Liturgical Leaflet for an Active Participation in the Celebration of the Eucharist
7 January 2024
SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD
Year B
Homage to the Savior of All Nations!
piphany is the manifestation/revelation of Jesus as the King
and Savior not just of the Jews, but also of all human beings.
Today’s feast reminds us that God loves all nations and cultures of the earth, and that He communicates with us in many, often
unforeseen ways – through internal inspirations, through external
events, through people, and through His Word. Many times these
factors are combined in an interplay that becomes clear only in
hindsight. The challenge is for us to “decipher” God’s message and
respond to it with faith, persevering generosity and courage, just as
the Magi did.
As we are about to start the Eucharistic celebration, let us include
in our intention all the peoples of the world and especially those who
are working hard to bring about harmony and cooperation among all
human beings.
E
Entrance Antiphon
(To be recited only when
no Entrance Hymn is sung.)
Behold, the Lord, the
Mighty One, has come; and
kingship is in his grasp, and
power and dominion.
Greeting
P – In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Spirit!
All –Amen!
P –Blessed be God who sent
His Son to save all peoples.
May His grace and peace be
with you all!
All – And with your spirit!
Penitential Act
P –Coming together as
God’s family on this Feast of
Epiphany, with confidence let
us ask the Lord’s forgiveness,
that we may worship him
with a purified heart. (Pause)
P –Lord Jesus, you came to
gather the nations into
the peace of God’s Kingdom. Lord, have mercy!
All – Lord, have mercy!
P –Lord Jesus, your presence filled the hearts of
the Magi with great joy.
Christ, have mercy!
All –Christ, have mercy!
P –Lord Jesus, you come to
bring light to our darkened world with the
splendor of your grace.
Lord, have mercy!
All – Lord, have mercy!
P –May almighty God have
mercy on us, forgive us our
sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
All – Amen!
Gloria
All –Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace
to people of good will. We
praise you, we bless you,
we adore you, we glorify
you, we give you thanks
for your great glory, Lord
God, heavenly King, O God,
almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only
Begotten Son, Lord God,
Lamb of God, Son of the Father, you take away the sins
of the world, have mercy
on us; you take away the
sins of the world, receive
our prayer; you are seated
at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For
you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord, you
alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ, with the Holy
Spirit, in the glory of God
the Father. Amen!
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P –O God, who on this day
revealed your Only Begotten Son to the nations by
the guidance of a star, grant
in your mercy that we, who
know you already by faith,
may be brought to behold the
beauty of your sublime glory.
Through our Lord Jesus
Christ, your Son, who lives
and reigns with you in the
unity of the Holy Spirit, God,
for ever and ever.
All – Amen!
1st Reading
Is 60:1-6
The prophet Isaiah spoke poetically of the glorious future
which God had in store for
Jerusalem. The Church applies
this eschatological vision to
herself, the “New Jerusalem,”
blessed by the presence in her
of the Incarnate Son of God,
and to which all peoples of the
world are invited to belong.
R –A proclamation from the
Book of the Prophet Isaiah
Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the
glory of the Lord shines upon
you. See, darkness covers the
earth, and thick clouds cover
the peoples; but upon you the
Lord shines, and over you appears his glory. Nations shall
walk by your light, and kings
by your shining radiance.
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. 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. 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.
The Word of the Lord!
All – Thanks be to God!
7 January 2024
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 72
R –Lord, every nation on earth
will adore you!
R. M. Velez

F
C
    
Bb

Collect (Opening Prayer)
Lord, eve-ry na-tion on earth

F
   
will a-dore you!

* O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with
your justice, the king’s son. He
shall govern your people with
justice and your afflicted ones
with judgment.
R.
* Justice shall flower in his
days, and profound peace, till
the moon be no more. May he
rule from sea to sea, and from
the River to the ends of the
earth.
R.
* The kings of Tarshish and
the Isles shall offer gifts; the
kings of Arabia and Seba shall
bring tribute. All kings shall
pay him homage, all nations
shall serve him.
R.
* For he shall rescue the poor
when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to
help him. He shall have pity
for the lowly and the poor; the
lives of the poor he shall save.
R.
2nd Reading Eph 3:2-3.5-6
Today St. Paul reminds us
that, with the coming of Christ,
the barrier of estrangement
between the Jews and the
Gentiles was shattered. Both
were and are invited to form
one single “People of God”
under the headship of Jesus,
the Savior of all.
