First reading Isaiah 60:1-6
Above you the glory of the Lord appears
Arise, shine out, Jerusalem, for your light has come,
the glory of the Lord is rising on you,
though night still covers the earth
and darkness the peoples.
Above you the Lord now rises
and above you his glory appears.
The nations come to your light
and kings to your dawning brightness.
Lift up your eyes and look round:
all are assembling and coming towards you,
your sons from far away
and your daughters being tenderly carried.
At this sight you will grow radiant,
your heart throbbing and full;
since the riches of the sea will flow to you,
the wealth of the nations come to you;
camels in throngs will cover you,
and dromedaries of Midian and Ephah;
everyone in Sheba will come,
bringing gold and incense
and singing the praise of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm 71(72):1-2,7-8,10-13
Second reading Ephesians 3:2-3,5-6
It has now been revealed that pagans share the same inheritance
You have probably heard how I have been entrusted by God with the grace he meant for you, and that it was by a revelation that I was given the knowledge of the mystery. This mystery that has now been revealed through the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets was unknown to any men in past generations; it means that pagans now share the same inheritance, that they are parts of the same body, and that the same promise has been made to them, in Jesus Christ, through the gospel.
Gospel Matthew 2:1-12
The visit of the Magi
After Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of King Herod, some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east. ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ they asked. ‘We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage.’ When King Herod heard this he was perturbed, and so was the whole of Jerusalem. He called together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, and enquired of them where the Christ was to be born. ‘At Bethlehem in Judaea,’ they told him ‘for this is what the prophet wrote:
And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah,
for out of you will come a leader
who will shepherd my people Israel.’
Then Herod summoned the wise men to see him privately. He asked them the exact date on which the star had appeared, and sent them on to Bethlehem. ‘Go and find out all about the child,’ he said ‘and when you have found him, let me know, so that I too may go and do him homage.’ Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out. And there in front of them was the star they had seen rising; it went forward, and halted over the place where the child was. The sight of the star filled them with delight, and going into the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. But they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, and returned to their own country by a different way.
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Manifestation of infinite love
Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. How is this feast relevant to us today? First, let us look at the meaning of the word “Epiphany”, which means manifestation or revelation. In fact, in Greek, the word literally means to draw back the veil. Thus, today we joyfully celebrate the immense love of God, who draws back the veil that hides His presence from our sight, allowing us to know Him more intimately and enter into a deeper, more personal relationship with Him. In the Gospel, the three wise men saw the child with His mother, and recognised that they were looking at God. Thus, they fell to their knees, worshipped Him and offered gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
As we celebrate this feast, let us remember that God has lifted the veil and revealed Himself to us as a present, caring, loving God who is always with us. Often, we take His presence for granted. Like the three wise men, let us never stop seeking Jesus and finding Him in the Scripture, in the Eucharist, in the silence of our hearts, in the routines and struggles we encounter, in the faces of the weak and the marginalised. The three wise men offered their best to Jesus. In their act of giving, they invite us to offer our whole selves to Jesus, by allowing Him to guide us and using us as His instruments to bring others to encounter Him.
Reflective question:
How does Jesus reveal Himself to me, and how can I show His love to others today?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
