Epiphany: Following the Star
- Sarah Strohmeyer
- Dec 25, 2025
- 2 min read
The Feast of the Epiphany is rich with imagery: a star piercing the darkness, travelers setting out with trust rather than certainty, and a child who quietly reveals the heart of God. It is a feast of revelation. It is the moment when what was hidden becomes visible, when God makes Himself known beyond all expected boundaries.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Christ is revealed not to leaders or religious authorities, but to the Magi,
who were seekers and outsiders. They were attentive enough to notice the light and courageous enough to follow it.
God Revealed Beyond Boundaries
The word epiphany means “manifestation.” On this feast, the Church proclaims that Jesus is not only for Israel, but for the whole world. The presence of the Magi, who were Gentiles from distant lands, announces a widening of God’s promise. Revelation is no longer confined to the familiar or the expected.
This kind of revelation is often quiet. The star does not overpower the night sky; it simply persists. It gives enough light for the next step. Epiphany reminds us that faith is often shaped through attentiveness, movement, and trust rather than full understanding.
Many of us recognize this pattern in our own lives: moments when God did not provide answers all at once, but offered just enough clarity to move us forward.
Seekers on the Way
The Magi show a way of moving through life that feels especially relevant today. They watch. They wonder. They act. They leave what is familiar and follow a sign whose meaning is not fully explained. When they arrive, they discover that true kingship does not look like power, but vulnerability.
Their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh hold together the full truth of who Christ is: king, the great high priest, and the suffering servant. These gifts make it clear from the beginning that love is honest about its cost.
One quiet detail completes their story: after encountering Christ, the Magi return home “by another way.” Once you recognize God, you cannot move through the world in quite the same way. True encounter changes us.
The Vincentian Heart of Epiphany
From a Vincentian perspective, Epiphany is not only about the Magi discovering Christ, but it is also about learning where Christ continues to be revealed today.
St. Vincent once reflected that the Magi recognized Jesus because they were truly seeking Him, while Herod, clinging to fear and control, could not. This Vincentian perspective calls us to look with reverence, not suspicion; with humility, not power.
For Vincentians, Epiphany is a feast of mission. Like the Magi, we are not meant to linger at the manger.
We are sent back into the world, changed, carrying what we have seen into homes, streets, classrooms, hospitals, and hidden places of suffering.
Epiphany ultimately asks us:
Where is the star pointing now?
Who is Christ waiting for me to recognize today?
What gifts am I willing to place at His service?
Seen this way, Epiphany is more than a feast on the calendar. It becomes a way of seeing. A way of serving. And a way of following the light, wherever it leads.