R –A proclamation from
the Letter of Paul to the
Ephesians
Brothers and sisters:
You have heard of the
stewardship of God’s grace
that was given to me for your
benefit, namely, that the mystery was made known to me
by revelation. It was not made
known to people in other generations as it has now been
revealed to his holy apostles
and prophets by the Spirit:
that the Gentiles are co-heirs,
members of the same body,
and copartners in the promise
in Christ Jesus, through the
Gospel.
The Word of the Lord!
All – Thanks be to God!
Gospel Acclamation Mt 2:2
All – Alleluia! Alleluia!
We saw his star at its rising and have come to do
him homage.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Gospel
Mt 2:1-12
The Magi are champions of
faith and perseverance in a
good enterprise. They are our
models in following the star of
God’s guidance contained in
His Word.
P –The Lord be with you!
All – And with your spirit!
P –A proclamation from the
holy Gospel according to
Matthew
All – Glory to you, O Lord!
When Jesus was born in
Bethlehem of Judea, in the
days of King Herod, Magi
from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the
newborn king of the Jews? We
saw his star at its rising and
have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard
this, he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief
priests and the scribes of the
people, he inquired of them
where the Christ was to be
born. They said to him, “In
Bethlehem of Judea, for thus
it has been written through
the prophet: ‘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.’ ”
Then Herod called the
Magi secretly and ascertained
from them the time of the
star’s appearance. 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.”
After their audience with
the king, the Magi 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. The Magi were
overjoyed at seeing the star,
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.
And having been warned
in a dream not to return to
Herod, they departed for their
country by another way.
The Gospel of the Lord!
All – Praise to you, Lord Jesus
Christ!
Homily
Profession of Faith
(Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed)
All –I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven
and earth, of all things visible
and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus
Christ, the Only Begotten Son
of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God,
Light from Light, true God from
true God, begotten, not made,
consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were
made. For us men and for our
salvation he came down from
heaven, (bow)* and by the Holy
Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.*
For our sake he was crucified
under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and
rose again on the third day in
accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven and is
seated at the right hand of the
Father. He will come again in
glory to judge the living and the
dead and his kingdom will have
no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life, who
proceeds from the Father and the
Son, who with the Father and the
Son is adored and glorified, who
has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic
and apostolic Church. I confess
one Baptism for the forgiveness
of sins and I look forward to the
resurrection of the dead and the
life of the world to come. Amen!
Preparation of the Gifts
P –Pray, brethren . . .
All – May the Lord accept the
sacrifice at your hands, for the
praise and glory of his name,
for our good and the good of
all his holy Church.
Prayer of the Faithful
P –Encouraged by the example of the Magi, we present our
Prayer over the Offerings
P –Look with favor, Lord,
we pray, on these gifts of your
Church, in which are offered
now not gold or frankincense
or myrrh, but he who by them is
proclaimed, sacrificed and received, Jesus Christ.
Who lives and reigns for ever
and ever.
All – Amen!
gifts and petitions to the Lord
saying:
All –Lord, graciously hear us!
C –For the Church, the new Jerusalem to which the Lord calls
all the peoples of the world: May
she always be a resplendent sign
of God’s universal love. Let us
pray!
R.
C –For the Holy Father and all
other spiritual leaders: May their
teaching and example be like
bright stars that lead people to
Jesus. Let us pray!
R.
C –For our missionaries who
strive to bring the light of the
Christian faith to those who do
not know it: May they succeed
in integrating the Gospel values
with the local cultures. Let us
pray!
R.
C –For all Filipinos who are
called to be a people “on Mission
to the Nations”: May we be credible evangelizers in words and
deeds. Let us pray!
R.
C –For each one of us gathered
here: May we always follow the
guidance of God’s Word as proclaimed by the Church. Let us
pray!
R.
C –We pray that the Holy Spirit
may help us to recognize the gift
of different charisms within the
Christian community and to
discover the richness of different traditions and rituals in the
Catholic Church. Let us pray. R.
P –Lord Jesus, like Jerusalem,
we rise up in splendor because
your light has come. May our
behavior become like a star that
leads others to you, who live and
shine for ever and ever.
All – Amen!
Preface of Epiphany
P –The Lord be with you!
All –And with your spirit!
P –Lift up your hearts!
All –We lift them up to the
Lord!
P –Let us give thanks to the
Lord our God!
All –It is right and just!
