On this day of January 06, the church celebrates the manifestation in the eyes of the world of Jesus Son of God, the Messiah, the incarnate Word, before whom the Magi from the East ave come to bow down: It's the Epiphanie. In general, this date is a working day so the celebration of the second Sunday of the nativity in some countries.

This feast is also called "theophany" which means "manifestation of God". In the greek culture, we call "Epiphanes" the divinity such as Zeus, Athena, Hermes and Poseidon... who barge in the sight of men. But for us Christians it is Christ God who reveals Himself to the world according to the stories of Matthew 2, 1. 2. 10-12 that we celebrate. He manifests Himself in the form of a newborn baby at a moment in the history of the Jewish people; first with the simple people, the shepherds, then throughout the world in its diversity in the person of the Magi who are, according to the stories of different origins.

 

In the account of St. Matthew no name or number is attributed to these Magi, only the present three, hence the idea of the three Magi.

 

It is only in the 8th century that the first Latin text naming these Magi was discovered, a text presumably translated from a Greek text from Alexandria dating from the 6th century. Bede the Venerable, an English Benedictine, born in the 7th century, is credited with naming and describing the Magi. According to Bede, these three Magi represent the three known continents, including Asia, Africa and Europe. The first is Melchior, an old man with a beard and hairy, white skin, he presented gold as a sign of royalty. Then Gaspar, a young man with red skin, still hairless, who presented incense as a symbol of divinity. The third is Balthazar, a bearded man with black skin who presented myrrh as a reminder that the Son of Man must pass through death.

 

It was not until the 12th century that this visit of the Magi was celebrated in the Church. Relics from Milan have been identified as belonging to the Magi and those Frederick Barbarossa who moved them to Cologne. These relics are still kept in Cologne Cathedral.

 

Message from the Bishops at the end of the Pilgrimage

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, You who have come in such large numbers to take part in this national pilgrimage, as well as all of you who are following it from home through the media. We, the bishops of Madagascar, would like to express our deep gratitude to you for having responded to our invitation and for having brought this jubilee initiated by Pope Francis to life spiritually. With you, we take up Mary's song: ‘My soul exalts the Lord’ and we repeat with her: ‘What shall I repay the Lord for all the good he has done me?’....

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Love and Salvation

Christmas is a great joy, because it is the love of God that has come to us, proclaims Fr. Bizimana Innocent, Provincial Superior of the Salesians Don Bosco of Madagascar and Mauritius, presenting his Christmas greetings. Salvation is accomplished, so life is not in danger of disappearing. It is this love and this salvation that we wish to fill our life so that we have peace.

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Zatti, our brother

The short film "Zatti, our brother" (Argentina, 2020) focuses on one of the most difficult episodes of his life. We are in Viedma, in 1941: at the age of 60, Zatti is forced to leave the hospital he has attended for decades. His faith and strength are tested.

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