The Universal Church celebrates Sunday, January 07, 2024, as the Feast of the Epiphany, that is, the manifestation of Jesus as Messiah of Israel, Son of God and Saviour of the world. The entrance antiphon of this Mass says: "The Lord and ruler is coming; kingship is his, and government and power. Amen."
The Epiphany is the celebration of the adoration of Jesus by the wise men (Magi) from the East, the pagan world that has come to adore the newborn King, the Messiah, when the Jewish world, except the shepherds to whom the angel announces his birth, is still largely unaware of his birth.
Today's readings express the grandeur of this feast. In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah shouts: "Arise, Jerusalem, shine out, for your light has come, the glory of the Lord is rising on you." In the second reading, Saint Paul praises the majesty of God's plan, which has revealed that pagans too now share in the same inheritance as Jews. In the Gospel, Matthew recounts the well-known story of the Magi, the three Wise Men, who came from the East bringing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the new born king, Christ the Lord. In the course of this Eucharist, let us pray for the grace of generosity, so that we too can open our hearts and offer our own share of good things to our brothers and sisters who are poorer than us.
First Reading: Isaiah 60:1-6.
Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried in their nurses' arms. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, and the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.
Comment
Chapter 60 of the book of Isaiah, from where the reading of the day is taken, is an exceptionally beautiful expression of the glory and the splendour that Zion would enjoy after her restoration. God will once again reside with his people in the holy city of Jerusalem, which will be illuminated by the light of his glory. Foreigners as well as Jews from the dispersion will come with expensive gifts to pay their homage; peace will reign in the city and countryside, and Jerusalem will become the center to which all nations will congregate around Israel's God, in a universal brotherhood.
The light that is shining out of Jerusalem reminds the people of Israel that God once led them in their desert wandering with a pillar of fire. Now that the new exodus is here, God attracts, not only the chosen people with his brightness, but all the peoples as he pierces the darkness of the earth, thus enabling nations and kings from every corner of the earth to come to Jerusalem and look to her for guidance. Their royal gifts are offered in recognition of her God and King.
What does this passage teach me? It teaches me that in our day the city of light is the Church, shining with the light of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and all peoples are moving towards it, carrying with them the richness of their diverse cultures. We, the people of Africa, are also among those moving toward the light of God's salvation as embodied by the Church of which Christ is the head. Through what Saint John Paul II, in his Post Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa, calls "inculturation", that is, "catechesis taking flesh in the various cultures," we bring our own share into the universal culture of the church.
Let us say this prayer, which Saint John Paul II left to the Church that is in Africa. "May the outpouring of the Holy Spirit make of the cultures of Africa places of communion in diversity, fashioning the peoples of this great continent into generous sons and daughters of the Church, which is the family of the Father, the Brotherhood of the son, the Image of the Trinity, the seed and the beginning on earth of the eternal kingdom, which will come to its perfection in the City that has God as Builder: the City of justice, love, and peace. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Second Reading: Ephesians 3:2-3. 5-6.
This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles -- for surely you have already heard of the commission of God's grace that was given me for you, and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God's grace that was given me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.
Comment
Four of Saint Paul's letters have traditionally been classified as his "Captivity Epistles". These are his letters to the Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, and Philemon. They are called "Captivity Epistles" because they were written when the Apostle to the Gentiles was in prison. He suffered imprisonment in Ephesus, Caesarea, and Rome, and it is not always possible to say with certainty from where he wrote the different letters.
In his day, Ephesus was the leading city in Asia Minor. It had been conquered by Alexander the Great in 334 BC and it later came under the dominion of Rome in 133 BC. The Romans made it the administrative and religious center of the Roman province known as Asia.
The inhabitants of the city of Ephesus were notorious for magical and superstitious activities. Saint Paul came into that city around the year 52 AD (Acts 18: 19ff) towards the end of his second apostolic journey. He spent more than two years in the city and was so successful in his conversion mission that some leading Jews of the city became jealous and organized riots against him and he had to leave in a hurry.
What is the Letter to the Ephesians all about? Someone has said that it is more a sermon than a letter since it is an exhortation to celebrate the life of the Church in Christ and to live that life in a manner worthy of Christ. It is centered more on Christ in his church than on Christ as a person. It emphasises the sublime mission of the church, which is to bring salvation to the whole of creation, a task that is particularly pertinent to our times. The church is equipped for its mission because it is built on "the foundation of the apostles and the prophets", and has Christ as head and source of its life and work.
