Epiphany: the Light of Christ enlightening the nations

The celebration of the Epiphany has been for centuries an occasion of special importance in the Christian tradition. St. Augustine of Hippo, one of the most influential Fathers of the Church, dedicated several reflections to this mystery, illuminating its theological and spiritual significance.

The manifestation of Christ to the world

The term “Epiphany” comes from the Greek ἐπιφάνεια, meaning. “manifestation” o “apparition.”. For the Bishop of Hippo, Epiphany celebrates the manifestation of Christ not only to the Jewish people, but also to the Gentiles, represented in the visit of the Magi.

In his sermon 202, St. Augustine affirms: “The day we celebrate, brethren, is not to be regarded as a common event. This is the day on which the Savior of the world was made known to the nations”(Sermo 202, 1). In this sermon he also emphasizes that the shepherds and the magi, coming from different contexts, converge in Christ as the cornerstone: “The shepherds were Israelites; the magi, Gentiles; the former came from near; the latter, from far; but one and the other coincided in the cornerstone”(Sermo 202:1).

The Magi: symbol of search and faith

St. Augustine also sees in the Magi a model of spiritual quest. In his Commentary on Psalm 72, he writes: “They came from afar to worship him whom they had known by faith before they saw him with their eyes”(Enarrationes in Psalmos 72:10). In Sermon 202, he reinforces this idea by describing how the magi followed the guidance of a star, a “tongue from heaven” that spoke to them of Christ: “

Not yet able to speak on earth with the tongue, he spoke to them from heaven by means of the star” (Sermo 202:2).

The universality of Salvation

A recurring theme in Augustine’s writings is the universality of salvation. In his work The City of God, he emphasizes that Christ is the Redeemer of all humanity, uniting Jews and Gentiles in one faith. The Epiphany, by gathering the Magi from distant lands, symbolizes this unity.

Augustine declares: “Christ revealed himself to the shepherds of Israel and to the wise men of the nations, showing that salvation is for all”(De civitate Dei, XVII, 5). In sermon 203, he expands on this vision by highlighting how the faith of the Gentiles is manifested in the magi, who, burdened with humility, recognized Christ:

“Perhaps those shepherds, being less guilty, experienced more vividly the joy of salvation; the magi, on the other hand, burdened with many sins, begged more humbly for forgiveness”(Sermo 203:2).

Epiphany: a call to conversion

The celebration of the Epiphany is also, for St. Augustine, an occasion to reflect on our own response to the manifestation of Christ. In Sermon 203, he warns:

“It is not enough to see the star, it is necessary to follow it. It is not enough to know Christ, it is necessary to adore him” (Sermo 203, 3).

Moreover, in sermon 202, Augustine emphasizes that the change of the magi’s way symbolizes conversion: “The change of way is the change of life”(Sermo 202, 4).

The eschatological dimension of Epiphany

St. Augustine also links Epiphany with eschatological hope. In sermon 203, he points out that the Magi, in adoring the infant Christ, prefigured the adoration of all peoples in the Kingdom of Heaven:

“The whole world is called to faith from its four points” (Sermo 203, 3).

This universalistic vision reinforces the central role of Epiphany as a foretaste of God’s redemptive plan.

St. Augustine offers us a rich and profound vision of the Epiphany, which transcends the simple liturgical celebration to become a call to conversion and universal inclusion. The manifestation of Christ to the world, symbolized in the adoration of the Magi, is a reminder that salvation is a gift offered to all peoples, and an invitation to walk guided by the light of faith and hope.

Fr. Antonio Carrón de la Torre, OAR