It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” Isaiah 2:2-3
Today the Church celebrates the Epiphany of the Lord. The word “epiphany” comes from the Greek epiphainen, which means “to shine upon,” “to manifest,” or “to make known.” The feast of the Epiphany celebrates how God made Himself known to the world through the mission and divinity of Christ at the Visitation of the Magi (Mt 2:1-12). There are two other epiphanies in Scripture: The Baptism of Jesus (Mk 1:9-11) and the Wedding Feast at Cana (Jn 2:1-11).
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:9-11
Today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the “Little Flower.” St. Thérèse (1873-1897) was a French Carmelite nun who died in obscurity at the age of 24. Her autobiography Story of a Soul detailed her “Little Way;” doing everything, even the most common and menial tasks, for the love and glory of God. Her thoughts resonated with both religious and laity alike, quickly expanding her renown. She was canonized in 1925 by Pope Pius XI. She is one of only 36 Doctors of the Church.