Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord Opening Prayer Holy and generous God, in your great love you have revealed yourself in creation. But you have done even more - you have revealed yourself in your Son, our Lord Jesus. By believing in and following Him, we are led to eternal life with you. Help us not to be like King Herod, who, threatened by your revelation, tried to kill Jesus. Help us to be like the magi so that when we see your revelation, we will be filled with delight. We make our prayer in the name of Jesus the Christ, our Lord. Amen. Introduction Epiphany means revelation or manifestation. Epiphany was originally an Eastern Church celebration. It was originally and primarily a celebration of baptism, the first Epiphany or manifestation. As the celebration moved westward, it took on the meaning of the revelation of Jesus to the Gentiles. The central point of this celebration is that God s salvation is intended not only for the people of Israel, but for all people. Epiphany is now celebrated as the 12 th day of Christmas and its celebration seems to predate the celebration of Christmas itself. The Greek word epiphany, meaning manifestation or appearance was used most often in ancient times to describe the king or ruler showing himself before the people of the nation. During epiphany we see how God epiphanies Himself through Jesus. It is the people of God empowered with the gifts of the Holy Spirit who reveal the risen Christ to the world through acts of creation, love, healing, and liberation. We of the Church are called to be an ever-unfolding epiphany of God s love and power to the dark world seeking desperately for such epiphanies. The 12 th night is a familiar title of a Shakespearian play and comes from European heritage where 12 th night parish parties are (or were) celebrated. These parties have carried over into the Mardi Gras tradition. During the party, at the appointed time, the king cake is brought out. Hidden in the cake are three beans or coins. Those who find the prizes are crowned kings or queens for the evening. While the royalty are being outfitted for their office, the Christmas tree is stripped of all ornaments (German Lutherans call this plundering the tree ). The tree is removed 1
from the room and saved for the Lenten season when it is stripped of its branches and made into a processional cross. Tradition also celebrates the arrival of the wise men at this time. 1 st Reading - Isaiah 60:1-6 Today s Old Testament reading is one of Isaiah s Songs of the First Return which are a lyrical description of the new Jerusalem as Israel is gathered from different places and restored. Reading 1 Rise up in splendor! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; But upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory. 3 Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance. 4 Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you: Your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses. Commentary An extraordinary illumination, as though God were, by His presence in the city, radiating a dazzling light [see Deuteronomy 33:2, Malachi 4:1 (3:19 in NAB & NJB) where fiery love (the fire of judgement and refining) is described]. Like a sunrise, darkness immediately surrenders to the brilliant light, there is neither dawn nor dusk. [Verses 1-3 have been seen by some commentators as the source of Revelation 12]. Literally, verse 4d reads your daughters are carried on the hips of their nurses. 2
5 Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, For the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you. 6 Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; All from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the LORD. Those who are from Midian, Ephah, and Sheba are all descendants of Abraham (Genesis 25:1-4). God s chosen people who were scattered long ago now come to participate in their ancient inheritance promised by God s covenant with Abraham. One day all nations will become God s children (Romans 4:17; 8:16-17). Deacon Finn s Commentary This week's reading from Isaiah comes from a section sometimes called Third Isaiah (Chapters 56-66), and is generally considered to be written by an unknown poet. The time frame of this passage is about 520 B.C. and the writer prophesies the role of the temple and offers to open its doors to all other nations. The invitation was given to the whole world to join the ranks of Israel as the Lord's chosen people. The passage is calling on the people to rise up in the splendor and radiance of the Lord (verse 1). It tells them that the glory of the Lord shines in them and through them (verse 3). It urges them to be confident in that love and they will become leaders of all nations and many from all nations will be drawn to them (verses 4-5). Today we are being called to rise up and become symbols of light and hope. We are called to be a light to a world that is covered with much darkness. We can be a light to the world only as long as we ourselves walk in the light of Christ. Each one of us is called by the Psalmist (Psalm 119:105) to be a light unto each other's path. We are being called today, as in the time of Isaiah, to let the glory of God's light shine through each one of us. 3
