The word “Epiphany” means a manifestation of God’s love for his people. Jesus is the manifestation of God’s love. In many Latin countries, particularly in Central and South America and in the Caribbean countries, today is the day that the children open their Christmas gifts, not on Christmas day. They open their Christmas gifts on this, the Feast of the Three Kings, the Epiphany. And so a great joy is happening all around the world as people celebrate Epiphany, God’s love for us.

You know, I received a very early Christmas present this year, about 10 weeks ago. I had the privilege of going to Rome for the consistory and to go for the closing of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s, many beautiful experiences being with people from the Archdiocese of Chicago and with our new cardinal, Cardinal Cupich. It was wonderful. Rome is filled with great treasures and great beauties. But the most beautiful gift, the most beautiful thing that I saw in Rome while I was there was not St. Peter’s and the magnificence inside or the Piazza Navona and the beautiful statuary.

The most beautiful thing I saw, I got up early on the day of the mass that was out inside of St. Peter’s. And I walked over to St. Peter’s. It was a beautiful morning, as a matter of fact. And as I was approaching St. Peter’s, there was a woman on the sidewalk. She had to be well in her 80s. She was stooped, bent over, and she was begging for money, this poor woman. From a distance, my heart was touched. And as I walked closer, there was a young man, maybe in his 30s. He was a dad. And he was holding hands with his little boy, who couldn’t have been more than four years old. And I’m watching this poor woman, and I’m watching this father and his son. And the father pulls out coins from his pocket, gives them to his little boy. The little boy goes and gives them to the woman who was poor.

What a beautiful gift! What a beautiful gift to witness! One generation teaching another generation to give gifts, to help those who are in need. The wise men came, and they presented gifts to the Lord Jesus, gold, frankincense, and myrrh, that speak up his royalty, of his priesthood, and of his healing ministry. We have all been endowed. We’ve been all given gifts by God. And on this, the feast day of the Three Kings, the Epiphany, the manifestation of God’s love, reminded that the gifts that have been given to us by God, we are to give his gift to others.