P –It is truly right and just, our
duty and our salvation, always
and everywhere to give you
thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God.
For today you have revealed the mystery of our salvation in Christ as a light for
the nations, and, when he appeared in our mortal nature,
you made us new by the glory
of his immortal nature.
And so, with Angels and
Archangels, with thrones and
Dominions, and with all the
hosts and Powers of heaven, we
sing the hymn of your glory, as
without end we acclaim:
All – Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of hosts. Heaven and
earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is he who comes in
the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!
Memorial Acclamation
P –The mystery of faith!
All – When we eat this Bread
and drink this Cup, we
proclaim your Death,
O Lord, until you come
again!
Solemnity of Epiphany
my roof, but only say the word
and my soul shall be healed.
All – Our Father . . .
P –Deliver us, Lord . . .
All –For the kingdom, the
power, and the glory are
yours, now and for ever.
Sign of Peace
Breaking of the Bread
All – Lamb of God, you take
away the sins of the world: have
mercy on us. (2x)
Lamb of God, you take
away the sins of the world:
grant us peace.
Communion
P –This is the Lord Jesus, the
light of all peoples, the Lamb of
God who takes away the sins of
the world. Blessed are those who
are invited to the Banquet of the
Kingdom.
All – Lord, I am not worthy
that you should enter under
Communion Antiphon
(To be recited only when no
Communion Hymn is sung.)
We have seen his star in the
East, and have come with gifts
to adore the Lord.
Prayer after Communion
P –Go before us with heavenly light, O Lord, always and
everywhere, that we may perceive with clear sight and revere
with true affection the mystery
in which you have willed us to
participate.
Through Christ our Lord.
All – Amen!
–God has called you out of
darkness, into His wonderful light. May you experience His kindness, and be
strong in faith, hope, and
love.
All – Amen!
P –The Magi found Christ by
following the star of God’s
guidance: May your good
example lead others closer
to Jesus.
All – Amen!
P –May you have the persevering faith and generosity of the Wise Men and be
rewarded with the Lord’s
presence.
All – Amen!
P –May almighty God bless
you: the Father, and the
Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All – Amen!
P –The Lord be with you.
All – And with your spirit!
P –Bow your heads and pray
for God’s blessing. (Pause)
P –Go in peace to share the
Lord’s light with love.
All – Thanks be to God!
RISE UP IN SPLENDOR!
Kalakbay at Katoto
n life, we do have experiences that more or less
change the tone, or the direction of our lives. Certain
events planned or unplanned that take place in the
course of our growth and development either make us
or break us . . . an experience of serious sickness, a
life-threatening situation, an unexpected turn of events
whether positive or negative, like an unexpected promotion, or a demotion for that matter. . . the birth of a
first son or daughter for young or older couples. . . the
coming of brilliant luminaries and leaders in the church
and in society. . .The list is endless. The one point of
commonality is the fact that such events, known to
sociologists as “marker events” steer the course of our
lives inextricably, irreversibly. . . forever!
I
One such event that changed the course of human
history forever is the coming of the Messiah, the birth
of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Today’s liturgy is a
celebration, not primarily of that event, but what that
event stood for and meant for “a people that walked in
darkness” and “who have seen a great light, on those
dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has
arisen” (Mt 4:16). Today’s solemnity of the Epiphany,
which, as we all know, meant “manifestation” counts
among these “marker events” that cannot simply be
glossed over in human history.
The event was so important and significant that the
inspired writers speak about a star that led the wise
men from the east to go and do him homage and bring
meaningful and prophetic gifts to the newborn child.
The coming of the wise men, we have always been
told, represented the “unveiling” or the “revelation” of
who that child was to the gentile world. In short, Jesus,
the Son of God was manifested for who he really and
fully was, to the gentiles.
This much, we all know by now. It has been rehashed
and repeated for us to hear, year in and year out. But
surely something that changes the course and tenor
of history is much too meaningful and significant to
be fossilized in just this particular understanding that I
outlined above. What else could this origin of gift-giving
have as meaning for us here and now?
I would like to start with something that seems so obvious it has been glossed over so often and so long . . .
the meaning of gift-giving, its origin, its purpose. I mean
here not the symbolism of the gifts brought by the magi.