2 nd Reading - Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 Our second reading was written while Paul was in prison (verses 4:1; 6:20). Prisoner is a title of honor, a distinction that the preacher has gained for having borne witness to the truth. It is the mark of a true apostle (2 Corinthians 11:23; 6:4-5; Luke 21:12). Reading Commentary 2 You have heard A possible indication that some readers did not know Paul directly. of the stewardship of God s grace that was given to me for your benefit, 3 (namely, that) the mystery was made known to me by revelation. 5 It was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, 6 that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. A ministry; not a task, but a realization of God s plan. God s favor was shown to Paul not for himself but for others. The Jews are God s chosen people, his family. The Gentiles are now part of this family which forms the new Israel and shares in the inheritance (Romans 8:16-17). (Rom 8:16-17 NAB) 16 The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. 4
Deacon Finn s Commentary Paul wrote this letter while in prison awaiting trial before Nero. He reflects on his mission to the Gentiles (those who do not believe in the Jewish faith), and he speaks about his own conversion as being a great mystery of Christ. Paul was on a journey to Damascus to persecute disciples of the Lord when suddenly a light flashed around him that seemed to come from heaven. He was challenged by the Lord to stop persecuting him and to come follow him. Paul did and his whole life changed. He uses that conversion experience to bring others to the Lord (Acts 9:3-9). He claimed his place as an apostle because he was an eyewitness to the Lord during his "metanoia" or conversion experience. Paul gained a deeper understanding of God's plan of salvation through Christ. He reveals to us in this letter that into his life had come the great secret of God. That secret was that the love and mercy and grace of God were meant not for the Jews alone, but for all mankind. When Paul met Christ on the road to Damascus there was a sudden flash of revelation that affected his whole life. That "metanoia" is open to all of us, and we are being called to bring to the world that same message. It was to the Gentiles that God sent Paul, to open their eyes that they might turn from darkness to light. We hear Paul stating very boldly that God's love and mercy are given to all, Jews and Gentiles alike. Gospel - Matthew 2:1-12 Today s Gospel reading has been called The Worship of the Magi. Matthew and Luke both have accounts of the conception and birth of Jesus and some of the incidents that followed the birth. Neither Mark or John address this period in Jesus life. Matthew s version is greatly affected by the use of Old Testament texts. The magi seek a king, and Herod consults the religious experts of Judaism to find out where they should look. Of this there is no doubt, they should look not in Jerusalem, but in Bethlehem -- the city of David. 5
Gospel 1 When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, Commentary Four different Herods are mentioned in the New Testament. The first is Herod the Great, referred to in this passage and the next; the second is his son, Herod Antiapas, who had John the Baptist beheaded (Matthew 14:1-12) and who abused our Lord during His Passion (Luke 23:7-11); the third, Herod Agrippa I, a nephew of Herod the Great, who executed the apostle James the Greater (Acts 12:1-3), imprisoned Peter (Acts 12:4-7), and died suddenly and mysteriously (Acts 12:20-23). The fourth, Herod Agrippa II, was Herod Agrippa I s son -- it was before him that Paul answered Jewish accusations when he was a prisoner in Caesarea (Acts 23:23). Herod the Great, who appears here, was the son of non-jewish (Arab) parents. He came to power with the aid of and as a vassal of the Romans, particularly Marc Antony (see Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 14.13.1 324-326). He was a consummate politician and among other things he rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem on a lavish scale. Herod the Great had a persecution complex; everywhere he saw rivals to his throne. He was notorious for his cruelty: he killed over half of his 10 wives, some of his children, and many people of standing. He died in 4 BC. behold, magi Wise men, astrologers. Originally the term designated the learned priestly caste of the Persians; later it came to mean anyone skilled in occult knowledge and power (magicians), or a charlatan or trickster. The word is not used in an abusive or derogatory sense here by Matthew and the mention of the star shows that they are wise men who study the stars (astrologers). Nothing else is said about them. Since they are not Jews, they can be considered to be the very first gentiles to receive the call to salvation in Christ. 6
