In the Christian calendar, Jan. 6 is the feast of the Epiphany which celebrates the day when the Magi, having followed a star, arrived at the place of Jesus’ birth. Once there, they realized in a flash that this was not only the birth of a child as foretold by the prophets, but the beginning of a new consciousness. 

Today, we use the word “epiphany”  when we experience a sudden insight or realization about something important to us. It occurs without warning, a bolt of lightning cutting through confusion or perhaps simply a parting of the curtains, allowing us to see more clearly what had been obscured. We’re usually energized by it and want to run tell someone about this “Ah ha!” moment we’ve had. 

As we embark on a new year, can we imagine that a new understanding of something baffling us is out there somewhere? We can’t make these experiences happen. But if we’re searching for clarity about anything, let’s fix our eyes on our own brightest star, follow it with a heart filled with hope and faith, infused with trust that illumination, a new way of seeing, our very own epiphany awaits us.