That too, has been talked about so often. I mean here
the basic significance of gift-giving in relation to the
birth of Christ, whom the Magi spent time and money
for just to do him homage. A gift is something one gives
freely, unilaterally. That is why it is called a gift. It is not
forced, not bought, not insisted on. It is just given…
period. Or it is given in return for something given in
its turn, something so valued, so appreciated that it is
returned in kind, it is reciprocated. When such is given,
it stands for deep appreciation, a deep recognition of
something considered so important and so valued as to
merit a reciprocal act. Epiphany is precisely this, too. . .
a recognition of a gift so precious, that it merits a return
gift…grace upon grace. . . no less. This is the pearl of
great price that a man who chances upon it and finds
it is willing to let go of all he has just to get back to that
treasure and have it in return! This is the gift of a grateful heart, the appreciation of one who dwelt in a land
overshadowed by death, but for whom light has arisen
(cf. Mt 4:16 supra). This is a gift of recognition, a gift of
acknowledgement that indeed “salvation has dawned
upon us” (cf. Lk 1:71). This gift of the birth of the savior
so changed the tenor of the lives, not only of the Magi,
but also of generation upon generation that they went
out of their way, and journeyed in search, just to do him
homage. Their lives were changed for the better.
But alas, as Simeon so prophetically stated, “Behold, this
child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted” (Lk 2:34), the
manifestation of the Son of God, disrupted the life of a
very powerful man at that time – Herod. The news of the
birth of the Messiah forever changed the tenor of life of
one who felt insecure, fearful and unhappy at the turn
of events. Who should be coming to do him homage
but foreigners – gentiles who had nothing to do with the
Jewish faith? The event made Herod so fearful that he
plotted the death of so many innocent children.
There is a streak of the Magi and of Herod in all of us.
The question perhaps that we need to ask ourselves
is: what events are powerful enough to make us lose
composure and lose sleep over? What sort of surprises
in our lives make us feel insecure and fearful? Who are
the people that threaten us, and why? On the other hand,
what events make us better people. What turns our own
“stars” to light up and goad us on to do the good we ought
to do? What sort of guiding stars do we follow? What
type of people lead us on to try better and do better for
ourselves and for others? What is it in our history and
current events that make us strive to become luminaries
and good examples to others in our own right?
Or is there anything that turns us off completely? Is there
anything that makes us lose luster, light and altogether
give up hope for? What makes us feel defeated and
worn out?
WORD AND LIFE
PUBLICATIONS
The choices are clear for us: either be one of the
excited and hopeful Magi, or be a bitter, sullen, and
fearful Herod.
The first makes us people of hope. This makes us “rise
up in splendor.” For “our light has come, and the glory
of the Lord shines upon us.” This is the type of people
for whom the event of epiphany was not lost on them.
They are people of acknowledgement and recognition,
not a people of denial. They find joy in others’ joy, in
others’ successes. They are a people with the abundance mentality, not the scarcity mentality, that would
lead to sadness just because others may have done
some good. This is the type of people who would not
feel uneasy about giving to others what is due to them
– the recognition and acceptance that they have done
well. The second type belongs to the ranks of a man
eaten by worms of envy, sad and sullen, and unable to
give due recognition to what others have accomplished.
This is the narrow mindedness of people with a scarcity
mentality who see no room for the ability of others to
contribute to the good of all. This is the type of people
who are forlorn in their inability to give credit where credit
is due. They miss the coming of the Messiah, because
they are too busy trying to be what they are not meant to
be. They are a people devoid of hope because they think
they already have what it takes to become whatever they
want. This is the type of people who would dampen all
enthusiasm because they always douse cold water to
well-meaning intents of people who only want to work
for the common good. This is the sad state of Philippine
politics so caught up in selfish concerns, that everyone
feels the need to shoot down each other’s initiatives
because each one feels left out of the scene, left out of
the picture, as it were.
What does it take us to proclaim along with the psalmist
in joy. . . “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you?”
Not much. All it takes is a little recognition. All it takes
is for us to see and really see the light that has shone.
All it takes is for us to acknowledge that marker event,
that momentous happening in our lives as sons and
daughters of God. All we need is to see the manifestation of the Son of God. All we need is to say along with
the Magi: “We saw his star at its rising, and have come
to do him homage.”
Rise up in splendor, you sad sacks! Rise up in splendor
all of us who are in any form of fear and insecurity! Rise
up in splendor all of us who may have given in to a little
pessimism and doubt and worry for the new year just
began! Rise up in hope! Rise up in joy! Let us go up to
the mountain of the Lord!”
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