiphanius we know that several cities in Egypt and Arabia celebrated a feast in honour of Aion, daughter of the virgin Kore, and that this feast was related to the winter solstice. Moreover, some pagan authors, such as Pliny the Younger, and Christian authors, such as Epiphanius or John Chrysostom, refer to certain prodigies that occurred on 5 January: water from springs changed into wine; water that, drawn on that day, did not corrupt. It seems that the Church wanted to sacralise, by Christianising them, these prodigies.
Around 383 we know that the feast of Epiphany is not celebrated throughout Italy and does not have the same solemnity as Christmas. Instead, in Gaul and Spain, the solemnity of Epiphany became established at the end of the 4th century.
In the West there are three proper objects of Epiphany: on this day the visit of the Magi, the baptism of Christ and the wedding at Cana are celebrated, which are sung in the antiphon to the Magnificat of the day, although the churches of East and West do not celebrate them together, but each emphasises one of these aspects.
Today, on the feast day of Epiphany, we celebrate the manifestation of the Lord to all peoples. This means that God wanted, in Christ, to share the life of the human race and not of a single people, as the Jews thought at the time of Jesus. Let us remember that, when the four gospels were written, St Paul was already in heaven and the early Church was made up of the majority of Christian communities formed by pagans.
The Magi represent precisely those communities: the inferior race that accepts the gospel, while Israel, which considered itself the superior race, the people of God, rejects, except for a minority, the gospel because, instead of God, they worship their own traditions.
Even today, within the Church this happens, otherwise we would not have the difficulties we encounter in evangelising the wealthy western world and following the prophets who are in our midst and who do not sit in the first places but, knowing that they are labourers in the building site of the Holy Spirit, they make sure that it is the Spirit who emerges and not them, which is why it is necessary to have eyes that see the action of the Spirit within the Church and that make it progress along the road of following Christ, despite the difficulties.
Every Christian must be a prophet in the environment in which he lives, but to be a prophet one must not be a careerist and think of one’s own fame, for Christ abhorred all that.
By Fr. Giorgio Bontempi c.m.
