The mystery that has been made known to me is that the Gentiles have been made co-heirs in the promise through the Gospel. On this second Sunday after the great Solemnity or the birth of our Savior, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. It is a feast that can be loosely referred to as an “explanatory feast of Christmas” for it serves to “explain” or bring to light the mysteries that Christmas celebrates. Although the Epiphany of the Lord as an “explanatory” feast includes the events of Jesus’ baptism by the Baptist in the river Jordan as well as the wedding feast at Cana in Galilee, it is the adoration of the baby Jesus by the three wise men (magi) from the East that has traditionally marked its liturgical celebration. 
The magi were astrologers who used their knowledge of the stars to interpret and/or “predict” events. In simple terms, they sought the meaning of life in the movement of the stars. They also represented the pagan religions of the nations that neighbored Israel. When they, therefore, followed star to where the baby Jesus was lying in a manger and paid him homage, it was a demonstration that the good news of salvation had been extended beyond Israel to the nations of the world. He who was to be the light of the world had finally arrived. As such, the Epiphany as a feast essentially celebrates the manifestation (revelation) of Jesus Christ, not only as the Messiah of Israel, but also as the Son of God and savior of the world (Epiphany means manifestation/revelation). 
The Epiphany of our Lord celebrates the newborn Jesus as the fullest revelation of God. In Jesus Christ, all that which could be said of God is finally said. In Jesus Christ, all that which could be known about God is finally known. In other words, Epiphany is the celebration of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of the promise God consistently made to creation through the prophets: a promise of a savior. It is a promise whose essence is captured in the conversation that Moses had with the Israelites as he neared the end of his life: “ A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you from among your own kinsmen…he will speak to you the Words of the Lord so that you may not die…” (cf. Deuteronomy 18:15, 16). And although after Moses the Lord raised numerous individuals as his messengers and prophets, the promise remained unfulfilled since none of them was able to fill the shoes of Moses: “ Since then no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. He had no equal in all the signs and wonders the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh and all his servants and against all his land, and for the might and the terrifying power that Moses exhibited in the sight of all Israel” (cf. Deuteronomy 34:10-12). It was only in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ that this promise was fulfilled. However, Jesus does more than replacing Moses because he is more than a prophet. Jesus is God-incarnate. 
As the fullest revelation of God, Jesus Christ is the prophet per se. Whereas the job of a prophet is to reveal the face of God to the people, the prophets of old, because of the ancient curse that sin had put between God and creation (cf. Exodus 33:20: “No one can see the face of God and live…”), were only able to do this partially. It is only in Jesus Christ that creation has been able to see the face of God. In Jesus Christ, we are able to see the face of God and  live because Jesus himself is God. In him, the ancient curse that saw those who came into contact with God dying (cf. 1 Chronicles 13:9-10) is revoked. From thence, coming into contact with God becomes a life-giving blessing. It is this God that is revealed and encountered in the birth, life and ministry of Jesus Christ. 
In Jesus Christ, we come to know a God who is close to us. The God of Jesus Christ is not a deity that dwells apart from his creatures on account of their lowliness. For the God revealed in Jesus Christ is a God who delights in not only assuming the nature of his creatures, but also dwells with them! The God revealed to us in Jesus wants to be involved in the lives of his creatures and to share in their condition. In Jesus Christ is revealed a God who is like us in everything but sin. In Jesus we encounter a God who has feelings, a God who is moved by our plight, a God who is moved with our prayers, a God who can change his mind when one pleads with him. For he is a forgiving, gracious, and compassionate God. This is in total contrast to the God of old who could only be approached in fear and trembling.