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From the Deacon’s Bench - Epiphany 2025
By Canon Ken

The 12th day after Christmas, January 6th, is our Church feast day for the Epiphany. The celebration of the visit of the Magi, or the three wise men, to Jesus. Heather and I have had the opportunity to celebrate the Epiphany on several occasions with our companion parish, San Marcos, in Holguin, Cuba. The people of San Marcos make it a true celebration. On some occasions, there was a piñata for the children filled with small gifts and candy. There is always cake. Cake is a real treat in Cuba due to limited resources. But for these celebrations, there will be cake!

There is a secondary component to the Epiphany. It isn’t just the celebration of the visit of the Magi with gifts. It is a recognition that the Magi were gentiles. They were visitors from the east and not part of the Judaic community. Here as a child, these gentiles celebrated the birth of Jesus. They knew he was not ordinary. He was special. He had come to them, and had come to the entire world. God was the God of all, and not just for a chosen people. God was reaching out to all people, without regard for their faith or their culture. It celebrates the fact that we are all children of God, loved by God and we are all an integral part of his creation.e Epiphany! Celebrate the visit of the Magi, and the coming of Jesus to all people. And if you can, have cake. Feliz Epifania!