In the passage for our meditation today, Paul praises the majesty of God’s plan for us. God's purpose had remained his secret until Christ revealed it to those who believe in him. In other words, God intends that through Christ, the Gentiles are called to have a part with the Jews in his new people, the body of Christ.
From Paul's call on the road to Damascus, God's plan was specially revealed to him that he was to be the nations' apostle. Not even in the days of Isaiah was it known that God intended to break down the dividing wall between Jew and non-Jew. Now all men and women have become co-heirs, co-members and co-sharers in a body, the Church, with Christ as its head.
Let us pray to God this day that he may reveal whatever plans he may have for us, whatever he may be calling us to do in his name. For this, we call on the Holy Spirit to enlighten us and strengthen our resolve, that we may become like Paul, determined to carry out our missions on earth, in total defiance of whatever obstacles there may be on our way. Amen.
Gospel acclamation: "Alleluia, alleluia. We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage. Alleluia!"
Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12.
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him, and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Comment
Today, the Church celebrates Jesus being made known to the whole world. Epiphany means 'manifestation', and the three Kings, the Magi, who come looking for the Star of Bethlehem are the representatives of all peoples of every language, culture, and nation who set out, called by God, to adore Christ.
In the Magi (the three Wise Men), the Gospel sees the first fruits of the nations, the non-Jewish world, who welcome the good news of salvation through the Incarnation. The coming of the Magi to Jerusalem to pay homage to the King of the Jews shows that they seek in Israel, in the messianic light of the Star of David, the one who will be king of the nations. Their coming means that pagans can discover Jesus and worship him as the Son of God and Saviour of the world only by turning towards the Jews and receiving from them the messianic promise as contained in the Old Testament.
As we see in the first reading from Isaiah, the Messiah, Jesus, is coming like the light of the world. The light of the sun shines on everyone alike, good or bad, rich or poor, black or white. Since Christ is the light of the world, it means he comes to show the way for everyone to God.
The passage from Ephesians in the second reading, just like the first reading from Isaiah, states that Jesus, who is the good news of God, did not come for one select group of people. He came for everyone - Jew and Gentile alike.
In the Gospel, we see the Gentile kings coming to adore the new born king. The faith of these gentile kings gives them a unique privilege: that of being the first among the gentiles to adore Christ, the Son of God, when the whole world still does not know him. They are able to contemplate the Messiah soon after he comes into the world.
These Wise men come from the East with precious gifts, offering only the best to the Lord. They offer him gold, a symbol of royalty. They offer him incense, the perfume that was burned each evening on the altar as a symbol of the hope placed in the Messiah. They offer him myrrh because God Incarnate will take upon himself our weaknesses and be burdened with our sorrows. Myrrh reminds us of the passion of our Lord. On the cross, he is offered wine mingled with myrrh (Mark 15:23). It is with myrrh that his body was anointed for burial (John 19:39).
In these outstanding travelers from the East, we see thousands of souls from all over the earth setting out to adore our Lord. Twenty-one centuries have gone by since that first adoration, and this long procession of the gentile world continues to make its way to Christ.
Through this feast of the Epiphany, the Church proclaims the manifestation of Jesus to all mankind of all times, with no distinction of race or nation. As the Fathers of Vatican II Council so clearly indicate: "The Feast of the Epiphany moves all the faithful to share the concerns and labours of the Church, which prays and works at the same time so that the entire world may be incorporated into the People of God, the Body of The Lord and the Temple of the Holy Spirit."
What am I taking home from this Gospel message? Each of us has a star to follow, an individual calling in life, a path that he or she alone can walk. The Magi crossed mountains and deserts to follow their own star, their own destiny. Even in the midst of our everyday activities, in good and in bad times, we still carry within us a star of a calling, an interior light, that blooms and comes alive each time we speak with Jesus in prayer.
As Saint John Paul II said in a homily he gave on the Epiphany on January 6, 1979, "The Church more aware each year of the vastness of her mission, participates in the feast of the Epiphany. How many people are there who still have to be brought to the faith! How many have to be brought back to the faith they have lost! This at times is more difficult than the first conversion to the faith. The Church, however, aware of the great gift of the Incarnation of God, cannot pause, can never stop. She has to seek continually the way to Bethlehem for all men and for all times. The Epiphany is the feast of God's challenge."
Let us pray: “Holy Spirit, strengthen our faith so that we can each day bring to Christ our gold, our incense, and our myrrh to Christ in the form of friends, relatives, and colleagues, who might have fallen by the wayside in their faith. We make our supplication through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
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