Epiphany highlights our deepest hungers and thirsts

Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” — Thomas Jefferson

Epiphany is defined as an “appearance” or “manifestation.”

Today, in the Gospel, a star appeared in the heavens and led the three Magi to the place where Jesus was born and God manifested his glory in the birth of his Son.

These are the solid biblical facts of the story, but the energy and drama circles around the activity expressed in the word “search.”

The Magi were searching for the one whose existence was proclaimed by the star. Everyone had heard of the arrival of these Magi, strangers from the east, who had come to search for this “new king.”

Everyone feared Herod’s response to this news, and no one dared to personally enter into the search.

Herod was not happy. Herod did not like the thought of someone competing with him and his power. Herod, too, began to “search” so that he could find the whereabouts of his rival and “search” out a way to put an end to the threat.

A lot of searching is going on in today’s Gospel: searching for different things, needs, truths, hopes, and ends.

The Epiphany highlights a very deep truth about human beings: We need to satisfy the deep hungers and thirsts of our spirit. If not, they will consume us.

When left unsatisfied — empty — people often turn to addictive behavior. Humans search all the time for answers, meaning, direction, connection, and inspiration.

Today’s feast is truly our feast.

There is a retreat experience in the church called SEARCH. On this retreat young adults are encouraged to check out what they are searching for in their lives. They search for more faith, for the presence of Christ in their lives, for joy, for hope, for a sense of belonging, and to be freed from their pain or confusion.

If they go on the weekend-long retreat and actually do search, it is nearly impossible that they won’t discover, if not many things, at least something.

Spiritual searches always come from hungers or thirsts, or from some need to have or to know something deeper in one’s life.

This feast begs the QUEST-ion for us all. It asks if each of us has gone on our most essential search for the QUEST-ion(s) that are most important to us.

Are we searchers? Do we really seek? Do we dig and look for answers that bring real meaning?

Do we trust what spiritual guides and leaders from of old have given to us? Do we expect epiphanies throughout our life to brighten up and give real meaning to us?

Are we an Epiphany people?