from the east arrived in Jerusalem, This suggests Mesopotamia, the home of astrology in the Greek (Hellenistic) world. 2 saying, Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage. 3 When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. The Jews had made known throughout the East their hope of a Messiah. The wise men knew of this expected Messiah, king of the Jews. According to ideas widely accepted at the time, this sort of person, because of his significance in world history, would have a star connected with his birth (Numbers 24:17-19, which many of the Church fathers have interpreted as messianic prophecy, but it is not quoted in the New Testament). (Num 24:17-19 NAB) 17 I see him, though not now; I behold him, though not near: A star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall rise from Israel, That shall smite the brows of Moab, and the skulls of all the Shuthites, 18 Till Edom is dispossessed, and no fugitive is left in Seir. Israel shall do valiantly, 19 and Jacob shall overcome his foes. When the leader gets stirred up, the populace gets agitated too; especially with the reputation which Herod had. In all Jewish circles at the time of Jesus, the hope was widespread that the Messiah would come soon. The general idea was that he would be a king, like a new and even greater David. Herod s worry is therefore all the more understandable: he governed the Jews with the aid of the Romans and cruelly and jealously guarded his crown. Due to his political ambition and lack of a religious sense, Herod saw a potential messiah-king as a dangerous rival to his own worldly power. 7
4 Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, In the time of Jesus, both Herod s monarchy and the occupying Romans recognized the Sanhedrin as the representative body of the Jewish people. The Sanhedrin was, therefore, the nation s supreme council which ruled on dayto-day affairs, both religious and civil. Following Exodus 24:1-9 and Numbers 11:16, the Sanhedrin was composed of 70 members presided over by the high priest. The members were elected from three groupings: 1. The chief priests, that is, the leaders of the principal priestly families; it was these families who appointed the high priest (the chief priests also included anybody who had formerly held the high priesthood). 2. The elders, or leaders of the most important families. 3. The scribes, who were teachers of the Law or experts in legal and religious matters--the majority of these scribes were Pharisees. In this passage, only the 1st and 3rd groups are mentioned. This is understandable since the elders would have no authority in the matter of the birth of the Messiah - a purely religious question. he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: 6 And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel. Quotes Micah 5:2 (Micah 5:1 in NAB & NJB). It is worth noting that Jewish tradition interpreted this prophecy as predicting the Messiah s exact place of birth and as referring to a particular person. The prophesies of the Old Testament are fulfilled in Jesus the Christ. The text quoted here is not a direct quotation from either the Hebrew or Greek texts but is colored by 2 Samuel 5:2, the offer of kingship to David made by the elders of Israel. 8
7 Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star s appearance. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage. 9 After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 11 and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Looks forward to verses 13-23 when the male children born around this time will be slain. Not to adore Him, but to dispose of Him. Such was Herod s exclusively political view of things. The prophets and the psalmists foretold that the kings of the earth would pay homage to God at the time of the Messiah (Isaiah 49:23). They would offer him their treasures (Isaiah 60:5-6) and adore Him (Psalm 72:10-15). Through the action of these wise men, these prophecies begin to be fulfilled; although there is no indication that these wise men were kings or emissaries of kings. The gifts offered were those most valued in the East and have symbolic meanings: Gold - A symbol of royalty and Jesus kingship Frankincense - A symbol of Jesus divine priesthood Myrrh - A burial spice and symbol of Jesus death to redeem us. 9
12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way. The involvement of the wise men ends with an act of obedience and cooperation with God s plan. Notice that throughout this story, nowhere is it stated how many magi there were. In later Christian tradition they became known as kings (in fulfillment of the prophecy) and their number was settled at three; deduced from the number of gifts. Eventually, they were named Caspar, Balthasar and Melchior in the Western Church, and Caspar became a black. They were understood as representatives of the Gentile world in all its racial diversity who come to Christ. Deacon Finn s Commentary We celebrate the feast of Epiphany, which means the visitation of the seekers, or as they are often called, the Magi, and Christ's manifestation of his glory to them. It was in Bethlehem, a little town six miles south of Jerusalem, that Jesus was born. The name Bethlehem means "house of bread," and the manger in which Jesus slept was used to feed the