Small Epiphanies

Hillary Ibarra contemplates how anything that reminds us of Jesus is an epiphany.

My father, fantasy author Daniel T. Hylton, once wrote, “The Three Wise Men took with them an amazing gift; they had seen the King of kings, born upon earth as a Man."

Jesus Christ is variously described as the Son of God, the Son of Humanity, a Prophet, a kind and gentle Teacher, a Healer, the Savior. And He is, of course, all of those things and more.

But I see Him, first and foremost, as the Wise Men saw Him—the King of all.

The Three Wise Men found Jesus in a manger, but He may be found anywhere.”

True to my dad’s words, I discovered Jesus in dried fruit one Epiphany.

I wanted to spread my Epiphany celebration table with exotic breads and fruit to represent the Wise Men, so I asked my husband to please find some apricots, dates, and figs to go with my cardamom bread, Apple-Cheddar Vanocka, and gingerbread camel cookies.

He brought home dried fruit and teased me about how expensive it was, particularly the small bags of organic, unsweetened dates and figs. I was delighted as I placed the apricots, dates, and figs in three little bowls before the wooden carving of the Wise Men and the Nativity on my dining room table, laid with a golden tablecloth. Of course, I sampled the dates and figs first. The dates tasted sweet, but the figs! Theirs was quite the strong texture and flavor, chewy and spicy. A little bite went a long way, I promise you.

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During our Epiphany party, we feasted with friends while celebrating the revelation of Christ to the Gentiles, and I led a Christmas carol singalong on my guitar, confusing some of my Protestant friends who considered the Christmas Season long over. When all our dear friends said goodbye, some of their children and mine wearing paper crowns from Christmas crackers, I had almost two full bags of dates and figs left, and my husband admonished, "You better eat them or take the unopened bags back to the store!"

"I will; I will."

The dates were not a problem, but the figs … could I grow accustomed to their flavor? Still, they were a healthy snack, so I began cutting those dried bell-shaped fruits into manageable pieces, twisting off the hard nub at the top, and then eating them slowly, relishing the natural spicy kick in the little seeds.

A strange thing happened. The more figs I ate, the more I thought about Jesus and felt close to Him. Each time I bit into a fig, I felt connected to Him (like when I told my children to eat their fish, because it's good for their brains, and Jesus ate fish with His disciples).

Did Jesus like figs particularly? I don't know, but when He came to a fig tree one day, hungry, and found leaves but no fruit, He cursed it. When His disciples discovered that it had withered to its roots the following day, they were astonished, and Jesus told them, "Have faith in God." (Mark 11:12-14, 20-23)

He also used figs to help illustrate a point about people professing themselves to be what they are not:

"By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit." (Matthew 7:16-20)

There is also the parable about the need for repentance and the great gift of a second, third, or fourth chance, the gift of mercy and intercession, in His story of the fruitless fig tree. (Luke 13:6-9)

Because of these Gospel associations, I grew to like figs. Though it seemed child-like, I shared with my husband, "Every time I eat a fig, I feel connected to Jesus. I know that's funny."

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But my husband must have understood what I meant, because when my daughter Ana and I had eaten our very last fig, he came home from the store one day with another bag as if to say, Hey, whatever works, works.

This past spring, he planted a fig tree in our yard.

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A good thing that reminds you of Jesus’s love is a gift. Embrace it. #catholicmom

Truly, as my dad wrote, our Lord can be found anywhere. Wherever you encounter Christ this year, remember: a good thing that reminds you of Jesus’s love is a gift. Embrace it. And a Happy Epiphany to you and yours!