animals. It is significant that Jesus was born in a place called "house of bread," as he chose to feed us with his Word and in his Presence in the Eucharist. He calls himself "Living Bread," in John 6:35-66, and we share his living bread in our liturgies in accordance with scripture (Luke 22:14-20), in churches throughout the world. Bethlehem was where Jacob buried Rachel (Genesis 48:7) and it was there that Ruth married Boaz (Ruth 4:11-13). This city was the home of David (1 Sam. 16:1, 17:12, 20:6) and it was in Bethlehem that the Jews expected God's Anointed One to come into the world (Micah 5:1-2). When Jesus was born, there came to Bethlehem astrologers from the east to do him homage. The Magi were holy and wise men and were skilled in philosophy, medicine, natural sciences, soothsaying, and interpretation of dreams. Many later became members of a tribe of pagan priests in Persia and functioned almost exactly like the Levite priests in Israel. 10
About the same time that Jesus was born, the Roman poet, Virgil, was praising through his writings and poems the "savior of the world," the emperor, Augustus Caesar of Rome. So it was to a waiting world that Jesus came and the astrologers from lands far away gathered at his cradle. It was the first sign and symbol of the world's conquest by Jesus Christ. Today many of the learned men and women are coming to praise the King of Kings, Jesus; but many are not. What about you? Is Jesus your King and are you bringing him your presence as a gift? We need to reflect on the gift given to all who believe in the Christ Child of Bethlehem. The gift is being co-heirs of his kingdom, members of the one body and sharers of the promise. Have we made someone feel like an unwanted stranger? Have we dared label anyone a foreigner, alien, outsider, or pagan? Have we welcomed all to our "manger scene?" Is the light in our hearts drawing others to him, as the star did in Bethlehem? The manifestation of the star's brilliance spoke to the Magi of the entry of a King into the world. The glory of God's love for all is called to be manifested in us through the power of the Holy Spirit and in the saving name of Jesus Christ. Application The first reading tells us to look at the glory of God being unfolded before us. The second reading describes God's secret plan. The gospel reveals the joy and anticipation of following the star. This week, like the wise men or Magi, let us bring Jesus our gift. Yours might be a gift of joy or love, peace or patience, etc. Then you need to share this gift with someone in your family or work place. The wise men came in humility and left encouraged and full of hope. We can expect no less, when we bring Jesus our gift. 11
The Epiphany of the Lord (US) [20] Isaiah 60:1-6 Psalms 72: 1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13 Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 Matthew 2:1-12 Daily Reflection of Creighton University's Online Ministries ----- January 6th, 2019 by Molly Mattingly Creighton University's Campus Ministry and St. John's Parish The folks with Habitat for Humanity used to put on an elaborate living Nativity in a field in my area when I was growing up. Upon arrival, guests would be assigned a family name and told where to report for the census. Tour guides dressed as shepherds led groups along the path where they met Mary, Joseph, and their real donkey on their way to Bethlehem; heard the angels sing Gloria (including my school choir one year); went through the census tent with the Roman soldiers; shopped at a middle-eastern bazaar; and ran into King Herod and the three magi. There was always a bit of audience participation at that point. The magi would ask the children in the group whether we thought they should come back and tell Herod when they found Jesus. We, knowing the story, would reply, No no, don t tell him! He wants to hurt Jesus! The magi always trusted us, and we would see them again (or at least three people in the same costumes) at the end of the journey in the stable. I wonder what it was like for those three to see the star, to know its true meaning, and to follow the light. They must have been trusting people, to believe that the sign in the sky meant what they hoped it meant, and to believe that what it meant was worth the risk of the long trip. They trusted the light. And then, I imagine, they were radiant at what [they saw] as they brought the wealth of nations to the Christ child. Where do we see a glimmer of light this Christmas season? Are we courageous enough to believe in the hope it brings? What gifts do we bring into that hope? 12
Internet Sources: St. Charles Borromeo Church of Picayune, MS http://www.scborromeo.org/index2.htm The New Catholic Evangelist http://www.newce.com/contents/en-us/d20.html Online Catholic Bible Study from St. Dismus Guild http://www.stdismasguild.org/bible-studies-2/ Click the lesson for the date your group is studying The Daily Reflection Calendar from Creighton University of Omaha, NE http://www.creighton.edu/collaborativeministry/daily.html United States Council of Catholic Bishops http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/ 13